After Their Car Broke Down, His Wife Wanted to Buy a New One—But He Refused and Insisted They Share a Single Vehicle Instead, Setting Up a Real Test of How Well That Would Actually Work
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Long-distance family arrangements can be tough and challenging.
In this story, a man was living across the country from his wife and kids, but they would visit him throughout the year, splitting their time in two locations.
When their old car broke down, his wife and kids were left without transportation when they would visit.
Now, they are arguing about whether to get another car or share one car during visits.
Oh no! Sounds like a family drama. Read the full story below to find out more.
AITA for not wanting to buy another car?
I (29M) and my wife (29F) are currently living across the country from each other due to my job.
This is a short-term assignment lasting about 1.5 years.
For several reasons, my wife and our 2 kids (4 and 2) did not move with me.
They are planning to split their time between our hometown and where I am living now.
This man bought a new car and let his wife use the old one.
For some context, my car has been on the fritz. It usually worked and was ok to drive locally.
My company paid for it to be moved as part of my relocation.
When I arrived, I bought a new car and kept the old one. This was so my wife would have something to drive when she was down here.
However, in the past month, my old car has been increasingly unreliable.
The old car was unreliable, so his wife didn’t have anything to use.
It is now undriveable. My wife now has nothing to drive.
She is very upset about being stuck in the house while I am at work when she is here. She wants me to scrap the old car and buy her another car that she can drive around town.
I told her it is ridiculous. She could always drop me off at work and then pick me up in the evening if she wants to go somewhere.
She accused me of trapping her in the house.
She didn’t agree to share a car.
She said it is not realistic for us to share a car. It would mean she and the kids would be in the car for an hour in the morning and an hour at night.
I understand that. I told her I do not really want to spend $5k on another car for her to drive. And rental cars are way too expensive.
My wife is now saying that she cannot come down to see me. It will be “bad for her mental health” to be stuck in the house all the time.
He does not want to buy another car.
I do not think it is fair for her to go back on her word of splitting her time between home and here because I will not be able to see my kids.
I talked to my dad about it. He told me to just buy the car and sell it before I move back.
I think that is kind of ridiculous.
This is what the reality of life looks like for some people, where practicality clashes with real-life needs.
OP may have a point arguing that getting a second car may be costly.
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But he should also look at the bigger picture, where his wife and kids can truly benefit from having another car, especially if he wants to keep the family connected.
Do you agree? Let’s read the responses of other people on Reddit to this story.
This person gives their honest opinion.
Here’s another personal thought.
Here are some completely valid points.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a mom who gets fed up with her son not working and puts him in charge of nightly dinners.
Short and simple.
Finally, people are saying the same thing.
Sometimes, saving money ends up costing you way more in the long run.
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