4wheel

So, my kia is stuck in the yard in a snow bank until things melt off quite a bit. The Jeep with it's 4wheel drive got me to the store and back. Tomorrow I am taking it to Parsons to go to a baby shower for my cousin. I'm not rich, and I know she has some pretty specific plans for her babies (twins!), so I don't want to get pacifiers, diapers, or bottles. I want to give her just a card and some cash towards a breast pump or cloth diapers (two things I know she wants), but I am afraid to look cheap showing up with just a card.

Friday was interesting. I basically snuck out right when our last bell rang and dashed (as fast as one can dash on unscraped streets) over to the grade school to get Gideon, then we came back and spent half an hour working in my classroom.

The kia got stuck in my driveway when I came home. All told, not a bad place to get stuck.

I'm set to get over nine thousand back in income tax refunds. I'm debating what to do with it. I want a newer, larger, 4x4 car. But looking online what I want would take up absolutely the whole amount and then some. I'd also like to catch up on some bills, buy some stuff for around the house, and some clothes (I have embarrassingly few clothes for a woman my age).

The jeep is almost thirty years old. Its electrical system is a little goosey, the AC doesn't work, the windows don't want to go up if they roll down, its not family car material. The KIA needs exhaust system work, the fans that run the heat and air have gotten noisy of late, the swing arm that the spare tire sits on stopped working so I took it off and it is now in my shed, and the sun visors inside have been removed because they broke and where hanging down in the way of my view. In other words, its showing its age.

So, do I roll that whole amount into another older vehicle? Do I use it as a down payment on a financed vehicle? Do I use it to invest in fixing the car I have? What would you do?