[nUcLeArEnVoY]

My attitude towards a daily commuter car has evolved over the past ten years or so. When I was 23, I bought a 2011 Camaro SS brand new that over its lifespan was pretty much a show car that I daily drove. It was probably the biggest mistake of my life that I wish I could take back, since I prioritized getting that over school or saving money. The amount of time I would spend fighting aging and the elements by detailing it; waxing it; replacing aged parts; etc. was time and money-consuming since it was unfortunately stored outdoors for most of its life until around 2018 or so when I finally put it in a local storage unit and retired it from daily use. I sold it in 2019 and ended up with my '79 Trans Am in 2020, which is also stored indoors in the same local facility (I can literally walk there).

One of my biggest financial setbacks last year was getting hit and run on my way home from visiting my friend in Orlando. My 2012 Versa hatchback that I inherited from my mother when she retired from her job and could no longer walk due to mobility issues was totaled and I didn't have collision insurance on it because its was virtually worthless and in poor cosmetic shape, anyhow. The car ran well, had cold AC, and decent storage space and gas mileage and I maintained it mechanically. It was a piece of chit on the outside, which is honestly rather liberating; but the point is I didn't have a car payment. Until I did. I now own a 2017 Chevy Spark that I got from HGreg for 8k. 69k miles, manual trans, roll-up windows; but it has AC and a decent radio and I spend only $20-25 every two weeks in gas. It's all I need. I'm so upset to be stuck in a car payment again since I didn't have the savings to pay for it in full; and for awhile I was looking for an older Corolla or something but the car market is crap here in Miami.

Point is, for a commuter car I don't think I'll ever buy new again. It's just too much of a stupid decision from a financial standpoint, especially with today's ridiculous interest rates and the prices of cars from the start. The average car payment now is just shy of $700; and terms are offered now well past 72 months which is absurd. Living in a city where image is of the utmost importance and people jeopardize their finances just to keep up with the Jones' with their C-Class or Suburban they can't afford to impress a bunch of people they don't even know or like; while renting a 600 square foot efficiency, it's very liberating to not give a crap about being seen in my little Spark.

Point is, get something used (which you plan to to do, so that's good) - at least 4 or 5 years old, that way the previous owner/owners paid most, if not all of the depreciation so you don't have to. Anything under 80k miles still has a ton of life left with modern build standards. We all wax longingly about how our old Ponchos were "made better," but truth is, they weren't. Lol My '79 Trans Am had a life expectancy of around 100k miles before an engine rebuild would be needed. My Versa had 130k miles and I only had to replace the ignition coil packs on it, and so far my Spark hasn't given me any issues. You save money, and it also opens your options up more going used.

I honestly wouldn't even spend your entire 50-55k. Yeah, you can, but it's a commuter car that's going to get wear and tear and continue to depreciate. Point is, you don't NEED to. I don't see a car named in your signature, but your username makes me assume you got a '65 Grand Prix? Well, you got an old Pontiac that is cooler than 95% of the new cars on the road, and yeah; she doesn't get to come out every day, or even half the year, but when she does, it's sweet and enjoyable. Having a commuter car that isn't exciting just makes you enjoy your classic all the more when you take her out. As well, having a commuter car that is not exciting SAVES YOU MONEY. I'd honestly spend maybe 25k tops (which can get you something very reliable) and then do something else with the rest of the money; maybe a nice vacation, savings, or home renovations or whatever.

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by nUcLeArEnVoY

My attitude towards a daily commuter car has evolved over the past ten years or so. When I was 23, I bought a 2011 Camaro SS brand new that over its lifespan was pretty much a show car that I daily drove. It was probably the biggest mistake of my life that I wish I could take back, since I prioritized getting that over school or saving money. The amount of time I would spend fighting aging and the elements by detailing it; waxing it; replacing aged parts; etc. was time and money-consuming since it was unfortunately stored outdoors for most of its life until around 2018 or so when I finally put it in a local storage unit and retired it from daily use. I sold it in 2019 and ended up with my '79 Trans Am in 2020, which is also stored indoors in the same local facility (I can literally walk there).

One of my biggest financial setbacks last year was getting hit and run on my way home from visiting my friend in Orlando. My 2012 Versa hatchback that I inherited from my mother when she retired from her job and could no longer walk due to mobility issues was totaled and I didn't have collision insurance on it because its was virtually worthless and in poor cosmetic shape, anyhow. The car ran well, had cold AC, and decent storage space and gas mileage and I maintained it mechanically. It was a piece of chit on the outside, which is honestly rather liberating; but the point is I didn't have a car payment. Until I did. I now own a 2017 Chevy Spark that I got from HGreg for 8k. 69k miles, manual trans, roll-up windows; but it has AC and a decent radio and I spend only $20-25 every two weeks in gas. It's all I need. I'm so upset to be stuck in a car payment again since I didn't have the savings to pay for it in full; and for awhile I was looking for an older Corolla or something but the car market is crap here in Miami.

