<prompt> Human: Last month I was rear-ended by a semi that was slowly backing up into a construction zone and just never saw me at the stop sign. At first glance the day of the accident I thought the damage was minimal so I was blown away when the estimate came back. The check is being mailed to me from the drivers insurance company.The car is a 2007 Toyota Camry of which I owe zero and is in otherwise good shape other than high milage 155,000. I just graduated and I planned on driving this car for at least a few more years instead of having a car payment straight out of school. The damage is pretty much all to the trunk lid, which is still fully functional. What I am absolutely sure of though, is that had the accident been my fault theres no way I would pay 4,500 dollars to fix this amount of damage if I were financially responsible. I would just take the hit, since none of it has impacted my ability to drive the car. I just feel like its a scummy thing to take the money and not have my car fixed. What would you guys do? There has to be a financially smarter way to use this money rather than paying for cosmetic damages. Unless Im legally obligated to use to the money for that reason, which I dont believe is the case. I can post a picture of the damages later on if it helps.  <response>: Why not sock the 4.5k away and it form the basis of your emergency fund?Then drive your car till it croaks and use the 4.5k to replace it.I personally wouldnt feel scummy at all about not fixing the car. You got rear ended - your car would otherwise be fine right now, so the 4.5k is the absolute value of it being dinged. So they give you a check for that. What you choose to spend it on is your prerogative as the person who was dinged. : 