Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My car is 16 years old. It has high mileage (I think I'm at 170k) due to traveling all over the United States and working various delivery jobs. It breaks down semi-regularly, but I did the math on keeping it, buying a newer used car (can't afford new), or going car free and using uber/rentals when necessary. It was much cheaper to keep the car I currently own--and that was with overestimating my repair and maintenance budget.
It sucks because I kind of wanted a new car, but I just can't justify it when I look at the numbers on paper. So I plan to fix her up and keep her going.
You are doing the smart thing. It's easy to get that new car fever, but it's much harder to be financially disciplined to do the things that will ultimately help you 10, 15 or 20 years down the road.
Smart girl, keep up the good work! And for the record, 170k isn't all that much really. I have 2 Chevy pickup trucks, one I just bought with 154k, and the other one has almost 300k and still runs strong. Which is kinda why I bought the 2nd one.
On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your level of worry by driving a car a 4th year? Would it be like a 2?
What about driving the same car a 5th or 6th year? Would that be a 7 or 8? Perhaps enough worry to where you think about it daily and your worry turns to stress? Hypothetically, if you had to, would you tap into savings or retirement that you may otherwise need to alleviate the worry of driving a 5 or 6 year old car?
My car is 8 years old, but it only has 47,000 miles on it and I maintain it regularly according to the manufacturer's guidelines. It's never had any reliability issue at all, so I plan to keep it until major repairs start adding up.
I realize as cars age things like belts, etc. can wear and need replacing, but that's cheaper than a new car if everything else is working well.
My car is 16 years old. It has high mileage (I think I'm at 170k) due to traveling all over the United States and working various delivery jobs. It breaks down semi-regularly, but I did the math on keeping it, buying a newer used car (can't afford new), or going car free and using uber/rentals when necessary. It was much cheaper to keep the car I currently own--and that was with overestimating my repair and maintenance budget.
It sucks because I kind of wanted a new car, but I just can't justify it when I look at the numbers on paper. So I plan to fix her up and keep her going.
You can’t afford one because after you paid off your car, you simply used the monthly savings for something else other than saving for the eventual replacement of your car. Your 16 year old car isn’t getting any younger and will have to be replaced one day. Sooner or later you’re gonna have to cough up the dough.
You are doing the smart thing. It's easy to get that new car fever, but it's much harder to be financially disciplined to do the things that will ultimately help you 10, 15 or 20 years down the road.
Smart girl, keep up the good work! And for the record, 170k isn't all that much really. I have 2 Chevy pickup trucks, one I just bought with 154k, and the other one has almost 300k and still runs strong. Which is kinda why I bought the 2nd one.
SS
Yeah that’s why she’s stuck with a 16 year old car.
Well if I'm "stuck" with the option that works for me and is most financially sensible, then that's fine by me! I'm not a materialistic person and don't care about my car looking nice or being new. If I can keep it running for cheap, why would I want to spend money on a new car? It's just wasteful.
Well if I'm "stuck" with the option that works for me and is most financially sensible, then that's fine by me! I'm not a materialistic person and don't care about my car looking nice or being new. If I can keep it running for cheap, why would I want to spend money on a new car? It's just wasteful.
Cause it’s gonna die one day. Keep it as long as you want, but the end is coming and now is the time to get your finances in order to buy the next one. Worst case scenario you have a giant savings account and a car that last longer than you anticipated.
I don't see why it has to die if I keep fixing it every time it dies. lol I guess if technology progresses to the point where cars are so different that mechanics can't fix my old car anymore, then I will have to move on.
I don't see why it has to die if I keep fixing it every time it dies. lol I guess if technology progresses to the point where cars are so different that mechanics can't fix my old car anymore, then I will have to move on.
If you keep fixing yourself can you live forever?
Eventually when you’re dumping thousand after thousand, and a month later something else breaks, then you realize all the money you’ve been spending could have just gotten a new car to begin with and not keep guessing when something else is going to fail, where it will fail, or how much it will cost.’
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