Point is, for a commuter car I don't think I'll ever buy new again. It's just too much of a stupid decision from a financial standpoint, especially with today's ridiculous interest rates and the prices of cars from the start. The average car payment now is just shy of $700; and terms are offered now well past 72 months which is absurd. Living in a city where image is of the utmost importance and people jeopardize their finances just to keep up with the Jones' with their C-Class or Suburban they can't afford to impress a bunch of people they don't even know or like; while renting a 600 square foot efficiency, it's very liberating to not give a crap about being seen in my little Spark.

Point is, get something used (which you plan to to do, so that's good) - at least 4 or 5 years old, that way the previous owner/owners paid most, if not all of the depreciation so you don't have to. Anything under 80k miles still has a ton of life left with modern build standards. We all wax longingly about how our old Ponchos were "made better," but truth is, they weren't. Lol My '79 Trans Am had a life expectancy of around 100k miles before an engine rebuild would be needed. My Versa had 130k miles and I only had to replace the ignition coil packs on it, and so far my Spark hasn't given me any issues. You save money, and it also opens your options up more going used.

I honestly wouldn't even spend your entire 50-55k. Yeah, you can, but it's a commuter car that's going to get wear and tear and continue to depreciate. Point is, you don't NEED to. I don't see a car named in your signature, but your username makes me assume you got a '65 Grand Prix? Well, you got an old Pontiac that is cooler than 95% of the new cars on the road, and yeah; she doesn't get to come out every day, or even half the year, but when she does, it's sweet and enjoyable. Having a commuter car that isn't exciting just makes you enjoy your classic all the more when you take her out. As well, having a commuter car that is not exciting SAVES YOU MONEY. I'd honestly spend maybe 25k tops (which can get you something very reliable) and then do something else with the rest of the money; maybe a nice vacation, savings, or home renovations or whatever.

Most Trans Am's of that era would go a couple hundred thousand miles pretty easy if the were somewhat maintained. Out here in California cars last forever if maintained.

Not everyone is good with driving a little sh!tbox. Some people work hard.. really hard so they don't have to. I daily drive a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 with a 6.2 that I bought new and paid cash for.... and it likes gas...,., especially the way I drive.... I could care less about fuel economy. I work hard so that I can drive what I want and not care about fuel economy. My business partner is a little mizer and drives a 2005 Civic Hybrid with cooked paint and 180,000 miles. Personally... I wouldn't drive that sh!tbox around the block... but he likes it because it was cheap and gets 45mpg even though he could afford something much better. Whats the point of working hard and making money if you are just going to stare at your account balance?

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

My stepmother trades for a new 6figure+ BMW or Mercedes every 2-3-4 years before it needs new tires.
I think its lighting cash on fire and flushing it -
but she works for her own money and that's what she wants to do with it.
I figure the ol man is lucky he's got a woman like that.

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Originally Posted by 71GP76TA

Most Trans Am's of that era would go a couple hundred thousand miles pretty easy if the were somewhat maintained. Out here in California cars last forever if maintained.

Not everyone is good with driving a little sh!tbox. Some people work hard.. really hard so they don't have to. I daily drive a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 with a 6.2 that I bought new and paid cash for.... and it likes gas...,., especially the way I drive.... I could care less about fuel economy. I work hard so that I can drive what I want and not care about fuel economy. My business partner is a little mizer and drives a 2005 Civic Hybrid with cooked paint and 180,000 miles. Personally... I wouldn't drive that sh!tbox around the block... but he likes it because it was cheap and gets 45mpg even though he could afford something much better. Whats the point of working hard and making money if you are just going to stare at your account balance?

