Dear Dave,
I’m driving a 10-year-old car with 195,000 miles on it. The car needs $1,500 in repairs, and it’s worth $5,000. I have $40,000 in cash saved, $40,000 in investments and I make $80,000 a year. I also have $15,000 in student loan debt, but the only other thing I owe on is my house. Should I pay to repair the car or buy something else for $15,000?
Dave

Dear Dave,
Nice name! If you wrote a $15,000 check for a newer car and wrote a $15,000 check for the student loans, it would leave you with $10,000. I wouldn’t buy a $15,000 car in your situation. I’d buy a $10,000 car. You could sell your current car for around $3,500 if it needs repairs, combine that with your money and get a $13,500 car.

Then, you could write a check and pay off the student loan.
With no car payment, no student loan payment and a good car, you can really lean into your budget. Think about it. You’d have no debt except for your home, and you could rebuild your savings in a hurry and be in really great shape in about six months.

Plus, you’d have $15,000 sitting there in the meantime!
—Dave

Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He has authored five New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover, EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 8 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.