The Car That Blogging Bought
Tuesday
Nov 14, 2006
Remember my recent post about a friend looking for a used car? Well, that “friend” is actually me. The kids are growing and I thought it’s high time we bought a car for the family, especially since it’s well within our reach now. Last time I had a car was right before Caren and I got married, up to the time Pia was a few months old. It was lent to me by a relative long-term when he got a new vehicle. I had to return it when he left to live in the US, though.
I had been car-hunting for the past two weeks and I finally found a great buy, and it was right under my nose! I had been searching high and low in the nearby areas (within Quezon City only, but I’ve tried the Car Finder magazines and online ad sites like tsikot.com and adpost.com/ph) but I didn’t realize it would be this close. I was able to acquire my landlord’s 1997 model Toyota Corolla GLi (TRD Sports Variant).


It had been used by the landlord’s son until he migrated just recently. Caren and I had been eyeing this car since we moved into this new apartment–we thought it was well-maintained for its age (about ten years now, as it was acquired late 1996). And we thought it was best to acquire a used car from someone we personally knew (they’d been our neighbor for the past ten years before we moved in, and I got to know his son personally, too, before he left).
It’s not new (obviously) as I can’t afford a brand new automobile right now. And unlike Abe, who probably paid cold cash from his pocket for his ’97 Mitsubishi Lancer “that blogging bought,” this purchase was financed through a personal loan from a relative and business partner. So the title _the car that blogging bought_ should actually be _the car that blogging (and other online ventures) will pay for_, but the former sounds better, don’t you think?
The Hunt
The last two weeks were a bit hectic. I was IM’ing, texting and emailing my old classmates, my friends and online buddies if they were selling or know anyone selling cars. I had no good leads, though.
I was limiting my search to either Toyota or Honda, as I was advised these were the better choices when it comes to second hand cars (and Toyota is the cheapest to maintain, too). I had been eyeing a 1998 Honda Civic LXi Automatic for PhP 260K, but it was over the budget, and the seller (another neighbor of ours down the street who does auto detailing) seemed to have a problem with giving us a copy of the car’s OR and CR for verification with the Land Transportation Office. Well, he showed the originals to us, but they weren’t under his name (they were registered under a financing company, so we had our doubts). This neighbor also had a late 1998 Nissan Sentra Super Saloon Automatic that fit my budget, and we almost decided on this one, but the neighbor still wouldn’t share a copy of the documents.
I also got to test drive two other Corollas. One 1995 XE (the 1.3 liter variant, but with power steering) looked like it wasn’t taken care of properly (engine was okay, but body was not). Another was a 1997 XE, but set-up with American-version bumpers (longer), lowered one inch, and had the innards converted into all-power (windows, side-mirrors, etc.). I didn’t like it much–I’m not a fan of über-set-up cars! I tried it out because I wanted to check out another car the seller was offering, but had sold right before I arrived at his place.
We also had reservations about buying from dealers who were not the original sellers, but were doing buy-and-sell. While there’s nothing wrong with doing business for profit, I didn’t exactly appreciate a car’s being marketed as “first-owned,” if it was that just on paper (i.e., open/blank deed of sale) and not in fact.
The Price Is Right
The car wasn’t as inexpensive as other similar models in the market. The owner wasn’t actually actively advertising it, but was simply contemplating selling it since he already has a new compact SUV and would rather not maintain an extra car. When I mentioned early this Saturday that I was on the lookout for an auto, he said he’ll still have to check with Toyota for an appraisal. He gave me a quotation early Sunday morning, and I inspected and test drove the car. By Monday noon, the Manager’s cheque had been issued, deed of sale signed and notarized, and keys handed over!
It felt weird to transfer a newly-acquired used car just one gate away! Actually, the car’s usual parking spot is right here in our driveway! It’s still very much at home there now that it has a new owner.
I didn’t haggle down the price much. The premium (which is not much, actually) I paid was for the peace of mind knowing the history of the car and how the original owner treated it (first-owned, and mostly _casa_-maintained).
Lighting McQueen
We had the car blessed early this morning, and we even have a name for it: Lightning McQueen–my daughters’ favorite character from Disney/Pixar’s Cars.
What Has Blogging Given You?
Marco of The White Hawk asks, and David echoes over at Blogging Pro: What has blogging given me?
Well, I can say that the car is only one of the things that I’ve earned/acquired through my pro-blogging and other online activities. It’s not all material, of course. In general, blogging has given me and my family better quality of life. And I’ve been able to help other people achieve the same, too. That’s what matters, right?
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Comments
Kates
November 14th, 2006 at 6:12 pm
Blogging has given me… LOTS of HEADACHES. Hehehe. But, seriously, blogging brought me a new lease on “life”. My blog gave me clients for me to work at home.
hoop
November 14th, 2006 at 8:27 pm
Congrats on your car!… Oh man be careful of used car dealers… my friend bought from them once… when he got home he noticed that the tires were changed to old ones and the battery wasn’t the same that was installed when he checked the engine
Mia
November 14th, 2006 at 9:19 pm
Oooh. You mentioned that to me already, so let me say again: congrats J! You deserve it.
