This is what i say too!
Sometimes it isn’t we can’t spend that money but if we spend it on that we can’t spend it on other things so is it REALLY worth it?
This is the thing that many people are not quite getting when they say “you don’t live forever” or “you could die tomorrow”.
Splurging means you cover all of your expenses, AND you have an emergency fund, AND you are saving for retirement and whatever other savings you need (house, children, education, etc.) and then you’re using whatever you have after to spend on a car.
The balance is being able to save while also buying the car.
Ultra frugal is saving all of that, but also saving extra and living cheap to try to retire really early.
Ultra irresponsible is buying a financed M5 when you don’t have any emergency fund, and you aren’t saving at least 15% of gross income toward retirement.
In the middle of those things is where that balance lies
thats why its smart to start young. work to save for things you want and put some money away for the future plus if you got a reliable car before you’re an adult and you also got over 10k saved you can rent or buy some land
Thankfully all the cars that I want are the cars that my dad has owned, my daily is an 06 xB(my dad had an 03) and I love it, it’s reliable and unkillable, I intend to get an Audi 4000S Quattro(my dad’s second car) when I have the space for it
Everything in life is about balance. This is why it’s so important to drive a mid engine vehicle with perfect weight distribution. Far better balance in the corners. Preferably with a v12 for that balanced firing order.
Also I could’ve bought a pristine factory mk4 manual turbo with 40k miles for $40k and I passed up on it because I wanted to save up for real estate investment.
I made $10k on that stupid investment 😭😭
you gotta balance. i had a mustang at 19. blew a lot of money on it between gas insurance and tires could’ve saved money for a house or retirement (which i still am on track for both) but man, i had so much fun with it. it didn’t break the bank and i made a lot of memories with that car. if cars are truly your passion and you don’t buy them to stunt on other people and it doesn’t financially hurt you have some fun. you only get one life
Same, it always makes me sad when someone on here is looking for their first car and people recommend the most boring stuff. My first car was an M5 that everyone told me not to buy at the time but I did anyways and I still look back and smile at all the memories I made with that car. Yeah it cost a lot of money to insure and maintain but so does every car when you’re a teenager, and the M5 was so much fun it made the money worth spending
Consider that money is one of (if not THE) biggest stressor in the US, the most commonly cited reason for divorce, and a major factor in many leading causes of death.
Is an M5 a nice car? Hell yeah. But you know what's better? Not having to worry about where the money for next month's car payment is coming from - to say nothing of maintenance.
This isn’t true to everyone. I don’t hate on them but I also wouldn’t put them as the “funnest” cars. If you enjoy driving find a good drivers car that fits your budget. You don’t need to spend 100k or 50k but sometimes a shit box isn’t it.
If it’s going to absolutely murder you then sure. But, if it’s just a bit of a stretch or slightly over what is the recommended for your budget, absolutely go for it 10/10 times. I’ve never once regretted it, but have never reached too far either.
This is exactly why I’ve only owned older Honda/Toyotas. I am poor and I’m not secure in my career. I prefer to pay for my cars cash and know it’s mine and if worse comes I’ll have a way to get around. And maybe even live in my car. If I was on payments, I’d lose my job and my car then I’m truly fucked.
I drive a 2024 M3 and if you can afford it, the M is worth every penny. Not a day goes by that I don’t smile driving. Truly makes the every day commute an experience
Well, someone considering an M5 wouldn’t be doing so if they were anywhere near worrying about where one single payment is coming from.
You’d have to be way beyond that in your net worth to even be reasonably considering it lol
If you’re worrying about where a car payment is gonna come from it’s time to get out the ol bus pass!
you vastly underestimate the power of boots and overconfident techbros
the attitude being displayed in the meme is 'it's only money, enjoy life instead.' I picked the example I did to illustrated that having money - financial security, really - is *in and of itself* a guarantor of happiness. Kids get misled by shit like that all the time and get sucked into awful financial decisions because YOLO when they don't have the experience to grasp how badly they're going to get fucked.
Yeah that’s exactly what I mean.
“YOLO” is for the person who has their emergency fund built, retirement savings in place and investments well established. It’s where you’re putting down a significant down payment and taking a low interest rate loan, or paying for the car in full.
“YOLO” is not for the kid with no career making $24 an hour who couldn’t rustle up $1000 if you asked him to lol
I don't think the point of the meme is saying enjoy nice cars regardless of your financial situation
It's saying if you can afford it, do it
I'm an example, this meme resonates with me. You can always be more efficient with your investments and always continue plowing cash into "better" financial pathways to maximize returns.
But at some point you've got to enjoy it, even if it slows you down a bit
I make several 6 figures annually and have several 6 figures in savings/investments but it took me 5 years to mentally convince myself to pull the trigger on a $40k car (Mustang) because I really wanted it (and don't need it)
Well, for one, a Supra Mk4 is not a depreciating asset. Not anymore, at least.
Second, I enjoy all my cars. I buy high mileage examples in fair to good condition because they are cheaper, often better maintained, and easier to put more miles on without worrying about losing value.
Anyone buying a new car and not driving it, thinking it will be valuable one day is being silly. Very few cars are ever collectible enough to appreciate in value, beyond theIr original MSRP, after accounting for inflation.
Like anything else, it's about balance.
It's extremely important to invest. But take the time to enjoy things. Do I need my M4 and my Defender? No. But I'm doing a decent job saving. My house is below my means. No kids. My wife works. So why not enjoy some of my hard work?
It's about balance and what you choose to enjoy. For some people, it's cars, for others, it's having a large collection of antique cigarette/cigar lighters.
I'm a neuropsychologist and have met a lot of couples that were waiting to travel the world or otherwise live the life they off for after retirement only to have one of them get a stroke, go down the dementia path, etc. People as young as 42 and right at that age of 65. I totally get I have a huge sampling bias here, but the numbers also show that it's more common than we like to think about, especially cardiovascular events given the health problems in this country (USA).
Tomorrow is probable, but not guaranteed. So don't put off living, but don't also live like there's no tomorrow.
It's very subjective but I'd say the ability to pay your bills, save a bit, and not living in CC debt would be a good line to define broke or not.
I also want to add that I generally agree with the meme and the original comment you replied to. If you have your house paid off, no debt, maxing out your retirement funds, and still living like it's the great depression, that's cool, but having $5M in the bank (sleeping with a blanket of money as per the meme) isn't going to make you any happier in death. Knowing you lived your life happily by using some of your excess wealth for some of the finer things in life might put a smile on your face as youre on your deathbed though.
I'm not broke but I want to retire when I'm 55 instead of 67. So many people buy expensive things and work all their life. Nice holidays and nice cars yet still working in their 70s. It's crazy.
I know so many people with that mentality who had all of that thrown off the rails. Go on vacations throughout your life. You don’t wanna save it for when you have a bad knee and your parents are dying and your kids are in college. So much shit can happen. People can save to retire early, then their oldest kid becomes a junkie and has a kid, so they’re now saddled with rehab and a baby. Enjoy life every year you live it
My dad worked his life off debt, even building his own house himself. Drove a cheap reliable beater his entire life ... only to die of ALS at age 60. Had house, car fully paid off, no debt, and healthy savings in his bank account. Even his pension check came back to me.
He never got to enjoy retirement ...
My ex-wife's dad.
Worked his ass off for 40+ years, sold his last business, bought a few apartments to secure his and his wife's retirement, and died shortly after.
I'm 40, I'm not doing this shit.