I get that you should splurge if you have the disposable income, but I'm going to assume there is a generational gap between the two of us (maybe not, maybe you're aorund my age - I'm 36). My generation is very far behind on financial freedom (I'm a millenial), and today's affordability crisis kind of instills a sense of frugality among my agegroup. We are saddled with inflated school debt averaging $35,000 since that's what we were taught in gradeschool to do in order to achieve success (as we put on clown makeup); we are forced to rent since home ownership has been sequestered among the affluent almost exclusively; and the rents to which we are forced to adhere have skyrocketed this past couple years and leave very little additional room in your average budget to pay for utilities, groceries, or god forbid save money. I made 100k last year for the first time in my life and that used to be an aspirational income, but it doesn't really get you far, anymore. Our dollar doesn't bring us nearly as far as previous generation's, and so a sense of practicality takes precedent over splurging. I already splurged on my Trans Am back in 2020 when things were way different (it's amazing how much has changed in just a few years). I don't need to splurge on anything else, and if I have no practical application for a truck, then I'm not going to spend the extra money on something I don't need; especially when my agegroup feels disenfranchised from even buying a damn home.

And we do work hard. Very hard. lol The only reason I made 100k last year was because I put in around 200 hours of OT in the last 3 months of the year, and as an ER nurse getting berated and screamed at by drunk patients; having to explain to families that their loved one is circling the drain because the physician is too shy to do it themselves; and shortening my lifespan by willingly working night shift just for the extra $6.00/hr differential, I like to think I earn my keep and that I deserve to splurge as well... but I can't. At least not since a couple years ago when inflation spiraled out of control while wages, while they did indeed go up, still remain proportionately stagnant.

But I suppose for the same reasons listed above, taking my advice from my previous post may fall on deaf ears for a lot of the folks here who have the disposable income to drive something fun daily. Like I said, it's a generational difference in idealogy. I'll be the first to admit that a lot of my generation is very idiotic with their spending habits like spending thousands on luxury fashion that they show off in their TikToks and Instagram feeds, or even blowing 70k on an Audi when they bring home that same amount every year; but the majority of suffrage is in silence.

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by nUcLeArEnVoY

I get that you should splurge if you have the disposable income, but I'm going to assume there is a generational gap between the two of us (maybe not, maybe you're aorund my age - I'm 36). My generation is very far behind on financial freedom (I'm a millenial), and today's affordability crisis kind of instills a sense of frugality among my agegroup. We are saddled with inflated school debt averaging $35,000 since that's what we were taught in gradeschool to do in order to achieve success (as we put on clown makeup); we are forced to rent since home ownership has been sequestered among the affluent almost exclusively; and the rents to which we are forced to adhere have skyrocketed this past couple years and leave very little additional room in your average budget to pay for utilities, groceries, or god forbid save money. I made 100k last year for the first time in my life and that used to be an aspirational income, but it doesn't really get you far, anymore. Our dollar doesn't bring us nearly as far as previous generation's, and so a sense of practicality takes precedent over splurging. I already splurged on my Trans Am back in 2020 when things were way different (it's amazing how much has changed in just a few years). I don't need to splurge on anything else, and if I have no practical application for a truck, then I'm not going to spend the extra money on something I don't need; especially when my agegroup feels disenfranchised from even buying a damn home.

And we do work hard. Very hard. lol The only reason I made 100k last year was because I put in around 200 hours of OT in the last 3 months of the year, and as an ER nurse getting berated and screamed at by drunk patients; having to explain to families that their loved one is circling the drain because the physician is too shy to do it themselves; and shortening my lifespan by willingly working night shift just for the extra $6.00/hr differential, I like to think I earn my keep and that I deserve to splurge as well... but I can't. At least not since a couple years ago when inflation spiraled out of control while wages, while they did indeed go up, still remain proportionately stagnant.

But I suppose for the same reasons listed above, taking my advice from my previous post may fall on deaf ears for a lot of the folks here who have the disposable income to drive something fun daily. Like I said, it's a generational difference in idealogy. I'll be the first to admit that a lot of my generation is very idiotic with their spending habits like spending thousands on luxury fashion that they show off in their TikToks and Instagram feeds, or even blowing 70k on an Audi when they bring home that same amount every year; but the majority of suffrage is in silence.

I'm 55.. almost 56. When I was close to your age(34/35/36) I was working at Firestone in Antioch CA as a service manager making about 46k a year. I was barely getting by (California bay area is expensive). Renting an old house for $1200 a month and my daily driver was a 76 chevy C10. When I was 36 I quit my job and started flipping cars out of my rented house. I had always flipped cars on the side as a hobby and for extra money. That snowballed and was able to open a used car lot a couple years later in the California central valley which is a lot cheaper place to live. I didn't buy my first house until I was 51... when I did .. I paid cash for it. My goal was to always be debt free. I hate owing anybody anything.

Point is... hard work pays off and it'll all come in due time. As time goes on... it is getting harder and harder for the average guy to get ahead. It took me a long time... and never thought I would.