Help Kim and Aaron Get a new Car

I bought my wonderful 2007 Kia Rondo, Bruce, in 2012, not knowing how far this guy would actually take me. The next year I moved from Michigan back to California, a 2,000 mile trip. There I made new friends, traveled up and down the state, and met my husband, Aaron. 

In 2016 I convinced him to move back with me to Michigan- in the same Kia Rondo.

And since then, this guy has taken us all around the state, to Columbus and back to see family countless times, and never failed to get either of us to work. 

Until now. My darling Bruce had a bearing go haywire, and it wreaked havoc on the engine. My mechanic has offered to price out a new motor- which could be up to $4,000. I realize this is less than the $8,000 I'm asking for. But to be blunt, I've had to take this car into the shop about every six months for the past two years. I just don't see how spending this $4,000 to prolong the car's life would be the better option. 

So I think it's time to get a new (to me) car. 

This comes at a terrible time. We're in the middle of buying a house (as in, we have half our paperwork filled out on it), and we just don't have the extra funds. We've got our down payment, our closing costs, and just enough extra to do the repairs our FHA loan calls for. On top of that, Aaron just recently started training for a new position at his job, meaning he now works at 5am, and I work two jobs. Add that to the lack-of-a bus system we have here in Ypsi/Ann Arbor, and this is essentially crippling for us.

If you can spare anything, please do. Looking at used cars online, I can get a decent one for under $8,000. I'm putting the goal here at 8k to cover whatever taxes and fees will need to be paid on the car when it's bought. But I think that should cover it. 

Thank you for just taking the time to read this. It means a lot that you'd even send a thought our direction. But if you can spare something, we really, really need the help.

Thank you,

Kim and Aaron