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    Discuss - How to justify buying a car at a young age

    Hi everyone

    I'd just like throw some things out here for some discussion.

    I am 19 at the moment, turning 20 this year. Recently I've been trying to talk myself out of buying *another car, and have pretty much convinced myself not to.

    Of course, like many young guns out there, I'm into driving and owning a car that feels like a part of me. Last year, I was in a comfortable financial position to buy an S2000 ($45,000) and hell, I was a fingernail away from doing it except my finance company did not accept the terms of my insurance. I then settled for an MX-5 which cost me just under $25k altogether.

    Since then I've been doing a lot of thinking. I'm sure no one here thinks $25,000 is little money. But owning the MX-5 for 6 months I realised how much more money went into it, and suddenly I was making sacrifices I don't usually make, such as eating out, buying things I want etc. Of course, if I had that S2000 it would've made things a lot worst. But the worst thing about it for me was that it delayed me moving out of home because of the debt.

    Since then I sold the car for almost what I got it for, and have used that money instead to invest in some cracking-good property in Sydney's King Street Wharf, which returns me a decent income every week. I'm now thinking of getting another place, or expanding my fruitful e-business.

    I've always had in the back of my mind, the last thing I ever wanted to do, was drive a good car and be wrapped in debt, going to uni and some crappy job, living with parents. I realise that this is what a lot of us do, and there's nothing wrong with that, and I was headed that way myself.

    I have always been independent, and have never sought much financial assistance from my parents. We are by no means rich, and I like to earn my living, paying for uni fees and living costs etc... So that 20 or so thousand, is hell of a lot to me.

    So lately I've had some friends my age, who have just drowned themselves up in 30k+ debt to buy a sports car with their own income, and think... F**k does he know what he is doing? This just guarantees a budget lifestyle for the next 5 years at least... If he is buying it to pick up girls, I'm sure it'll really impress them when the only place he can bring them back to is his parent's house.

    And I know a lot of us young car enthusiasts here are lucky enough to have their parents buy your first car for you, and a decent first car too. I'm not here to debate how lucky you are, but just think for a moment what you could do with $45k in your hand.

    I'm now driving a shitbox $5000 car (haha lol) and I'm living as comfortably as ever, no debt to worry about, no hesitation in buying things I want, earning a decent income. I've made a commitment, to save it all for getting my own place - because to me, the satisfaction of having your own apartment/house/whatever is more than anything a car can give at the moment. I've never had more peace of mind before.

    If you are like me, how did you justify this?

    If you are past this phase, think back to when you were in it, and how do you feel about your decision now?

    Cheers
    Daniel
    http://www.soasiandvd.com.au

    #2
    Nice post.

    The only thing I regretted about the Type R I have now is that I modded it way too quickly. If I have a chance to do it all over again, I would have so much more fun with it, and yet at the same time save shit loads of money instead of wasting it on mods.
    I am a lesbian trapped inside a male body

    Comment


      #3
      I can see your point Daniel, but it sounds like you weren't really in a position to be buying that car in the first place.

      if you have other things going for you that makes you money, then just go wtih that, which it sounds like what you are at now, so good on ya.

      Comment


        #4
        Hey Guys,

        I personally havent posted much since moving to clubitr but i did post abit back when we were in the aussie section of clubrsx.

        Anyways back on the car topic, Ive never been a big fan of debt and i dont think i ever will be, i used to drive around an old 1988 mazda 626 before i upgraded. But when i bought my car, i had deferred uni and done 18 months of full time work saving up to buy it, i saved up a good 33k, then when i found the car and i really loved it, i asked parents for a 5k loan for the rest, which they were glad to lend me because they knew i was still working fulltime and could pay them back within 6 months, which i did, if they didnt lend it i couldve easily applied for a car loan at some financial institution. The 2003 DC5R landed in my hands 1 month before i was 21, and ive loved it since, i didnt do it for the girls, its simply because i love the thrill and can proudly say i own my own car instead of having parents buy it for me etc, although they did help abit across the final hurdle..