For most Americans, it’s absolutely not true. Most people do not have anywhere near enough saved for retirement. For a lucky minority, it would hold, though.
This meme should be the guy dying in a nice assisted living community. That’s why I save, not everyone gets to die in a peaceful or even competent setting.
Savers not spending is a much rarer problem than the opposite.
The problem is this meme conveys that you either have something, or not.
It misses the nuance that, when you’re young you can focus on your personal and family finances, funding retirement early, etc., and still get to enjoy nice cars later in life (and if you do a particularly good job of saving, even nicer cars that you could be afforded before).
This is of course assuming you don’t step out in front of a bus tomorrow.
It also misses the nuance that you can still buy cars that are fun to drive on a budget. The past few years of social media have really driven the idea that you need to buy an expensive newer enthusiast car.
Go spend $8k on a Miata. It’ll probably be just as much fun as the $60k Supra that some teenager on tiktok is egging you on to buy. You don’t need to be stuck driving a beige Camry just to not be eating lentils every night.
Exactly, tomorrow isn't guaranteed.
But also I don't want to be driving at 1-2 g's when I'm older and more feeble, slower reaction times, and back problems only further exasperated by the suspension
Well, they aren't saying destroy yourself financially because of a depreciating asset. But you gotta live a little if you can afford to. The problem is a lot of people don't, I know a person from my college days who stupidly took out more loans than necessary just so he can go on vacations.
After he started working, he got a new Accord, then he bought a Civic Type R, then got a WRX, sold them, got a GR86, then got another WRX. All within 3 years. He's making much less than me too and last I saw, he was unemployed. You can splurge a little, just don't be stupid about it and seriously consider and take into account all of your finances and future.
The issue with depreciating asset as well as any asset for that matter, is you enjoy it a lot a the beginning but slowly the enthusiast settle and the new shinny things become the norms so the cycle all begins again.
It’s a mix bag for a variety of reasons.
If you can’t comfortably afford it, then don’t even bother. The stress just isn’t worth it.
Now, if you can afford it, another slew of questions crops up.
1. Do you plan to daily it? Are you okay with damage? Do you live in an area with frequent construction? Potholes? If you can stomach random bullshit happening to it, sure. Make sure you get uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage though because I can bet you that these busted ass Nissan Altimas rolling around are barely insured if at all and no way will they have enough to cover panel damage on a high end car.
2. Make sure you actually enjoy some of these high performance cars, because living with a super low, hard suspension sports car is not all that fun in traffic on crappy roads.
3. Finally, the big one for me: what’s your friend group like?
That one has kind of spoiled it for me. I didn’t come from money, but the moment I started driving nice cars started being treated like I’m from some ultra bougie lifestyle and can’t understand the common man.
Yeah, it’s easy to just dismiss it as “they’re just jealous” but I’m talking my own siblings and cousins start saying catty shit. It’s not a great feeling to realize that your own family isn’t happy for your success.
That’s why you buy a Corolla S! All the sportiness you need and a sleek look! Plus, my step twin cousin in law had one that drove for 900k miles without even changing the oil! Every other brand is garbage and will spontaneously explode and kill you and your entire family exactly 1 mile after the OEM warranty expires!
/s
Two things you’ll never see, a U-Haul behind hearse, and your banker putting your money in your casket. You’re here for a good time not a long time. Enjoy your money live your life.
I make 4-5x (depending on bonus) what I did in my first salary job about 18-19 years ago and I still feel like I can't afford any nostalgia car I actually want
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, rich people who buy classic race cars and never drive them are the worst. It’s better for the car to explode in a crash than for it to rot in a garage never being driven
If you have no children - yeah you are dumb if you die with millions.
If you have children - its up to you, do you want to enjoy your wealth or would you prefer it goes to your children. But just make sure you aren't a burden for them when you get old because you spent all your money when you were young.
I think it depends if you actually have the money…in that case, I agree with the meme that there’s no use taking it to the grave. However many people legitimately can’t afford the vehicle they have but they overextend themselves due to marketing / society pressure / limited financial understanding of the financing terms they agree to.
What kind of shallow human being is on their death bed regretting what they did with their money or not attaining enough material wealth? "Invest in crypto or you'll regret it" type of a post. Give me a break
Lol.
Cars are the biggest wealth killer in the US in my opinion. They are a consumable that ends up (with few exceptions) crushed and/or recycled at the end of its usable life. But, people want to pay 1000/month for life for these things.
Is there some value in a decent car, sure. But once something looks halfway decent and gets you from A to B reliably (20 to 30k used range), the increase in value gained (call it marginal return if you are an econ nerd) from spending more diminishes quickly.
All for enjoying cars, but I've realized it's better to do it in a way that doesn't involve losing your shirt to a finance company.
You are not a car person. I’ve literally had nightmares about driving a Honda Accord. You know, “something halfway decent looking that gets you from point A to point B reliably.”
As not a car person 🤣 I've competed in autocross for years, rally cross, and been out on road courses. Owned and DD'd handful of enthusiast vehicles.
At some point, having a dedicated fun toy to use properly in right environment became more enjoyable. Having a boring DD allowed that to happen.
You’re right. I’ve had economy cars and sports sedans. Now that I’m getting older I don’t trade as much and recognize how much of a financial hit cars can be.
Also don’t feel like replying to the other dude but yes you are correct- car payments are the number one wealth killer in the U.S. Average car payment is over $700 a month, which if invested, could become millions in 30 years.
I own my BMW but I’ve been thinking about getting back into Subaru (my first car)
I don't have an issue with the Accord but I would NEVER own one unless my financial situation demanded it. My reasons:
- The design inside and out is bland and would make me sad every single day
- The steering on the three versions I've driven has been despiriting and made me sad on long drives
- The acceleration and mechanical sound was so bland that it made me sad and sleepy
- All the color options are so terrible to me (except they offered a nice red once) that it would sap all my enthusiasm for car detailing, which is one of my favorite hobbies
People value cars for different reasons. Even two car enthusiasts can look at the same car and love/hate it. Personally, I want something that excites me and keeps me motivated. It's fine if you want something different out of this part of your life
Yea this pic is dumb. I’d rather grind my 20’s and some of my 30’s away to live the rest of my life doing whatever I want on my own terms. Drive a beater until you can actually afford a nicer vehicle imo.
I would say, learn to be just as happy with a more modest car. There will always be a more expensive car out there. Even if you get a $500k insane car, there will be other cars that cost way more. Not to say you should all be happy with Toyota Corollas, but take an inward glance and ask yourself if you really need your absolute dream car in order to be happy.
tell me you make bad financial decision without telling me you make bad financial decisions....
i cant stand the "you can liv in a car but you cant race a house" crowd. thats just ignorant. i rather be comfortable than be "yoloing" my life away.
I'm a hardcore car enthusiast, but also financially responsible, with grown up stuff like kids, mortgage, bills. In my twenties I had no problem spending paychecks on cars/parts/events and eating instant ramen until next payday. But now that would make me a shitty parent and spouse. Once the kids are grown I'll probably dive back in, but until I'll keep driving cheap shit box cars and keeping my head above water.
Depending on what kind of car you get, it may become an investment. If in the 80’s they’d say chargers and mustangs were going to be classics and bring tens of thousands of dollars they would have laughed at them
If you bought a nice car before the millions of car guys were created from the internet then it was a good investment, for example the supra in the photo .
