My son bought a $2 car and learned how to fix it himself. It gave him the independence he was craving.

The author's son bought a $2 car and fixed it over two summers.

Courtesy of the author

• My son bought a $2 car with no title and major damage.
• He spent two summers fixing it himself using YouTube.
• The independence he gained was worth more than the car.

My eldest felt a strong urge to own a car for most of his teenage years. He would pop into the living room and show his dad and me his latest internet find, usually a 20-year-old jalopy with questionable reliability costing several thousand dollars.