        However after paying the small loan from my parents and owning the car myself with no debt, there have always been ongoing costs, and a sports car is not something you can keep and not spend money on. :P If you can afford to buy the car, you should be able to afford to maintain it, upgrade it etc. Since ive got it ive spent more on it than any girl ever, lol.. except maybe a future wife that i have not met yet. The point is it isnt cheap, and if you wanna drive one you gotta be able to feed it.

        I also had the opportunity to buy some property before i bought the car actually, but i decided i didnt want a huge mortgage on my hands just yet and i was still very young and wanted to enjoy life as much as i could before the hairs turned grey. My income, although great for my age, wasnt something i was satisfied with and i still hadnt completed my uni degree. Im back at uni now and completing my degree and its alot harder to maintain the ongoing costs now than ever, but part time jobs do help, and as long as you dont spend crazily its always been enough.

        I still love my car, and never regret buying it because the joy and pleasure it brings me will never be able to be matched by simply owning a property or knowing i have 50k sitting in some investment fund earning me more. After all what good is wealth if you cant enjoy it? That is only my oppinion, and thinking back, buying property would have been the 'smart' decision, but it would never have been the satisfying one. Id say to you, if you want to be alot more wealthy in the long term, go for more investments, but if you want to enjoy life now, sacrifice and put off your long term wealth a little bit, and buy what you love when you love it.

        My 2 cents.

        Comment


          #5
          With 45k...I would put half of it into a car and the other half...into investments

          Comment


            #6
            ive been doin alot of thinkin lately, and there is a big chance that at the end of my loan, ill sell my DC5R to purchase a property... like alot of the other unfortunate ppl on this forum, i too dont have rich parents who can afford 2 lend a helping hand interms of finances for my car, letalone buy a car for me... i was a 20 year old fulltime uni student workin 2 part-time jobs when i purchased my first car, i didnt have all the money upfront so i took out a loan from the bank... even though i currently only have 1 part-time job, if circumstances dont change for me, ill be able to confortable pay off the loan for my car with enough money to spare to mod my car/enjoy life...

            im hoping to have the car payed off b4 mid next year, which will mean ill be 22.... at the current rate, im pretty sure the DC5R will retain its value quite well, and ill be lookin at the very least, around the 25k mark to sell my car in OEM state + mods... which will roughly give me 30k to play with.... in brisbane, there are a few areas that arent as developed as others and the majority of the property in those areas goes off for around the range of 220k - 320k, so the amount i have to play around with after i sell my car is more than enough for a deposit, and after that, i can let the property pay itself off.... i know the location i have in mind is by far no means prime real-estate property, but at least i can say at that particular time that im a 22 year old full-time uni student with something behind my name.... you might say wat about transport then after i sell the car? well, after i have capital behind me, the bank will be more than willing to let me take out a second loan for another sports car if i wish, or i could just buy a 2k camry

            the point of wat ive just typed is this.... even though there is a chance ill be selling my DC5R before the end of next year, after everything thats happend in the past year and a half, financially, ive had no regrets watsoever.... having a car that you really appreciate is the most satisfying experience, which no one can take away from you.. wat makes it even more satisfying is the fact that you can tell people that ur self made, and not a spoilt little kid with rich parents.... so if you think that you have the capabilities of supporting a sports car, then go for it.... as it has been stated, theres no point in earning money if u cant enjoy spending it...
            Last edited by CK1; 01-04-07, 05:17 PM.

            Comment


              #7
              looking at the situation from another point of view, but the time you're fully financially indipendant will you really be at a point where you'd enjoy a sports car as much as we are now?
              The best part of being young is we are linked to very few pressures and responsibilities in life so imo we should use this time to enjoy it to the fullest. And for some of us that just means owning a sports car.