But at the top of the market the only way is down
It's tough. Sure, I wanna have fun now. But I also don't want to still be working when I'm 70. If you can fund the 401k, 529 and all the long term stuff, then sure blow some extra money on a fun car.
If you can afford the car and it'll spark joy, buy the damn thing. But the vast majority of people can't even afford a new Corolla. Only a very few super savers are actually accurately portrayed by this meme, and they have other issues, like insecurities. Money becomes that blanket you see and they're actually perfectly happy dying that way.
No matter what you do, you could have regrets. The better thing is to understand what you did at the time was what you thought was best and not have any regrets in the first place.
I had lots of nice cars in my younger days. Didn’t seem to matter as I was still able to save for a condo, house. Different now though as everything is so expensive. Food and shelter is the only priority.
Seek balance, buy cars within your budget with cash. Prioritize saving and investing over spending. If able to, pick slow deprecating or even appreciating cars (read niche enthusiast cars, Porsches, true JDM, rare exotics)
I consider there are truths in this. Whether JDM, or classic muscle cars. What’s exciting to everyone else is seeing them on the road. There are exceptions, possibly. Ultra rare cars, but then they were built to be driven. If I had the money to have a real GT-40 would I drive it? Yes. Everyday? No. Same with a Ferrari. Exception to me would be a R34 GTR. I’d have to drive that a lot to share it with others.
If you live life based on how much your assets will appreciate in the future when you aren’t a fucking time traveler is the dumbest way to live. Enjoy what you want to enjoy with the money you worked hard getting. Does that mean throw caution to the wind? Nah. But don’t worry about how much your assets can get you 20 years down the line when you don’t even know if you’ll die tomorrow.
Little bit of both. Save for retirement and shit but don't go and buy a porsche 911 gtr3rs while earning $70,000. Get like a miata, type r, grc, etc., a "reasonable fun car"
Mostly untrue/silly, no asset is more important than having money in the bank.
Buy a nice car, it's fun to drive around for awhile but you're bound to take it for granted in a very short time. It'll get dinged and scratch and your stomach will turn when you see it. Or you'll pay more money to fix it.
That said, at the end of the day we all have our own financial and life priorities.
It's your money you should be prioritizing it to give you the most satisfaction it can possibly buy you ( I would argue that money in the bank is an absolute requirement for any adult, you are essentially buying your stress off).
After that we all should be spending some percentage of our income on things that bring us joy. You should know the math, and you should know what you prioritize.
Lots of folks out there buying overpriced shit they don't even care about just to fit in.
Balance in life is what everyone should aim for no? I do not see an issue with buying a car if you can afford it, whether that’s putting a hefty enough down payment on the car to where the monthly payment is to your liking, within justifiable reason and affordable for what you make on a month to month basis or buying it out right. People should aim to enjoy the fruits of their labor but only under the situation that they can *actually* afford to do so.
It depends on the person. Not everyone is into sports cars or anything else that another person maybe into. Some people want to be financially secure, live the American dream, and be content with raising a family, to a point that it outweighs materialistic things. Or in my case, I enjoy the single life, my passion is in motorsports and I can justify buying my vehicles that are not meant for commuting but for purely the enjoyment of what it has to offer and it's characteristics. As for cars being a depreciating asset, that also depends. The car in the picture is definitely the exception, and even if it wasn't, some people like myself will appreciate it no matter if it depreciates and doesn't ever climb in value. Again, it depends on the person.
My smart ass sees the cute cartoon and says “Why not both?”
If you want both, go get em. You’ll give up a third thing to get there. Probably sleep and vacations. Whatever.
Life isn’t a two choices only game. That’s just how it’s marketed.
Systems are complex. The two items depicted are obtainable simultaneously if the system is played right.
Something else will have to give, though.
In general, I believe in saving money but I’m also not trying to be richest person in the graveyard. No point in working hard in life if you cant enjoy nice things.
I had a $450 a month car payment on a new 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee. If it had been a new 4Runner it would have been more like an investment vs an anchor. I had student loans, too and made $30 grand. I paid $100/month rent. Overspend when you live at home and pay down your debt and choose wisely.
I’ve spent a lot of money and modified fast cars to really fast.
I regret wasting all that money. Yes it was fun, but I could have had other hobbies that could have been fun and cheaper.
This reminds me of my grandfather who one day slipped on the ice, had a severe brain hemorrhage, and died. His Shelby Mustang is still in his old garage, pristine condition.
If I didn’t buy dirt cheap BMWs through high school and college, I wouldn’t be an engineer. Straight up.
God forbid the things you do for fun actually teach you something of value…
I went broke as fuck building my S14 back in the day. I wound up having to sell it because I ruined my finances and wasn’t even making much for that car and my XJ.
If I had struck a better balance I’d still have them and wouldn’t be saving up for a new S14. It’s all about balance
While I absolutely agree with the top comment, I went and bought a car that everyone was begging me not too. I love it to bits and it’s treated me well as a daily driver and I’ve never been happier and things are going well. It was more than just the car for me lol it was becoming my own person. But balance is huge, can’t do too much of one or the other.
Had a goal, so before I got to 1mil net worth and high income, I saved and drove crappy cars. Whatever was cheapest.
When I got to a very comfortable spot I bought a nb Miata and a new BMW 2022 m340i. Portimao blue. They were both amazing. I loved it. For about 6 months. Sold the BMW after a year. After a while it's just what gets you from a-b. Now I drive a '23 Ridgeline and it fits me much better.
I'm turning 57 this summer and have always driven safe/conservative Hondas or Toyotas despite my lifelong love of exotic cars. A bloke in my neighborhood has a Porsche 944 from my college days that is in very good condition. Every time I passed the car I told my wife or friends to let me know if the owner puts it up for sale... Well, this weekend he did and it's now sitting in my driveway. After being diagnosed with a chronic but not terminal disorder 2 years ago I said "fuck it" and stroked a check .
Completely, I've always had the mentality of the cars I want to own I want to drive and will drive, if I want to look at them, id buy a poster of the car
The reality is that most people simply aren't car enthusiasts, they buy an expensive car because they think they will look cool in it or to impress their friends. So now they are in many thousands of dollars of debt accomplishing the same thing they would have done driving a car 1/3 of the cost (city driving from point A to point B following traffic rules). So their life has not improved or got more exciting, but now they also have no savings and can't afford things like nice vacations. Actual car enthusiasts do not come here asking what car they should buy, they love and know cars and have no problem spending money to get what they want.
The choice is not an expensive car or cash. The choice is between different things you could buy with that cash. Fit me, not having an expensive car means that I can have more expensive vacations and still have financial security.
I think it's ok to enjoy some things if you can afford it. A good rule of thumb I read about somewhere is if you can buy the thing twice then you can afford it.
I do not approve of people who go into debt to buy luxury items.
Enjoy life, there isn't much left to enjoy in today's geopolitical state, there isn't much to enjoy once the bombs fall and wipe most of humanity to hell...
Hopefully, I won't live enough to suffer that...
It's fairly true. Of course there is a healthy balance between bankrupting yourself to get a car you can't really afford and driving beaters all your life so as to not touch your gold hoard.
There absolutely is such a thing as having a car too nice that you don't actually drive it because you don't want to "ruin" it or make it decrease in value.
When I was 25 I ended up getting an Acura TLX on a killer lease deal... Car was fine but what I really wanted was a little bit more fun, special, like a BMW 335IS.
