REDUCED FUNDING GOAL: $5,000

I've been driving my 2005 Toyota Prius for eighteen of its twenty years, from 160-mile round trip commuting to a forgotten start-up for a year and a half, to countless trips down the 405 and 5 freeways to take care of my infirm mother, to a particularly harrowing middle-of-the-night drive through impenetrable Northern California fog, to, most recently, many hours as a gig worker delivering food and groceries to literally keep a roof over the heads of my partner, our pets, and me.

It's limping along with over 268,000 miles on the odometer. But it's reached the point, at long last, where the value of the car exceeds the cost of repairs it will need to legally keep it on the street, never mind operational. I can't afford the necessary repairs, and even if I could, sustaining this car, even if I had the money to do so, would be an exercise in throwing money away.

So, I come to you, friends old and new and yet to be, because it's time to replace that old Prius and finance a new (used) car, and I need help putting together enough of a down payment to make the monthly payment something I can afford.

What's Wrong with This Car?

Many things; some, minor inconveniences, and some, showstoppers.

In particular: the check engine light is perpetually on. After replacing the O2 sensor, the inverter water pump, and the hybrid water control valve, the next step is the catalytic converter... which will be its fourth one.

Also, according to diagnostics, several cells in the hybrid battery are close to failure, which means the car will soon need its third hybrid battery replacement.

The catalytic converter issues prevent the car from passing a smog check, and it's long overdue, meaning every time I drive the car, I risk it being impounded.

The battery issues will soon prevent the car from being drivable at all.

Replacing the catalytic converter, including a California-approved part and labor, is easily $1,500 or more. Replacing the battery will be another $1,000, at least.

The car is barely worth $2,000.

Can I Just Go Without a Car for A While?

I'm a self-employed independent contractor in the creative/entertainment industry. Most of my clients are authors and podcasters, or professionals who are also authors and/or podcasters. My partner is permanently disabled and spent most of 2023 and a good part of 2024 recovering from hip replacement surgery. As such, I've been the primary and often sole breadwinner in our household since the pandemic.

I lost almost a third of my income in late 2023 and early 2024 when several of my repeat and ongoing clients, citing financial pressures of their own, had to greatly reduce or cancel their use of my services. While I continue to hustle to find new clientele, I've taken to driving food and grocery deliveries five to six nights a week to help replace the deficit.

We depend on my having a reliable and economical car to stay financially afloat.

I need to replace the Prius, and quickly.

What Kind of Car Am I Looking to Acquire?

My goal is to get a used hybrid or gas vehicle with high MPG and less than 100,000 miles on the odometer. I don't need anything fancy. Just reliable, and economical as possible.

Why Am I Asking for Your Help?

I need your help to put together a substantial down payment so the monthly payments for the replacement car are manageable. Without a sizeable down payment, monthly payments could be three hundred dollars or more.

I can't afford a monthly payment that high... and thanks to the personal financial downturn I mentioned above, I don't have the savings for a down payment. We're barely scraping by as it is... and without a replacement for my no longer street-legal Prius, my ability to stay afloat is sorely challenged.

It's a catch-22.

So, I humbly turn to you for help.

I'm looking to raise $5,000 toward a down payment on a used car costing between $10,000 and $16,000. Based on my credit score, this would result in a monthly payment that wouldn't put additional strain on our household.

Time is of the essence, so I'm hoping you can help me reach this goal within a month.

Can I Get a Little Personal?

As I write this, thousands of people are displaced and ten people are dead as a direct result of a natural disaster not forty-five minutes away from me. It's hard to ask for help when I know there are people out there who have lost everything.

I'm a person who usually donates to crowdfunding campaigns. It's been a decade since I last created a fundraiser for my own benefit, for a relocation, and seven years since someone else created one for me, when my mother was very ill and I was falling behind due to time spent taking care of her.

There's a voice inside of me chiding that I should be beyond needing such help; that at 57 years old I shouldn't have my hat in my hand, let alone be driving a twenty-year-old car in the first place.

But that's not how life works. Sometimes we're in a position to help, and sometimes we need the help.

And the beauty of crowdfunding sites like this is that many small contributions can make a tremendous cumulative positive difference in people's lives.

If you can help me replace my ancient car, you'll make a big difference not just in my life, but you'll make my partner's life a little easier, too... and our dog Sophie, and our cat Biggie (although they won't understand like we will).

So thanks, in advance, for your monetary contribution. If four hundred people contributed $25 each, that would take care of things... but believe me, any amount is met with equal gratitude, because I know that if you contributed, you contributed what you could. It means a great deal.

Thanks again.

-- Matt