Needed a bigger vehicle for the growing family. We had been looking at slightly used SUVs in the $20k range, because it seemed like the thing to do. But, a friend was getting rid of this 1998 Toyota Sienna. It's got 100k miles and is worth about $2,000, AND ITS AWESOME. Super cheap to insure and almost no depreciation makes gas almost the only expense of having this vehicle. Once you accept being Mr. Dad and cruising around in a minivan, life gets easier.
This is the big lesson I learned: I am just as happy using this $2,000 old minivan as I would have been with a $20,000 SUV. Happier, in fact, because the minivan has DUAL SLIDING DOORS. Bam.