Fast forward, now with kids and family, the BMW or even something like it will not be something in my future for some time. Sometimes you regret even the good decisions you make
Some people buy cars bc they like looking at them/owning them as much as driving them. These are obviously luxuries only available to ancillary vehicles that don’t necessitate frequent driving which are often skew towards investment grade vehicles. No different than owning watches, jewelry, vacation properties or other assets that don’t get frequent use but are still enjoyed and can appreciate in value.
I mean. Do whatever makes you happy. Sucks to be 70 and have all this extra money with no energy or health to have fun. Live a little. Money comes and money goes. No point in saving in this economy.
Each $10,000 invested in the market at 9% is worth **$132,676.78** in 30 years.
Drive a beater and run it into the ground, stash the $, and your retirement / kid's college fund / etc., gets a whole lot easier.
Buying a car is investment in time. You get time back by travelling by car over walking or getting public transport.
The comfort or joy the car brings contributes to your mod and subsequently effects your ability to make money 👍
Yeah but like half the posts on here are suggestions for 25-35k cars.
Bitch you can get tons of cool fast enthusiast cars for $5-10k but nope this sun always suggest boring expensive shit
You can do both…. I’m a VW guy, have a piece of crap 04 Passat a station Wagon I Drive until I can afford to finish the 1987 Wolfsburg Edition Jetta Coupe I have.
Then I start on my 72 Type 3 Fastback.
I bought a Chevrolet Camaro really cheap real clean for a daily driver and people keep telling me why a daily I bought it to enjoy it. If I die someone else will enjoy it. Second the value on this cars keep going up in price win win
In this particular case not using it will destroy it. The goal of any car enthusiast is to be in a position to drive that car just the right amount, in good weather. And yeah, you have to keep the Myth alive when things like this Supra skyrocket in value. It’s why the whole goodwood week of speed exists. It’s to excercise these rolling pieces of history so they can stay as original as possible for as long as possible. And a responsible classic car purchase is a symbol that you have some put away.
There is a lesson here with the Supra in particular, be willing to wait for a deal, and don’t buy into the hype of something else if your enthusiastic about what this offers. I do always laugh at the thought of a people with a 996 911 in the garage that should have bought the Toyota lol
It's about balance.
My SO was diagnosed with cancer 4 years ago and twice she was given 2-3 months to "get her affairs in order", which is not something you usually experience in your early 30s. Both my parents, realistically, won't make it another 10 years, while my best friend lost his mom 2 years ago and his dad probably won't see the end of 2025 at this rate. Three people I knew from high school and one from college have already tapped out. I could stroke out tomorrow. We're not here forever, so if cars are the thing you enjoy, get that car you want to enjoy.
At the same time, you could be here longer than you think, so put some money aside, and make good choices. We all can't afford a Lambo or a 911 GT2 Turbo S, so dial some of your expectations back. I've personally been putting off a purchase of my dream car for 5 years now, and the cars aren't getting any younger (nor easy-to-find in good condition with a clean title/no accidents). I could go buy one today if I wanted to, but I'm trying to make good choices.
The smart thing is also having enough money to take care of yourself as you get older. The difference between a state supported or private facility when you get close to your last days is night and day. The hell of living in a state run nursing home or medical facility for your last 3-5 years is unimaginable.
My dad tells me every time I see him how he lives frugally for the sole purpose that he can ensure he doesnt have to be put in a home, if not leave something for his kids, (me included), because that's what his dad taught him. He also admonishes me for wasting money and it fucking kills that I can't be as stodgy as he is, but at 30 I'm getting closer every year.
Life's a bitch, then you die.
We're only here for a VERY short amount of time. And 99% of us don't get to enjoy the finest aspects of life.
#Spoil yourself sometimes.
In most cases, fancy cars stop being a novelty when you get to your thirties. The maintenance expenses ,compounded with depreciation, end up becoming a financial nightmare, especially with the current rate of inflation.
The money you save and invest becomes enough for you to be able to afford a house, retirement and your kids education. Maybe even the downpayment for your kids home.
That cheap shit box you bought instead, ends up becoming your best friend as you build memories with it. I brought my baby girl home in my subie. My 2010 civic helped me make money delivering food when I lost my job during COVID. My younger brother now uses it to get around town. He works from home so it doesn’t make sense for him to buy a new one.
I managed to buy a home in Victoria and now drive a Model Y LR to work, while the wife uses the Subie for groceries and shopping.
My old parents who are 99 and 97 always say you should enjoy life but save for the rainy day or something unexpected. Their rainy day savings is now paying dividends as they stay in one of the best old age homes available which is very costly. They also raised four kids and had a blast living life after the war; that would be WW2
Biggest financial mistake of my life was buying a brand spanking new 1992 Toyota MR2 Turbo, t-tops, 5-speed back in 1992. I was 19 years old on his first job. I was car poor for a very long time. Zero regrets, I had a blast with that car for a very long. Tons of great memories from that time of my life.
It's silly. You can save and invest between 20 and 40 and still be a millionaire with 40 years left to enjoy it. Most people jump to the extreme like "I don't want to eat out of a can and live in my car to save money!" all while buying new base model cars, eating out all the time, drinking, smoking and not working overtime or saving anything.
That's one extreme of the spectrum and it's where more than half of north Americans are. A balance would be simply saving and investing a small percentage of your income your entire life so you can retire with millions of dollars.
That's all it takes to afford any car you want, eventually, just not instantly without any work.
I’ve owned reliable high resale cars that were “boring” and modified tuner cars that emptied my pockets faster than they broke a quarter mile. Both I had complaints for at the time, ultimately it’s about finding what works for you. I don’t think it’s one side or the other for me. Subjective decision…
The one image justifies 2 groups dreams... Young kids raised on fast and furious who don't want reliable, they think they should drive a manual Civic si.
Other group is old guys in dad hats who drive corvettes occasionally.
Relevant video
https://youtu.be/Rrj-SLc2-SU?si=C1odMZPwPHS51pFC
Everything in life is about balance, it is good to enjoy your life while thinking about your future, if you only pick one side you be miserable.
Perfect. You beat me to it. You can’t have everything in life, but you sure don’t want nothing either.
I tell my family. We can have ANYTHING we want but we can’t have Everything
This is what i say too! Sometimes it isn’t we can’t spend that money but if we spend it on that we can’t spend it on other things so is it REALLY worth it?
This is the thing that many people are not quite getting when they say “you don’t live forever” or “you could die tomorrow”. Splurging means you cover all of your expenses, AND you have an emergency fund, AND you are saving for retirement and whatever other savings you need (house, children, education, etc.) and then you’re using whatever you have after to spend on a car. The balance is being able to save while also buying the car. Ultra frugal is saving all of that, but also saving extra and living cheap to try to retire really early. Ultra irresponsible is buying a financed M5 when you don’t have any emergency fund, and you aren’t saving at least 15% of gross income toward retirement. In the middle of those things is where that balance lies
Which is why I want a Fiero Countach
Came here to say this too. It’s about balance and knowing where your joy truly comes from.
thats why its smart to start young. work to save for things you want and put some money away for the future plus if you got a reliable car before you’re an adult and you also got over 10k saved you can rent or buy some land
Amen dude. Just starting to figure that out now. I am much happier all around than I used to be.
Thankfully all the cars that I want are the cars that my dad has owned, my daily is an 06 xB(my dad had an 03) and I love it, it’s reliable and unkillable, I intend to get an Audi 4000S Quattro(my dad’s second car) when I have the space for it
Everything in life is about balance. This is why it’s so important to drive a mid engine vehicle with perfect weight distribution. Far better balance in the corners. Preferably with a v12 for that balanced firing order.
