Something I noticed is the second my car hit the seven year mark in age, all car related service calls stopped. But then the "time for a new car!!!!" mailers started coming in.

I have 2 cars: commuter and work truck (for the house - any homeowner these days basically has to have a truck). I haven't had a car payment in years. And it drives me nuts that every facet of our society is invested in taking money from you - in this case being how you get around. Can't I just enjoy not being straddled with transportation related debt?