Keep divorced wife in a safe car?

Dear Dave,
My wife is divorcing me, and we just had our first baby boy. I feel its my responsibility to take care of her until the divorce is final and to keep her in a safe vehicle. Right now shes driving a 1982 Honda Civic, and its so small any kind of wreck could be a disaster. Im thinking about buying her a new car. What do you think?
Mike

Dear Mike,
Im really sorry you guys are going through all this, especially with a new baby in the mix. I appreciate your nobility and attitude about the situation, but you need to realize that once youre divorced, its no longer your responsibility to take care of your wife. Divorce carries a lot of emotional stress and worry for everyone involved, but I dont think buying her a new car will solve anything. It may actually lead her to expect even more from you later on down the road.

Im going to take a wild guess that the truth of the matter is youre worried about your child, and this whole thing is breaking your heart. Thats natural, Mike, and it means you love your baby. But a safe car doesnt have to mean a brand-new car. You could put her in a 1974 Suburban, and shed be safe because those things are tanks!

If it were me, Id find a very large used car, one that either one of you can pay for with cash, and let her drive off into the sunset. But spend every second you can hugging and loving on your little boy. Hes going to need someone like you in his life.
- Dave

Mobile home as an investment resource?

Dear Dave,
Ive got a mobile home that I still owe $28,000 on that I use as a rental property. It sits on an acre of land thats worth about $10,000, and I paid that off a few years ago. Im thinking about refinancing the mobile home and going from an interest rate of 11.25% down to 8%. Do you think I should do this?
Karen

Dear Karen,
Id refinance the mobile home, but youve got a bigger issue here. Should you KEEP the mobile home? And the answer is no.

Right now youve got a big chunk of cash wrapped up in something thats going down in value like a rock. Id sell that thing in heartbeat, Karen. Otherwise, youre going to see $28,000 worth of mobile home turn into about $8,000 over the next few years. Thats not a good investment strategy.
- Dave

Questions Dave's 'piles of cash' comments

Dear Dave,
Youre always talking about accumulating piles of cash. Ive gone to church for several years, and the Bible says not to lay up treasures on earth. Doesnt that mean that we shouldnt accumulate wealth or be greedy?
George

Dear George,
The Bible also says in Proverbs that in the house of the wise there are stores of choice food and oil. If you look back through Scripture, youll find that many of the major biblical characters were very wealthy people who understood they were not the owners of the money and wealth. They understood that their job was to manage these things properly for Gods glory.

I can appreciate your concern, George, but when I talk about piles of cash my frame of reference is that were to handle our money and other possessions for good and for God. Its not about greed or to use in buying bigger and better things for ourselves.

But you cant do good if you dont have the strengths to do good.
- Dave