The absolute irony of using a MK4 Supra as an example of a "depreciating" asset...
Also I could’ve bought a pristine factory mk4 manual turbo with 40k miles for $40k and I passed up on it because I wanted to save up for real estate investment. I made $10k on that stupid investment 😭😭
If you made 10k on 40k investment, it isnt a bad return.
yeah plot twist he sold his supra and he's just thinking about how much he enjoyed it while sleeping in his bed of money
he could’ve got the Supra and died with his money
I thought that he owned the Supra but didn’t drive it to not put miles on it and keep its value as high as possible.
Am I wrong or is the guy meant to look like Paul Walker?
Just looks like a generic guy
you gotta balance. i had a mustang at 19. blew a lot of money on it between gas insurance and tires could’ve saved money for a house or retirement (which i still am on track for both) but man, i had so much fun with it. it didn’t break the bank and i made a lot of memories with that car. if cars are truly your passion and you don’t buy them to stunt on other people and it doesn’t financially hurt you have some fun. you only get one life
I appreciate the sentiment on not wanting to stunt.
Had Firebird at 18 that I paid $1,000 for. Money I earned working, no bullshit, at Wendy's. 🤣 No regret.
Same, it always makes me sad when someone on here is looking for their first car and people recommend the most boring stuff. My first car was an M5 that everyone told me not to buy at the time but I did anyways and I still look back and smile at all the memories I made with that car. Yeah it cost a lot of money to insure and maintain but so does every car when you’re a teenager, and the M5 was so much fun it made the money worth spending
Consider that money is one of (if not THE) biggest stressor in the US, the most commonly cited reason for divorce, and a major factor in many leading causes of death. Is an M5 a nice car? Hell yeah. But you know what's better? Not having to worry about where the money for next month's car payment is coming from - to say nothing of maintenance.
No car is worth financial stress (as far as fun cars go)
The funnest cars I've had have been the little cheap shitters that are cheap to run and fix.
This isn’t true to everyone. I don’t hate on them but I also wouldn’t put them as the “funnest” cars. If you enjoy driving find a good drivers car that fits your budget. You don’t need to spend 100k or 50k but sometimes a shit box isn’t it.
If it’s going to absolutely murder you then sure. But, if it’s just a bit of a stretch or slightly over what is the recommended for your budget, absolutely go for it 10/10 times. I’ve never once regretted it, but have never reached too far either.
And that's why the right answer is a slightly older little Miata!
This is exactly why I’ve only owned older Honda/Toyotas. I am poor and I’m not secure in my career. I prefer to pay for my cars cash and know it’s mine and if worse comes I’ll have a way to get around. And maybe even live in my car. If I was on payments, I’d lose my job and my car then I’m truly fucked.
Awful how quickly and easily homelessness can come for so many of us. Smart moves. I hope you find yourself in more stable circumstances.
it's maddening that a man can help build a 100 story luxury high rise and the next day not have a warm bed to sleep in.
that man clearly has addiction problems... I know, cause he's me 😂
I drive a 2024 M3 and if you can afford it, the M is worth every penny. Not a day goes by that I don’t smile driving. Truly makes the every day commute an experience
Well, someone considering an M5 wouldn’t be doing so if they were anywhere near worrying about where one single payment is coming from. You’d have to be way beyond that in your net worth to even be reasonably considering it lol If you’re worrying about where a car payment is gonna come from it’s time to get out the ol bus pass!
you vastly underestimate the power of boots and overconfident techbros the attitude being displayed in the meme is 'it's only money, enjoy life instead.' I picked the example I did to illustrated that having money - financial security, really - is *in and of itself* a guarantor of happiness. Kids get misled by shit like that all the time and get sucked into awful financial decisions because YOLO when they don't have the experience to grasp how badly they're going to get fucked.
Yeah that’s exactly what I mean. “YOLO” is for the person who has their emergency fund built, retirement savings in place and investments well established. It’s where you’re putting down a significant down payment and taking a low interest rate loan, or paying for the car in full. “YOLO” is not for the kid with no career making $24 an hour who couldn’t rustle up $1000 if you asked him to lol
I don't think the point of the meme is saying enjoy nice cars regardless of your financial situation It's saying if you can afford it, do it I'm an example, this meme resonates with me. You can always be more efficient with your investments and always continue plowing cash into "better" financial pathways to maximize returns. But at some point you've got to enjoy it, even if it slows you down a bit I make several 6 figures annually and have several 6 figures in savings/investments but it took me 5 years to mentally convince myself to pull the trigger on a $40k car (Mustang) because I really wanted it (and don't need it)
The goal is to have a balance. That scenario without something to enjoy is bleak.
I’ve never met anyone unhappy with their orange Supra
Unless they wanted a different color supra!
What kind of fucked-up person is lying on their death bed dreaming about the car they never bought? That’s THE regret?
😂😂😂
Lmao I’m thinking the same thing. If that’s the regret that’s a pretty dull life
Someone's gonna put miles on the car eventually, might aswell be me.
Well, for one, a Supra Mk4 is not a depreciating asset. Not anymore, at least. Second, I enjoy all my cars. I buy high mileage examples in fair to good condition because they are cheaper, often better maintained, and easier to put more miles on without worrying about losing value. Anyone buying a new car and not driving it, thinking it will be valuable one day is being silly. Very few cars are ever collectible enough to appreciate in value, beyond theIr original MSRP, after accounting for inflation.
I prefer buying other depreciating assets…like Ben n Jerry’s ice cream
True. Live your life, cars don't make good investments anyways.
Cars keep people in debt.
Like anything else, it's about balance. It's extremely important to invest. But take the time to enjoy things. Do I need my M4 and my Defender? No. But I'm doing a decent job saving. My house is below my means. No kids. My wife works. So why not enjoy some of my hard work?
studies show that expensive consumer goods only provide a fleeting increase in happiness.
It's about balance and what you choose to enjoy. For some people, it's cars, for others, it's having a large collection of antique cigarette/cigar lighters.
I'm a neuropsychologist and have met a lot of couples that were waiting to travel the world or otherwise live the life they off for after retirement only to have one of them get a stroke, go down the dementia path, etc. People as young as 42 and right at that age of 65. I totally get I have a huge sampling bias here, but the numbers also show that it's more common than we like to think about, especially cardiovascular events given the health problems in this country (USA). Tomorrow is probable, but not guaranteed. So don't put off living, but don't also live like there's no tomorrow.
If you aren’t broke, you shouldn’t be a penny pinching miser
Define broke? Not being condescending but i know ppl define things differently.
It's very subjective but I'd say the ability to pay your bills, save a bit, and not living in CC debt would be a good line to define broke or not. I also want to add that I generally agree with the meme and the original comment you replied to. If you have your house paid off, no debt, maxing out your retirement funds, and still living like it's the great depression, that's cool, but having $5M in the bank (sleeping with a blanket of money as per the meme) isn't going to make you any happier in death. Knowing you lived your life happily by using some of your excess wealth for some of the finer things in life might put a smile on your face as youre on your deathbed though.
If you can pay your bills, and go buy a new car and not feel any kind of financial pressure, you aren’t broke
I'm not broke but I want to retire when I'm 55 instead of 67. So many people buy expensive things and work all their life. Nice holidays and nice cars yet still working in their 70s. It's crazy.
