<prompt> Human: I see a lot of people on here saying that its the best idea to run a car to the ground but for those of us who have jobs that require us to be reliable employees how is an old car worth it? Right now I have a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. Before I was working at this job I could walk to work so when the alternator broke down I could still get to work. But now that Im working overnights 20 miles from my house this aint an option. I will get fired if I dont get to work. Is buying a new to me car worth the peace of mind of having reliable transportation? Assistant: As far as what if my car breaks down you call an Uber, cab or friend to drive you to work. Then you get your car fixed because that couple hundred dollar situation isnt worth 5 years of new car payments. Especially to someone who can lose their overnight job over something as small as a flat tire. Human: My job is implementing a union that will give me more job security. My job is stable but no call no show isnt acceptable and leads to termination. My job doesnt care why I dont come to work and they shouldnt. I line in an at will employment state and I can be fired for any reason or no reason at all.  <response>: By all means, call if youre going to miss work due to car trouble!I live in an at will state as well, and i have missed work due to car trouble before when the car wont start in the morning. I usually get a that sucks, hope the repair isnt too expensive from my boss. Just because they CAN fire you doesnt mean they will. Its extremely unlikely.My point is that you are experiencing an emotional response to a threat that is probably not real, and this can cause you to make poor financial decisions. 