Biggest car costs are insurance, taxes and big repairs as you said. In lots of countries those costs can go down if you choose the right car.
Other option of not owning a car, while varying in difficulty, include car pooling, taking the bus or other kinds of public transportation, moving near place of work or at least moving near public transportation lines.
I can afford my car, it’d cost me 5-7k a year if I had to rebuild the transmission every year. Mostly I get by on <3k a year all in since it’s depreciated and my insurance is like 20 EUR a month and I do my own repairs. This with a notorious German money pit that will be celebrating its 20th next year.
However
I’d still take the motorcycle if I could. Seems way more fun. But now I’ve got a 2 year old so that plan’s on pause for several years. I had a nice older Ducati Monster picked out before I got coaxed into this, which I was fully expecting to not be very sensible lol
7’000 per year for a car? How much are you driving? The average is “only” 14’000 miles per year (median much lower). At 5$/gallon and 25 MPG that are fuel cost of 2’800 $. The rest combined should be below the fuel cost.
Eh? My Honda Civic just had to have its struts replaced, and that was a $1000 expense which was difficult to cope with and would have been impossible were I not working three different jobs. If I wanted working AC, which I have never had in the vehicle, I’d need to spend like ~2k every year because the model has a defective condenser (and in Trump’s America, warranties are suggestions)
At some point you have to recognize that many Americans cannot afford any vehicle. Unfortunately the U.S. is not designed for people who don’t have vehicles.
While my car was in the shop yesterday, I looked at my options for getting to work, which is about seven miles from my house. There was a bus route, which would have taken at least a full hour compared to my usual 15 minute drive, and there was Uber/lyft, which would have cost me about a third of the money I’d make at work.
If god forbid, something happened to my car, I’d have to take a loan out for something I could not afford, because I have to be able to get to work to survive and pay for the damn car!
I’d probably be ripping my hair out and back inpatient if it weren’t for one job ending in a couple of weeks and another slowing down substantially around the same time.
I don’t sleep much until I get sick and have to take off from one of the jobs for a “catch up” day. I drink three or four Red Bulls a day, plus some Diet Coke to top off.
I was hoping to have enough to move states by the end of the summer, but it turns out I’ll probably still not have enough. Very difficult to rebuild when you get divorced from a vindictive billionaire.
That sounds rough. Respect for keeping things moving, especially with three jobs. Seriously impressive dedication. If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of work are you doing to make this setup possible.
It means you cannot afford that car and should either get an appropriate one or none.
Depreciation is the biggest loss for newish cars, but maintaince, fuel, tires, insurance costs come up quickly, often averaging 5-7K/year.
In much of America, not having a car means not being able to get to work or buy food.
If you can’t afford a car, you might be able to afford operating costs for a used japanese motorcycle.
Biggest car costs are insurance, taxes and big repairs as you said. In lots of countries those costs can go down if you choose the right car. Other option of not owning a car, while varying in difficulty, include car pooling, taking the bus or other kinds of public transportation, moving near place of work or at least moving near public transportation lines.
Anyone who is broke because of their car obviously doesn’t have better options.
Two important things:
I can afford my car, it’d cost me 5-7k a year if I had to rebuild the transmission every year. Mostly I get by on <3k a year all in since it’s depreciated and my insurance is like 20 EUR a month and I do my own repairs. This with a notorious German money pit that will be celebrating its 20th next year.
However
I’d still take the motorcycle if I could. Seems way more fun. But now I’ve got a 2 year old so that plan’s on pause for several years. I had a nice older Ducati Monster picked out before I got coaxed into this, which I was fully expecting to not be very sensible lol
7’000 per year for a car? How much are you driving? The average is “only” 14’000 miles per year (median much lower). At 5$/gallon and 25 MPG that are fuel cost of 2’800 $. The rest combined should be below the fuel cost.
Eh? My Honda Civic just had to have its struts replaced, and that was a $1000 expense which was difficult to cope with and would have been impossible were I not working three different jobs. If I wanted working AC, which I have never had in the vehicle, I’d need to spend like ~2k every year because the model has a defective condenser (and in Trump’s America, warranties are suggestions)
At some point you have to recognize that many Americans cannot afford any vehicle. Unfortunately the U.S. is not designed for people who don’t have vehicles.
While my car was in the shop yesterday, I looked at my options for getting to work, which is about seven miles from my house. There was a bus route, which would have taken at least a full hour compared to my usual 15 minute drive, and there was Uber/lyft, which would have cost me about a third of the money I’d make at work.
If god forbid, something happened to my car, I’d have to take a loan out for something I could not afford, because I have to be able to get to work to survive and pay for the damn car!
How are you even working three jobs?
Really it’s like 3.5 with the side gigs too.
I’d probably be ripping my hair out and back inpatient if it weren’t for one job ending in a couple of weeks and another slowing down substantially around the same time.
I don’t sleep much until I get sick and have to take off from one of the jobs for a “catch up” day. I drink three or four Red Bulls a day, plus some Diet Coke to top off.
I was hoping to have enough to move states by the end of the summer, but it turns out I’ll probably still not have enough. Very difficult to rebuild when you get divorced from a vindictive billionaire.
That sounds rough. Respect for keeping things moving, especially with three jobs. Seriously impressive dedication. If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of work are you doing to make this setup possible.
All the jobs are in the field of education.
Somehow, I’ve mastered the art of doing calculus on 5 hours of sleep!kk
Very smart choice. Education is a good field. 👍