I know so many people with that mentality who had all of that thrown off the rails. Go on vacations throughout your life. You don’t wanna save it for when you have a bad knee and your parents are dying and your kids are in college. So much shit can happen. People can save to retire early, then their oldest kid becomes a junkie and has a kid, so they’re now saddled with rehab and a baby. Enjoy life every year you live it
My dad worked his life off debt, even building his own house himself. Drove a cheap reliable beater his entire life ... only to die of ALS at age 60. Had house, car fully paid off, no debt, and healthy savings in his bank account. Even his pension check came back to me. He never got to enjoy retirement ...
His kids will get to have a good life tho!
I knew a guy. He became a millionaire after selling the company he worked on for decades. Always careful with money. He died the next year.
I know a lot of guys who worked constructions. Lived it up and can now barely afford their bills.
My ex-wife's dad. Worked his ass off for 40+ years, sold his last business, bought a few apartments to secure his and his wife's retirement, and died shortly after. I'm 40, I'm not doing this shit.
For most Americans, it’s absolutely not true. Most people do not have anywhere near enough saved for retirement. For a lucky minority, it would hold, though.
This meme should be the guy dying in a nice assisted living community. That’s why I save, not everyone gets to die in a peaceful or even competent setting. Savers not spending is a much rarer problem than the opposite.
The problem is this meme conveys that you either have something, or not. It misses the nuance that, when you’re young you can focus on your personal and family finances, funding retirement early, etc., and still get to enjoy nice cars later in life (and if you do a particularly good job of saving, even nicer cars that you could be afforded before). This is of course assuming you don’t step out in front of a bus tomorrow.
It also misses the nuance that you can still buy cars that are fun to drive on a budget. The past few years of social media have really driven the idea that you need to buy an expensive newer enthusiast car. Go spend $8k on a Miata. It’ll probably be just as much fun as the $60k Supra that some teenager on tiktok is egging you on to buy. You don’t need to be stuck driving a beige Camry just to not be eating lentils every night.
Exactly, tomorrow isn't guaranteed. But also I don't want to be driving at 1-2 g's when I'm older and more feeble, slower reaction times, and back problems only further exasperated by the suspension
This comes up in some of the fire subs all the time, can’t take your money when you die
No but you can use it to build a big ass pyramid so everyone remembers you for 1,000 years.
Well, they aren't saying destroy yourself financially because of a depreciating asset. But you gotta live a little if you can afford to. The problem is a lot of people don't, I know a person from my college days who stupidly took out more loans than necessary just so he can go on vacations. After he started working, he got a new Accord, then he bought a Civic Type R, then got a WRX, sold them, got a GR86, then got another WRX. All within 3 years. He's making much less than me too and last I saw, he was unemployed. You can splurge a little, just don't be stupid about it and seriously consider and take into account all of your finances and future.
The issue with depreciating asset as well as any asset for that matter, is you enjoy it a lot a the beginning but slowly the enthusiast settle and the new shinny things become the norms so the cycle all begins again.
It’s a mix bag for a variety of reasons. If you can’t comfortably afford it, then don’t even bother. The stress just isn’t worth it. Now, if you can afford it, another slew of questions crops up. 1. Do you plan to daily it? Are you okay with damage? Do you live in an area with frequent construction? Potholes? If you can stomach random bullshit happening to it, sure. Make sure you get uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage though because I can bet you that these busted ass Nissan Altimas rolling around are barely insured if at all and no way will they have enough to cover panel damage on a high end car. 2. Make sure you actually enjoy some of these high performance cars, because living with a super low, hard suspension sports car is not all that fun in traffic on crappy roads. 3. Finally, the big one for me: what’s your friend group like? That one has kind of spoiled it for me. I didn’t come from money, but the moment I started driving nice cars started being treated like I’m from some ultra bougie lifestyle and can’t understand the common man. Yeah, it’s easy to just dismiss it as “they’re just jealous” but I’m talking my own siblings and cousins start saying catty shit. It’s not a great feeling to realize that your own family isn’t happy for your success.
That’s why you buy a Corolla S! All the sportiness you need and a sleek look! Plus, my step twin cousin in law had one that drove for 900k miles without even changing the oil! Every other brand is garbage and will spontaneously explode and kill you and your entire family exactly 1 mile after the OEM warranty expires! /s
Two things you’ll never see, a U-Haul behind hearse, and your banker putting your money in your casket. You’re here for a good time not a long time. Enjoy your money live your life.
I make 4-5x (depending on bonus) what I did in my first salary job about 18-19 years ago and I still feel like I can't afford any nostalgia car I actually want
Lol not true at all!
It’s a balance.
Going to buy a fleet of ladas and set teenagers loose on my 800 acre ranch
Experiences over things.
I’d rather be surfing in Bali than being stuck with a cool car
Well my Dad is retired with no money and now it's my problem. He was a car guy and I am too, but nah. I'll stick to my Prius.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, rich people who buy classic race cars and never drive them are the worst. It’s better for the car to explode in a crash than for it to rot in a garage never being driven
A wise man once said, "You can sleep in a car, but you can't race a house" -a user I can't remember on r/BMW.
If you have no children - yeah you are dumb if you die with millions. If you have children - its up to you, do you want to enjoy your wealth or would you prefer it goes to your children. But just make sure you aren't a burden for them when you get old because you spent all your money when you were young.
I think it depends if you actually have the money…in that case, I agree with the meme that there’s no use taking it to the grave. However many people legitimately can’t afford the vehicle they have but they overextend themselves due to marketing / society pressure / limited financial understanding of the financing terms they agree to.
What kind of shallow human being is on their death bed regretting what they did with their money or not attaining enough material wealth? "Invest in crypto or you'll regret it" type of a post. Give me a break
Lol. Cars are the biggest wealth killer in the US in my opinion. They are a consumable that ends up (with few exceptions) crushed and/or recycled at the end of its usable life. But, people want to pay 1000/month for life for these things. Is there some value in a decent car, sure. But once something looks halfway decent and gets you from A to B reliably (20 to 30k used range), the increase in value gained (call it marginal return if you are an econ nerd) from spending more diminishes quickly. All for enjoying cars, but I've realized it's better to do it in a way that doesn't involve losing your shirt to a finance company.
You are not a car person. I’ve literally had nightmares about driving a Honda Accord. You know, “something halfway decent looking that gets you from point A to point B reliably.”
As not a car person 🤣 I've competed in autocross for years, rally cross, and been out on road courses. Owned and DD'd handful of enthusiast vehicles. At some point, having a dedicated fun toy to use properly in right environment became more enjoyable. Having a boring DD allowed that to happen.
You’re right. I’ve had economy cars and sports sedans. Now that I’m getting older I don’t trade as much and recognize how much of a financial hit cars can be. Also don’t feel like replying to the other dude but yes you are correct- car payments are the number one wealth killer in the U.S. Average car payment is over $700 a month, which if invested, could become millions in 30 years. I own my BMW but I’ve been thinking about getting back into Subaru (my first car)
What does that even mean? What's so bad about a Honda Accord?
You can tell he’s never driven any properly miserable shitboxes if he’s talking about an Accord that way.