Carlo
November 15th, 2006 at 12:05 am
Wow, that’s the good thing about giving your best efforts, you will see the fruit
Blogging hasn’t bought me anything yet but my Mom did hehehe. I hope in the next couple of months, I will be able to post something That Blogging Bought
Tim Te
November 15th, 2006 at 8:45 am
That’s awesome, so far blogging brought me oh, .79 dollars so far.. haha..
congrats on the new whip, based on experience, the best advice i could give you is to take care of it and fix things as soon as you notice something wrong before it comes around and gift you a swift kick in the bum…
jepoy
November 15th, 2006 at 11:55 am
umm.. blogging has bought me a 4 day vacation in Tagbilaran. hahaha.. i’m poor
Pinoy Stupid
November 15th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
So why did you have to say it was a friend? :p
Congratulations on the “new” car.
eman
November 15th, 2006 at 8:06 pm
congrats on your new car
Mikey
November 16th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
Besides lawsuits and stalkers, Blogging has given me a modicum of fame which, more often than not, leads to people shaking their heads at me in disgust at parties.
Anya
November 16th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
I knew it! I knew it was you! Lol!!! Hahaha.
Congrats!
jun
November 17th, 2006 at 11:49 am
A great find! I think there will be posts like these from you soon (I hope I’ll be able to post something like this too. In the near future). I got a similar 1996 model, same color, A/T, also bought second hand in 2002. Still purring, just a few scratches ans some small dents here and there.
Tip: Despite knowing who the owner is, have it checked by your mechanic, tuned up, change-oil, like a 10k casa maintenance thing, including belts, brakes, ligts, etc. That way, you will be more comfortable knowing that it was checked and that no “stome is left unturned” so to speak. Hopefully you will find everything is ok and drive with peace of mind (or find something wrong and fix it asap). You have to shell out a few thousand pesos, but believe me, it will be worth it.
ade
November 18th, 2006 at 6:44 am
When oh when will i earn that much from blogging?
yuga
November 19th, 2006 at 5:43 am
A good question that hasn’t been brought up yet is — how huge a salary are you getting from your problogging job?
Congrats! =)
J. Angelo Racoma
November 22nd, 2006 at 9:27 am
Thanks for the congrats, everyone! And thanks for the tips about buying/maintaining used autos! I earlier had to say it was my “friend” because I didn’t want to be making an announcement prematurely (might jinx it!).
As for my problogging earnings, if I told you I’d have to kill you!
jozzua
November 23rd, 2006 at 8:14 pm
Nice Car Jay! Hope you don’t mind me mentioning this on noypi.com.ph.
J. Angelo Racoma
November 23rd, 2006 at 9:01 pm
Thanks Jozzua! No prob. I’d appreciate a link!
Sonnie
November 25th, 2006 at 10:09 am
Great buy! Happy and careful driving =)
What blogging have added to me? Because of the initial effect of my blog and new opportunities that came in, works are underway to start two projects that would diversify some topics of interest
markku
December 5th, 2006 at 6:42 pm
Wow, a car from blogging! Cool.
jazzbo
January 6th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
I don’t know if I actually “problog” because I have a steady day job that pays the bills but I’ve been on Google Adsense for some years now. I hardly touch the earnings for day to day expenses but dip into it every now and then as this is the official “toy fund”. It pays for web hosting and few other things. If I have a trip abroad, it’s my pocket money fund. In the past it has purchased electronics from amazon and other online shops. Last thing I bought with adsense earnings was a Canon 10-22mm lens. So yes, I would highly recommend web ad earnings for people afflicted with GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome).
Ray McNally
March 30th, 2007 at 12:48 am
Very coooool – I love hearing success stories from online people and hearing that Blogging made it possible to get a new car is AMAZING!
Good for you and people should be watching to get a good example of success online.
Keep it up!
Roman Alberto
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:02 am
nice site
greenpinks
July 17th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
If you don’t mind, how much was the car? =)
Im on a hunt for used cars too…. its not easy lol
Congrats!!
enviptsooni
August 10th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Very useful and informative blog. Recommended for all to see.
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Job Hunting Expenses
October 11th, 2007 at 6:46 am
Glad to see someone is staying on top of things.
acantos
October 23rd, 2007 at 10:17 pm
same as you. acquired a personal loan, bought a car, and let blogging pay for it.
i got a ’90 corolla xl 4. should not be too nice because of the age. but it’s nice enough for me. i’m giving it a name too.
Mason Davis
April 1st, 2009 at 3:04 pm
How can I link to this site on my blog?
Millionaire Acts
November 10th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Hi Racoma. As for me, I am planning and contemplating to have a lasik eye surgery. Most probably, that would be the “lasik eye surgery that blogging paid”. I’m still weighing the pros and cons before I proceed with the operation.
Working Pinoys
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Wow! I wish to reach your level. I’m nearing my first $100-income out of my online activities and blogging, too. I hope that in the years to come, I get to write this post, too. I can’t wait to write about the things that blogging has bought me.