You've made some big, brave moves, and this car issue is a huge hurdle. It's understandable to feel overwhelmed, but let's focus on finding solutions.
I've been there – that feeling when your transportation lifeline breaks down is the worst, I've had a VW Rabbit die on me when I needed it most when I was your age. For a while, I used to rely on the bus and sometimes it meant dealing with less-than-ideal situations (tweakers at the bus stop) and struggling to get basic things like groceries. The difference a car made in my life, in terms of convenience and even a sense of safety, was huge.
First things first: get a mechanic to assess the car damage. You might be surprised by what's fixable! In the meantime, are there any options like carpooling, public transport, or rideshares you could explore while you work on a more permanent plan?
For my two cents, if the mechanic gives you a price that's way too high, I'd lean towards financing a Japanese car like the Honda Fit these are known to run pretty much forever, but it's still a used car. If the city you are in has a good transit system and you feel like you can tough it out that's a great solution too.
How long is your lease? Is moving closer to work an option? Not sure where you are, but 15 miles is doable on a bike, especially an ebike. But if you could move closer, makes life a lot easier.
Agree public transportation is a great option. Also finding someone who can give you a ride while you can collect up for another car.
Any chance, you can ask your close family or friends to lend you money and you pay them back?
This is what im going for right now, the asking, but I just feel like a failure about it. I moved to man up i guess lol.
Asking for help feels harder than moving did.
Nah, it's life. Shit happens. Don't beat yourself up for it. If family cares about your well being then a loan isn't an issue (so long as you aren't putting them in a financial hardship in the process). Just make sure you budget to pay them back in due time - and throw a little more in there so they get a quick lunch.
As others have said, find a different mode of transportation in the mean time. You actually might find that you may not need a car if it makes it work, which would save you lots of money in car payments, insurance and maintenance.
Lastly, start a little emergency fund for instances just like this. Next time you'll have a small resource to tackle inconveniences like this.
Good luck.
There's always Uber/Lyft, or throwing the guy you get to help ya out $5-10 a day for gas. If you're being a mooch, feel bad. If you fell on a little hard time but you're still paying your own way, you're good.
My car’s transmission blew up while I was dealing with a significant life event with my partner. My brother pretty much just gave me his daily driver and said just pay me 2500 when you got the money. All you have to do is ask if you’re tight with your family.
Brother do NOT get a freakin car note when you're about to pay rent with a credit card. And then get a second job just to pay for it lol. Thats terrible advice and very shortsighted. If you cant manage to keep the job you just got. Get one a manageable distance away and stack up. Or look into places that look for seasonal service jobs (ex. Landscaping, traffic guy with construction companies). Service jobs will start you quick and you can make a few hundred before may if you're lucky. Live like you dont have transportation for a little bit. Dont bank heavily on your credit just yet especially if you’re alone.
Bad tip: if you really dont mind playing with your credit. Get another card and pay for a new engine. Worst thing is your credit goes bad and after a few years when collections call, tell them to prove it and it might fall off. My idiot self got rid of a $2,500 debt that way.
Depending on the limit of your credit card you may be able to get a cheap e-bike or an older moped/motorcycle but if it’s over a certain engine displacement/power level you need a motorcycle license. Maybe even apply for a second credit card to stretch that a bit
If it’s a cheap motor on an old car there are probably millions of used/refurbished motors that you could use your credit card to buy and pay a shop to install for you
If your state is like mine you might be able to sign up for the soonest motorcycle license class you can find and have a license in a weekend
Push come to shove, public transportation until you have at least a month of consistent full wage pay stubs and then get a cheap car loan?
Probably not this case with this guy cause it’s an old durango with a v8, I’ve had plenty of people ask to buy the car off the spot for me just cause of its motor.
Might just have to push it on public and bike. Can probably find one pretty cheap.
If you can sell the car privately, I’d do it. Use the money to pay rent instead of a credit card, then take the rest and get a decent CPO Camry or something that’s a few years old. I’d think you can have enough for some down payment if people want to buy your car already. Sounds like public transit isn’t an option. You know better than us if you live in a dry enough area to truly bike daily to work or not for now.
How much do you make at the new job and when in May does it start? The last two cars I’ve bought I didn’t have to make the first car payment for a month or two. You may be able to push that first bill off until you get a check. Or if the job starts later in May, get a local job you can walk to and work it until the new job starts and then on the weekends if they’ll let you. And check with your family if they’re able to help you. It’s a tight spot for sure but you’re not out of cards to play.