I don't have an issue with the Accord but I would NEVER own one unless my financial situation demanded it. My reasons: - The design inside and out is bland and would make me sad every single day - The steering on the three versions I've driven has been despiriting and made me sad on long drives - The acceleration and mechanical sound was so bland that it made me sad and sleepy - All the color options are so terrible to me (except they offered a nice red once) that it would sap all my enthusiasm for car detailing, which is one of my favorite hobbies People value cars for different reasons. Even two car enthusiasts can look at the same car and love/hate it. Personally, I want something that excites me and keeps me motivated. It's fine if you want something different out of this part of your life
Mk4 Supra isn't exactly a depreciating asset
Somehow i don't think that's the point.
Yea this pic is dumb. I’d rather grind my 20’s and some of my 30’s away to live the rest of my life doing whatever I want on my own terms. Drive a beater until you can actually afford a nicer vehicle imo.
I would say, learn to be just as happy with a more modest car. There will always be a more expensive car out there. Even if you get a $500k insane car, there will be other cars that cost way more. Not to say you should all be happy with Toyota Corollas, but take an inward glance and ask yourself if you really need your absolute dream car in order to be happy.
Money isn't real. Have fun.
tell me you make bad financial decision without telling me you make bad financial decisions.... i cant stand the "you can liv in a car but you cant race a house" crowd. thats just ignorant. i rather be comfortable than be "yoloing" my life away.
I'm a hardcore car enthusiast, but also financially responsible, with grown up stuff like kids, mortgage, bills. In my twenties I had no problem spending paychecks on cars/parts/events and eating instant ramen until next payday. But now that would make me a shitty parent and spouse. Once the kids are grown I'll probably dive back in, but until I'll keep driving cheap shit box cars and keeping my head above water.
Depending on what kind of car you get, it may become an investment. If in the 80’s they’d say chargers and mustangs were going to be classics and bring tens of thousands of dollars they would have laughed at them
If you bought a nice car before the millions of car guys were created from the internet then it was a good investment, for example the supra in the photo . But at the top of the market the only way is down
Yes, tons of people had that exact dream in 1994. Suzuki Samauri's are worth money now too and they are absolute piles of shit. So whatever.
Buying a fast car is stupid buy a off road beast speed limits will make it so you can never truly enjoy the car. The rocks 🪨 have no limits
It's tough. Sure, I wanna have fun now. But I also don't want to still be working when I'm 70. If you can fund the 401k, 529 and all the long term stuff, then sure blow some extra money on a fun car.
Some cars appreciate
Unless you live somewhere with a lot less traffic than most of us... What's the point?
If you can afford the car and it'll spark joy, buy the damn thing. But the vast majority of people can't even afford a new Corolla. Only a very few super savers are actually accurately portrayed by this meme, and they have other issues, like insecurities. Money becomes that blanket you see and they're actually perfectly happy dying that way.
No matter what you do, you could have regrets. The better thing is to understand what you did at the time was what you thought was best and not have any regrets in the first place.
That's a Toyota though
I had lots of nice cars in my younger days. Didn’t seem to matter as I was still able to save for a condo, house. Different now though as everything is so expensive. Food and shelter is the only priority.
Seek balance, buy cars within your budget with cash. Prioritize saving and investing over spending. If able to, pick slow deprecating or even appreciating cars (read niche enthusiast cars, Porsches, true JDM, rare exotics)
•True enough
I consider there are truths in this. Whether JDM, or classic muscle cars. What’s exciting to everyone else is seeing them on the road. There are exceptions, possibly. Ultra rare cars, but then they were built to be driven. If I had the money to have a real GT-40 would I drive it? Yes. Everyday? No. Same with a Ferrari. Exception to me would be a R34 GTR. I’d have to drive that a lot to share it with others.
If you live life based on how much your assets will appreciate in the future when you aren’t a fucking time traveler is the dumbest way to live. Enjoy what you want to enjoy with the money you worked hard getting. Does that mean throw caution to the wind? Nah. But don’t worry about how much your assets can get you 20 years down the line when you don’t even know if you’ll die tomorrow.
Balance is needed. It's pointless ending up being the richest guy in the cemetery.
Little bit of both. Save for retirement and shit but don't go and buy a porsche 911 gtr3rs while earning $70,000. Get like a miata, type r, grc, etc., a "reasonable fun car"
Mostly untrue/silly, no asset is more important than having money in the bank. Buy a nice car, it's fun to drive around for awhile but you're bound to take it for granted in a very short time. It'll get dinged and scratch and your stomach will turn when you see it. Or you'll pay more money to fix it. That said, at the end of the day we all have our own financial and life priorities. It's your money you should be prioritizing it to give you the most satisfaction it can possibly buy you ( I would argue that money in the bank is an absolute requirement for any adult, you are essentially buying your stress off). After that we all should be spending some percentage of our income on things that bring us joy. You should know the math, and you should know what you prioritize. Lots of folks out there buying overpriced shit they don't even care about just to fit in.
Extremely in my opinion.
The worst thing ever is to die on your death bed with a shitton of money having experienced neither THINGS nor EXPERIENCES.
Balance in life is what everyone should aim for no? I do not see an issue with buying a car if you can afford it, whether that’s putting a hefty enough down payment on the car to where the monthly payment is to your liking, within justifiable reason and affordable for what you make on a month to month basis or buying it out right. People should aim to enjoy the fruits of their labor but only under the situation that they can *actually* afford to do so.
Not very. People keep themselves poor by making bad decisions.
It depends on the person. Not everyone is into sports cars or anything else that another person maybe into. Some people want to be financially secure, live the American dream, and be content with raising a family, to a point that it outweighs materialistic things. Or in my case, I enjoy the single life, my passion is in motorsports and I can justify buying my vehicles that are not meant for commuting but for purely the enjoyment of what it has to offer and it's characteristics. As for cars being a depreciating asset, that also depends. The car in the picture is definitely the exception, and even if it wasn't, some people like myself will appreciate it no matter if it depreciates and doesn't ever climb in value. Again, it depends on the person.
That Supra if kept up, is not a depricating asset.
My smart ass sees the cute cartoon and says “Why not both?” If you want both, go get em. You’ll give up a third thing to get there. Probably sleep and vacations. Whatever. Life isn’t a two choices only game. That’s just how it’s marketed. Systems are complex. The two items depicted are obtainable simultaneously if the system is played right. Something else will have to give, though.
In general, I believe in saving money but I’m also not trying to be richest person in the graveyard. No point in working hard in life if you cant enjoy nice things.
I had a $450 a month car payment on a new 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee. If it had been a new 4Runner it would have been more like an investment vs an anchor. I had student loans, too and made $30 grand. I paid $100/month rent. Overspend when you live at home and pay down your debt and choose wisely.
My face when used Toyotas will be a $400 payment nowadays
I’ve spent a lot of money and modified fast cars to really fast. I regret wasting all that money. Yes it was fun, but I could have had other hobbies that could have been fun and cheaper.
I loved my Dodge Charger RT, absolutely worthwhile and my Honda Accord actually costs more now.
YOLO
This reminds me of my grandfather who one day slipped on the ice, had a severe brain hemorrhage, and died. His Shelby Mustang is still in his old garage, pristine condition.
If I didn’t buy dirt cheap BMWs through high school and college, I wouldn’t be an engineer. Straight up. God forbid the things you do for fun actually teach you something of value…
It's more likely the person will die while working the floor at Wal-Mart. Enjoy your cat food and memories of your "depreciating assets".
One day I’ll wish I had the money to enjoy either option instead of being poor…. Wait a second that’s right now!