              *edit had a bigger post but browser crashed =/*
              Team Misplaced CT9A Owner #010

              Comment


                #8
                Well im 19 as well and turning 20 this year. My first car had been a Lexus IS200, January 2006, which i bought on finance i was making the payments fine, going out, etc but then i noticed "where'd all this other money keep going to?". After 6 months car was written off on the old pac *HA!*. I think the write off was the best thing to happen to me i got some of my money back and made a loss of say 5k which i still had to pay off.

                I love cars and i enjoy driving. I never purchased the IS200 intend of getting girls, which i think is the stupidest reason for buying a car. I was never into modding/spirited driving until i had my IS200 and a night at old pac changed everything!

                Anyways after this little hiccup i was back on track debt free as of August 2006. My money was coming into my bank doing what i wanted to do buying what i want, etc. I now have money ready to buy a DC2R free from debt *weee* The only thing steering me away is the cost of insurance for me, 4.4K on a stock DC2R or i could just go 3rd party.

                I've always thought about property investment but i'd also like to give study one more shot next year. So i've been thinking over and over DC2R and study or property investment and empty handed for a long time. As we all know property aint exactly short term gains its more like a 10 year length for good capital gains on property. So should i give up 10 years of my youth for long term financial benefit, which means i'd have to be working non stop for 10 years in-order to make repayments and of course i'd be trying to purchase more and more property within these 10 years and i'd rather not refinance against property to buy a car.

                A car is a liability and will always depricate and a property is an asset and will appreciate in 10 years regardless.

                We only live once so i think im going to enjoy my youth as much as I can. Even though property is good to start young but i dont think i'm ready for a 200K+ debt next to my name yet. I dont come from a rich family I've been working full time since i was 18 and I've gotten everything myself cause at the end when you earn it urself you'd appreciate and enjoy things in life better rather than having them handed to you. I guess im in the same boat as you ! What shall we do

                Well to answer your question, when your older and settled down would you still want to be into the car scene and spending a lot of time and money on your car ? There are a minority of the older generation in the car scene but they're still around but most of them are not as spirited as they used to be. I'd think family would be number one priorty by that stage and your time and fun with cars will be very minimal. Unless of course you are very wealthy and your missus doesnt mind! Lifes not perfect but thats what makes it perfect and so great. To take into serioues consideration you must decide it in urself what do you want now and what do you want later in life. Just dont live life in regret cause no one would want to live like that, as it'd be like carrying a massive boulder on your shoulders day to day.
                Last edited by SPL_K; 01-04-07, 05:48 PM.

                Comment


                  #9
                  well im 21, and i think that different people have views on life.. if you think of investment go for it, yes its good for your future but your young? do you have a kid on the way? are u getting married? if not then i dont understand why not have fun while your young..

                  i have a good job, have a car i wanted and never looked back on my decision.. if you are then your on the right path on investment

                  25k up is alot of money.. yes you can do alot with it.. although its what you want out of life that really makes u happy.. if a good car makes you happy why not? if you want to invest why not? although not all people who have nice cars life with there rents ;D
                  GruppeM Australian Distributor
                  w. http://xposed.com.au

                  Comment


                    #10
                    everyone has different aims in life. some people always want more whilst others are content with what they have. even if that means being in debt
                    it is still possible to own both a decent car and have property investments. only difficult part in investing in property is saving up or funding the initial deposit. Good to see your thinking of the future but as others have mentioned your still young.

                    theres always the saying 'you only live once'
                    LONDA

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Don't get me wrong guys, I'm all for living it up while you're young too... I spend money like drinking water, just not on a car. But I agree, if it makes you happy - why not?

                      And the topic is not about whether to use that money to invest in whatever, that's not the idea, as I was just sharing my experience with what I've done with it instead.

                      Thanks to everyone who has contributed their experience.
                      http://www.soasiandvd.com.au

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by danielioner View Post
                        Don't get me wrong guys, I'm all for living it up while you're young too... I spend money like drinking water, just not on a car. But I agree, if it makes you happy - why not?