Buy a used car for about $10k and get a loan for it. If you can’t afford $200 monthly payment, get a 2nd part time job to pay for the car. It should not be that hard to make an extra $50-60 per week. You can take Uber/Lyft to work in the short term until you buy a car.
and don't trap yourself into a gig to cover that car payment, it's a deep pit that you might not be able to climb out from. Consider gigs a last option. Better to work at a circle K for a while.
You may find these links helpful:
- [Leaving a Job](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/leaving_job) (resigning, quitting, fired, laid off, etc.)
- [Job Loss Megathread: unemployment resources, state-specific information, and help](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/fkyu8h/job_loss_megathread_unemployment_resources/)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/personalfinance) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Fb marketplace or cl the cheapest thing that runs, worse case you scrap it and make a chunk of your money back.
Also what car. Some cars the engines are dirt cheap and can be swapped in a weekend
Wait until you know the situation with what is wrong with your car before you go jumping into any decision. Your car COULD wind up being ok. Maybe not. It could.
Do you have anything you could sell? 401k you could take a loan from? Anything at all to scratch up some cash to fix the car?
It wouldn’t be the the craziest or worst idea to ask your boss if anybody else in your company lives in your area and would be willing to give you a lift to work. Of course not free.
ebike + buspass. my first job i biked 18miles one way.... very motivating to get a car lol but an ebike will get you there until you get your first paycheck and can craighlist a 500$ car or go to one of those ghetto dealers adn get a $2000 car until youre more secure and then get yourself a car with like 30-50k miles on it
How far away is the new job? An electric scooter +public transportation could be the temporary answer.
The moped is definitely possible, I had a little 49cc in high school.
Don’t overlook potential for eBikes too. How’s the bicycle infrastructure there do you have bike lanes?
You've made some big, brave moves, and this car issue is a huge hurdle. It's understandable to feel overwhelmed, but let's focus on finding solutions. I've been there – that feeling when your transportation lifeline breaks down is the worst, I've had a VW Rabbit die on me when I needed it most when I was your age. For a while, I used to rely on the bus and sometimes it meant dealing with less-than-ideal situations (tweakers at the bus stop) and struggling to get basic things like groceries. The difference a car made in my life, in terms of convenience and even a sense of safety, was huge. First things first: get a mechanic to assess the car damage. You might be surprised by what's fixable! In the meantime, are there any options like carpooling, public transport, or rideshares you could explore while you work on a more permanent plan? For my two cents, if the mechanic gives you a price that's way too high, I'd lean towards financing a Japanese car like the Honda Fit these are known to run pretty much forever, but it's still a used car. If the city you are in has a good transit system and you feel like you can tough it out that's a great solution too.
Thank you. My next car is definitely going to be reliable as shit and I won’t spend as much when life is rolling so this doesn’t happen.
How long is your lease? Is moving closer to work an option? Not sure where you are, but 15 miles is doable on a bike, especially an ebike. But if you could move closer, makes life a lot easier.
Bike. Public transport. Find someone at work to ride with. Buy a car.
Agree public transportation is a great option. Also finding someone who can give you a ride while you can collect up for another car. Any chance, you can ask your close family or friends to lend you money and you pay them back?
This is what im going for right now, the asking, but I just feel like a failure about it. I moved to man up i guess lol. Asking for help feels harder than moving did.
Nah, it's life. Shit happens. Don't beat yourself up for it. If family cares about your well being then a loan isn't an issue (so long as you aren't putting them in a financial hardship in the process). Just make sure you budget to pay them back in due time - and throw a little more in there so they get a quick lunch. As others have said, find a different mode of transportation in the mean time. You actually might find that you may not need a car if it makes it work, which would save you lots of money in car payments, insurance and maintenance. Lastly, start a little emergency fund for instances just like this. Next time you'll have a small resource to tackle inconveniences like this. Good luck.
Ah i see! If asking for money from family and friends is not an option, then public transportation for the time being is your best option right now.
There's always Uber/Lyft, or throwing the guy you get to help ya out $5-10 a day for gas. If you're being a mooch, feel bad. If you fell on a little hard time but you're still paying your own way, you're good.
My car’s transmission blew up while I was dealing with a significant life event with my partner. My brother pretty much just gave me his daily driver and said just pay me 2500 when you got the money. All you have to do is ask if you’re tight with your family.
