LogFAQs > #877225661

I used to think this way. Here's a book on why I no longer do:

Im a pizza delivery driver. My car makes me money. Quite a lot for what I do, all things considered (average $25+ an hour for driving around and listening to tunes, and the cost of living here is low, even with car costs factored in).

All my cars were $200-$3k shitboxes bought outright, in cash. I became a delivery driver with a small investment in a shit car. Made little over minimum wage before that (was at rock bottom), scraped, saved and created an opportunity for myself with a shitbox car.

But I had to fix something every 3-4 weeks. Longest I'd go with no maintenance is about 6 weeks. I drive A LOT, sometimes going back for minor fixes (the most RANDOM shit) once a week for weeks on end. I was scraping by (eventually managed some decent savings) but it was a lot to deal with. The cost was that of paying a loan, and I was going out of my way constantly, missing shifts and spending extra money that I couldn't foresee. The car and the job was my savior and my curse.

Then, when staring at a $600 fix, I said "fuck this" and instead bought an $11.5k preowned sedan with a terrible loan at 26% interest. Also got an extended warranty for 3k which covers almost everything in the engine. little under 15k all in all.

I've had to bring it in to get fixed three times. Twice it was covered by warranty. Last time cost me about $120. 3 times in 10 months vs every 6 weeks is around a third of the amount of maintenance in a year, of which I only paid $120 vs a few thousand.

Started working more because I could, because of the car. I now had more money. I started to go out more. Because of the increase of social life, because of money, because of a car, I got noticed by a rival pizza joint (no joke) and got traded/jumped ship. New job, more business, I now average $10 MORE per hour. I found I had... a ridiculous amount more of money left at the end of the month. It went into the loan. I am now comfortable as shit.

I bought the beast at the end of May 2016. I paid it off completely 3 weeks ago. Didn't bother refinancing because.... complications with proving my wages (the initial loan was a friend at a dealership hooking me up, a few thousand down helped too, but at the new job I couldn't prove I made SHIT for money - would actually seem as LESS and I'd be lying my ass off even more than I already did).

Now, because of this car I:

Make more money because its more reliable
Spend less in the long run because there are little repairs
Spend less on gas as its more economical than a shitbox
Look like a professional/adult that can take care of themselves and not a bum living out of a car from last century
Listen to a very nice stock system (was pleasantly surprised) with bluetooth and jam out to the latest albums with wind in my hair all day - also it's my job
Upped my credit a little

Its the single greatest thing I have ever done with my money. My life has done a complete 180 since buying that thing. It wasn't even the car that changed things, it was me refusing to listen to idiots. The kind who avoid something nice because of phrases like "depreciating asset" as if it's written in stone that that is just how things are. Or the kind who think never ending debt through always paying interest on a brand new car is better than the "depreciating value" of just driving the thing into the ground. Gee, I wonder who spreads those ideas? The people that benefit from it the most maybe? Truth is it doesnt matter either way, only that one way benefits banks and one does not. At least my car is an actual indication of wealth (paid). Not a representation of my debt.

Cars costing too much arent your problem, It's your ideology. It's the exact same reasoning people who are resigned to be on welfare forever have, have no concept of riskvs reward, just reward w/no risk
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The only games I want: Dark Souls III, Fallout 4, FFXV, Just Cause 3