                        And the topic is not about whether to use that money to invest in whatever, that's not the idea, as I was just sharing my experience with what I've done with it instead.

                        Thanks to everyone who has contributed their experience.
                        Yeah...if u had the money...and u're not into debt or anything like that...get a car that is comfortable for u and u can have a little fun with

                        My first car that I had was my sister's...she went back to HK to work and I was given the opportunity to drive it after I first got my license (it was a 94' Accord Vti-S)...I had a lot of fun with that.

                        It was not until 2001 when I was 21 that I got my first car...the DC5R...and since then my experiences changed with cars...I learned a lot of things I didn't know before and learned a lot about what a sports car really feels like and what it can do and can't do throughout the 6 years that I had the car...especially the process of learning what mod to put in and how it felt afterwards...putting it to test on track...it's definitely the most unforgetable experiences

                        And a car does cost a lot of money if u want to enjoy it along the way...like mods and maintenance...it's a lot...but u can still take it easy doing it step by step...dun get me wrong....it took me 6 years to get my car looking like it was before I decided to sell it and go back to HK for work...there is no hurry in modding a car...it'd be no fun to just spend heaps and chuck all the mods in and dunno how each of the mods feel (like was each of the mods worth the price u payed for)

                        Anyways after all these years...I've never regreted what I did with my car...even though I'm selling it now...and it'll be a while before I'll get another car...cos buying a car is expensive in Hong Kong (not in terms of price but in terms of insurance+parking+petrol)...and I'm still young (not even 30's yet but close )...I think I still have a lot of time to enjoy buying a car that I like when I've concentrated & earn enough money to get one in the future. (At the moment...already saw a job that could offer me a car loan as a benefit with the company...hmm..it's tempting...cos the new JDM CTR is so very tempting ...if pay & loan is alright...I'll fall for buying a car again ...the hands would just feel itchy if I can't drive anymore for a long period of time ...already playing Battle Gear 4 heaps to relieve the symptoms )
                        Last edited by twmwong; 02-04-07, 03:13 AM.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          without revealing how i spend my income and spending habits... i agree with investing in property ... its well worth it, i've had my car for 2 yrs and spent almost $4000 so i've done a good job at holding myself back haha...

                          had the car since i was 19, though my first car was a $2000 bomb that had rattles galore

                          but no i didnt buy my car to impress the chicks, i love it... was contemplating a 180sx, drove one, loved it... then drove my ex-gf's type r and changed my mind. i know a few ppl with rexy's and skylines... and they dont know jack all bout em... they just get them coz they're popular, simply have em for wank factor and luring the poor girls... they're constantly broke with thier bling mods haha

                          those close to me know i dont mind spending, though i have a baseline on how much i save, if i save more its just a bonus. only thing i regret most about spending is the damn alchohol... one nite can cost up to $150 grrr.....

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Well, i'm 18, and owned two cars since i was 17, luckily have landed myself some sweetass jobs put myself in about 15k, which i can pay back well within a year, i'm thinking when i'm about 20 years old, selling the DC2R, buy a normal sedanish car and buy properties and hit the TAB

                            Comment


                              #15
                              i guess your generalising just because his/she has a nice car shes broke and cant afford to go out etc.. which is not the case in some places.. people have different views in life..

                              some people dont want a good car and rather live at the city and pay of expensive rent..

                              some people want a nice car and live with there parents as they in the 17-25 age.. which no rent.. no bills etc.. they spend there money on cars or going out.

                              and theres lucky people who have cars and a house at a young age...

                              id say.. if you want to spend 25k + on a car go for it.. if it makes you happy.. no point driving a car your not gna like and hate being seen in.. although if your not into that scene then i guess spend it on sumtin else..

                              everyone has a dream car.. if you owned it for a week/a year or your life.. your going to be content with what you have accomplished
                              GruppeM Australian Distributor
                              w. http://xposed.com.au

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