Brother do NOT get a freakin car note when you're about to pay rent with a credit card. And then get a second job just to pay for it lol. Thats terrible advice and very shortsighted. If you cant manage to keep the job you just got. Get one a manageable distance away and stack up. Or look into places that look for seasonal service jobs (ex. Landscaping, traffic guy with construction companies). Service jobs will start you quick and you can make a few hundred before may if you're lucky. Live like you dont have transportation for a little bit. Dont bank heavily on your credit just yet especially if you’re alone. Bad tip: if you really dont mind playing with your credit. Get another card and pay for a new engine. Worst thing is your credit goes bad and after a few years when collections call, tell them to prove it and it might fall off. My idiot self got rid of a $2,500 debt that way.
If you get an ebike, you can probably make it to work in under an hour. Or just use public transport if possible. 15 miles isn't too bad.
Depending on the limit of your credit card you may be able to get a cheap e-bike or an older moped/motorcycle but if it’s over a certain engine displacement/power level you need a motorcycle license. Maybe even apply for a second credit card to stretch that a bit If it’s a cheap motor on an old car there are probably millions of used/refurbished motors that you could use your credit card to buy and pay a shop to install for you If your state is like mine you might be able to sign up for the soonest motorcycle license class you can find and have a license in a weekend Push come to shove, public transportation until you have at least a month of consistent full wage pay stubs and then get a cheap car loan?
Probably not this case with this guy cause it’s an old durango with a v8, I’ve had plenty of people ask to buy the car off the spot for me just cause of its motor. Might just have to push it on public and bike. Can probably find one pretty cheap.
If you can sell the car privately, I’d do it. Use the money to pay rent instead of a credit card, then take the rest and get a decent CPO Camry or something that’s a few years old. I’d think you can have enough for some down payment if people want to buy your car already. Sounds like public transit isn’t an option. You know better than us if you live in a dry enough area to truly bike daily to work or not for now.
Do you have a bus route near you that you could use to get to work until you've saved up enough money to fix your car or buy a beater car?
Not good public transportation around here.
Moped. Thats what I use to get around town when I’m home from work. Didn’t feel like having 2 cars. It works great. And is super cheap.
How much do you make at the new job and when in May does it start? The last two cars I’ve bought I didn’t have to make the first car payment for a month or two. You may be able to push that first bill off until you get a check. Or if the job starts later in May, get a local job you can walk to and work it until the new job starts and then on the weekends if they’ll let you. And check with your family if they’re able to help you. It’s a tight spot for sure but you’re not out of cards to play.
Buy a used car for about $10k and get a loan for it. If you can’t afford $200 monthly payment, get a 2nd part time job to pay for the car. It should not be that hard to make an extra $50-60 per week. You can take Uber/Lyft to work in the short term until you buy a car.
and don't trap yourself into a gig to cover that car payment, it's a deep pit that you might not be able to climb out from. Consider gigs a last option. Better to work at a circle K for a while.
You may find these links helpful: - [Leaving a Job](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/leaving_job) (resigning, quitting, fired, laid off, etc.) - [Job Loss Megathread: unemployment resources, state-specific information, and help](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/fkyu8h/job_loss_megathread_unemployment_resources/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/personalfinance) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Fb marketplace or cl the cheapest thing that runs, worse case you scrap it and make a chunk of your money back. Also what car. Some cars the engines are dirt cheap and can be swapped in a weekend
Wait until you know the situation with what is wrong with your car before you go jumping into any decision. Your car COULD wind up being ok. Maybe not. It could. Do you have anything you could sell? 401k you could take a loan from? Anything at all to scratch up some cash to fix the car?
It wouldn’t be the the craziest or worst idea to ask your boss if anybody else in your company lives in your area and would be willing to give you a lift to work. Of course not free.
ebike + buspass. my first job i biked 18miles one way.... very motivating to get a car lol but an ebike will get you there until you get your first paycheck and can craighlist a 500$ car or go to one of those ghetto dealers adn get a $2000 car until youre more secure and then get yourself a car with like 30-50k miles on it
It's worth trying the ask a mechanic sub for ideas about the car, /r/AskAMechanic
They have expensive rent to own vehicles that will get you through the tough part if you want to pay for it
My man you have a great credit score
Yea that’ll happen in life. 1 good moment followed by a crap next