The 3-Question Test for Any Major Purchase

Why I financed a truck after swearing off car payments

Author

Makeda Boehm
November 04, 2025

Quick question: Have you ever followed all the "rules" and still ended up screwed?

Last month, I got hit with an $8,000 repair bill on a car now worth $6,500.

I'd done everything "right":

  • ✅ Bought used to avoid depreciation

  • ✅ Paid cash to avoid debt

  • ✅ Went to a dealership

  • ✅ Checked the Carfax

  • ✅ Had it inspected

And it still failed me spectacularly, after spending over $20k on it

(Turns out it had been in an undisclosed accident and now everything was breaking.)

So I had to make a decision fast: Do I follow the same "rules" that was now going to cost me another $8K? Or do I try something different?

I chose different.

And 2 days later, I drove home in a brand new 2025 Chevy Silverado. With an 84-month loan.

Record scratch.

I know. I don't have a mortgage. I preach strategic debt. So what happened?

I stopped making decisions based on rules and started making them based on evidence.

Here's What I Learned (And What You Can Steal)

The "responsible" choice isn't always the smart choice.

When I started shopping, the "practical" options were more expensive than what I actually needed:

  • Toyota Sienna minivan? $58K

  • Jeep Wagoneer? $70K

  • Chevy Silverado with better specs? Less than both

Wait, what?

Yeah. End-of-year incentives + veteran discounts + strategic timing = the thing we wanted cost less than the thing we thought we "should" get.

But here's the real shift: I evaluated it as infrastructure, not just transportation.

The Framework That Changed Everything

In this week's podcast episode, I walk through the exact 3-question decision tree I used. But here's the core insight:

Every major purchase should answer YES to all three:

  1. Does it increase capacity, cashflow, OR confidence?

  2. Can you structure it to work FOR you (not against you)?

  3. Does it generate or protect income?

If you get 3 yeses? It's probably strategic debt.

If you get nos? Walk away or pay cash.

This isn't about convincing you to finance a car. It's about giving you a framework to stop following rules that don't fit your life.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

  • The 3 requirements that led me to a truck instead of an SUV (and why most "family vehicles" failed all 3)

  • How I negotiated under 6% interest with a 100K-mile warranty

  • Why this purchase is actually a business asset that generates income

  • The strategic debt decision tree you can use for ANY major purchase

  • How to know when paying cash is actually costing you money

YOUR ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK

Don't just consume this. Use it.

Here's what to do:

ACTION STEP 1: The Evidence Audit (15 minutes)

Think of a financial "rule" you're following right now. Write it down.

Examples:

  • "I should pay off all debt before investing"

  • "I can't afford that until I have X amount saved"

  • "I need to buy used to be financially responsible"

Now ask: Where did this rule come from? And is it actually serving me?

Write down:

  • Who taught you this rule

  • One time following this rule HELPED you

  • One time following this rule HURT you

This is your evidence. Now you can make an informed decision instead of just following inherited wisdom.

ACTION STEP 2: The 3-Question Test (10 minutes)

Pick ONE major financial decision you're facing (or avoiding):

  • A vehicle purchase

  • A business investment

  • A move

  • A big equipment buy

  • Hiring help

Run it through the framework:

Question 1: Does this increase my capacity, cashflow, or confidence? → Write specifically HOW

Question 2: Can I structure this to work FOR me? → List: interest rate, terms, protection, timeline

Question 3: Does this generate or protect income? → Be honest: business use? Tax benefits? Time savings that create earning capacity?

Then decide:

  • If 3 yeses → Research financing options this week

  • If 2 yeses → Can you restructure to get the 3rd?

  • If 1 or 0 yeses → Either wait or pay cash

ACTION STEP 3: Start Your Evidence Library (5 minutes)

Open a note on your phone titled "Evidence Library."

Add ONE entry today:

  • A decision you made that WORKED

  • What evidence you used to make it

  • What you learned

Start building proof that you can trust yourself to make big decisions.

(This is exactly what gave me the confidence to move fast on the truck purchase instead of overthinking for 6 months.)

The Real Story Behind the Story

I almost didn't buy this truck.

Not because of the money. Because of fear.

See, I had a car repossessed years ago. I know what it's like to be on the other side of strategic debt—the side where you're underwater and desperate.

That experience taught me to be cautious. But it also taught me to live in fear.

And I realized: the version of me who got that car repossessed isn't who I am now.

I have different income. Different knowledge. Different capacity.

I had to trust the evidence of who I've become, not the rules from who I used to be.

That's what I walk through in the full episode—including:

  • How I knew this wasn't just justifying a want

  • The conversation with our tax advisor that changed everything

  • Why we put 3 years of payments in an account upfront

  • How the truck functions as a mobile content studio (I recorded the episode IN it)

  • The business use case that makes it 100% defensible

One More Thing

Here's what I'm NOT saying: go finance a car you can't afford.

Here's what I AM saying: stop making decisions based on rules that don't account for your actual life, goals, and capacity.

Sometimes the "responsible" choice is the one that costs you more. Sometimes strategic debt is smarter than paying cash. Sometimes the thing you want is also the thing that makes the most sense.

The framework helps you know the difference.

Get back 15 hours per week: Download the free Capacity Shortcut Guide and see how intentional parents are building generational wealth without sacrificing family time. Get the guide

Until next week: take action, build evidence, trust yourself.

Makeda

P.S. — Stuck on a decision? Hit reply and tell me what you're working through. I read every response and sometimes turn them into future episodes.

CONNECT: 📱 Instagram: @seedandsociety 💼 LinkedIn: Makeda Boehm

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