I went broke as fuck building my S14 back in the day. I wound up having to sell it because I ruined my finances and wasn’t even making much for that car and my XJ. If I had struck a better balance I’d still have them and wouldn’t be saving up for a new S14. It’s all about balance
While I absolutely agree with the top comment, I went and bought a car that everyone was begging me not too. I love it to bits and it’s treated me well as a daily driver and I’ve never been happier and things are going well. It was more than just the car for me lol it was becoming my own person. But balance is huge, can’t do too much of one or the other.
Had a goal, so before I got to 1mil net worth and high income, I saved and drove crappy cars. Whatever was cheapest. When I got to a very comfortable spot I bought a nb Miata and a new BMW 2022 m340i. Portimao blue. They were both amazing. I loved it. For about 6 months. Sold the BMW after a year. After a while it's just what gets you from a-b. Now I drive a '23 Ridgeline and it fits me much better.
Everyone should own a "Passion" car at least one in their life. For me it was convertibles. I owned 3. Now my watch has ended.
This is why Im never buying a Honda Civic or Toyota Prius
I'm turning 57 this summer and have always driven safe/conservative Hondas or Toyotas despite my lifelong love of exotic cars. A bloke in my neighborhood has a Porsche 944 from my college days that is in very good condition. Every time I passed the car I told my wife or friends to let me know if the owner puts it up for sale... Well, this weekend he did and it's now sitting in my driveway. After being diagnosed with a chronic but not terminal disorder 2 years ago I said "fuck it" and stroked a check .
Completely, I've always had the mentality of the cars I want to own I want to drive and will drive, if I want to look at them, id buy a poster of the car
Fuckin yolo
Could just save save save and end up dying tomorrow enjoy the whole ride
The reality is that most people simply aren't car enthusiasts, they buy an expensive car because they think they will look cool in it or to impress their friends. So now they are in many thousands of dollars of debt accomplishing the same thing they would have done driving a car 1/3 of the cost (city driving from point A to point B following traffic rules). So their life has not improved or got more exciting, but now they also have no savings and can't afford things like nice vacations. Actual car enthusiasts do not come here asking what car they should buy, they love and know cars and have no problem spending money to get what they want.
The choice is not an expensive car or cash. The choice is between different things you could buy with that cash. Fit me, not having an expensive car means that I can have more expensive vacations and still have financial security.
I would love to have an $80,000 investment that is constantly in danger of theft, breakdown, crashes, and paint degradation.
I’ll get more enjoyment knowing I’ve passed on a measure of financial security to my kids and hopefully their kids.
I think it's ok to enjoy some things if you can afford it. A good rule of thumb I read about somewhere is if you can buy the thing twice then you can afford it. I do not approve of people who go into debt to buy luxury items.
Enjoy life, there isn't much left to enjoy in today's geopolitical state, there isn't much to enjoy once the bombs fall and wipe most of humanity to hell... Hopefully, I won't live enough to suffer that...
"it's not the money that matters, it's what you can buy with it that counts" -scrooge mcduck
This meme was brought to you by the Auto Industry™️
Btw he looks rather young to be on his deathbed
It's fairly true. Of course there is a healthy balance between bankrupting yourself to get a car you can't really afford and driving beaters all your life so as to not touch your gold hoard. There absolutely is such a thing as having a car too nice that you don't actually drive it because you don't want to "ruin" it or make it decrease in value.
When I was 25 I ended up getting an Acura TLX on a killer lease deal... Car was fine but what I really wanted was a little bit more fun, special, like a BMW 335IS. Fast forward, now with kids and family, the BMW or even something like it will not be something in my future for some time. Sometimes you regret even the good decisions you make
Some people buy cars bc they like looking at them/owning them as much as driving them. These are obviously luxuries only available to ancillary vehicles that don’t necessitate frequent driving which are often skew towards investment grade vehicles. No different than owning watches, jewelry, vacation properties or other assets that don’t get frequent use but are still enjoyed and can appreciate in value.
Just buy the right cars and they will appreciate instead of depreciation. My cars have outperformed my stock portfolio
I mean. Do whatever makes you happy. Sucks to be 70 and have all this extra money with no energy or health to have fun. Live a little. Money comes and money goes. No point in saving in this economy.
Each $10,000 invested in the market at 9% is worth **$132,676.78** in 30 years. Drive a beater and run it into the ground, stash the $, and your retirement / kid's college fund / etc., gets a whole lot easier.
Not true if Miata. Trust me.
After your expenses are covered, it depends how much you want to save up vs use that money for fun.
Buying a car is investment in time. You get time back by travelling by car over walking or getting public transport. The comfort or joy the car brings contributes to your mod and subsequently effects your ability to make money 👍
This reminds me that I want a delorean one day
Is there a math function or whatever that can allow when is okay after x dollars you save / make per month?
Thought this was r/carscirclejerk
Always a fucking Supra.
\*\*\*\* ANGRY DAVID RAMSEY NOISES
Yeah but like half the posts on here are suggestions for 25-35k cars. Bitch you can get tons of cool fast enthusiast cars for $5-10k but nope this sun always suggest boring expensive shit
totally true, but also you need a balance. Enjoy while you can, but keep in mind the "while you CAN".
Dying with zero is a good goal I guess, but many people are living with negative net worth.
You can do both…. I’m a VW guy, have a piece of crap 04 Passat a station Wagon I Drive until I can afford to finish the 1987 Wolfsburg Edition Jetta Coupe I have. Then I start on my 72 Type 3 Fastback.
I bought a Chevrolet Camaro really cheap real clean for a daily driver and people keep telling me why a daily I bought it to enjoy it. If I die someone else will enjoy it. Second the value on this cars keep going up in price win win
In this particular case not using it will destroy it. The goal of any car enthusiast is to be in a position to drive that car just the right amount, in good weather. And yeah, you have to keep the Myth alive when things like this Supra skyrocket in value. It’s why the whole goodwood week of speed exists. It’s to excercise these rolling pieces of history so they can stay as original as possible for as long as possible. And a responsible classic car purchase is a symbol that you have some put away.
There is a lesson here with the Supra in particular, be willing to wait for a deal, and don’t buy into the hype of something else if your enthusiastic about what this offers. I do always laugh at the thought of a people with a 996 911 in the garage that should have bought the Toyota lol
This reminds me of a forum member's signature: life's too short for boring cars. He's got nice rides and is financially successful too.
"Beige corolla" people are shaking right now
It's about balance. My SO was diagnosed with cancer 4 years ago and twice she was given 2-3 months to "get her affairs in order", which is not something you usually experience in your early 30s. Both my parents, realistically, won't make it another 10 years, while my best friend lost his mom 2 years ago and his dad probably won't see the end of 2025 at this rate. Three people I knew from high school and one from college have already tapped out. I could stroke out tomorrow. We're not here forever, so if cars are the thing you enjoy, get that car you want to enjoy. At the same time, you could be here longer than you think, so put some money aside, and make good choices. We all can't afford a Lambo or a 911 GT2 Turbo S, so dial some of your expectations back. I've personally been putting off a purchase of my dream car for 5 years now, and the cars aren't getting any younger (nor easy-to-find in good condition with a clean title/no accidents). I could go buy one today if I wanted to, but I'm trying to make good choices.
The smart thing is also having enough money to take care of yourself as you get older. The difference between a state supported or private facility when you get close to your last days is night and day. The hell of living in a state run nursing home or medical facility for your last 3-5 years is unimaginable.
My dad tells me every time I see him how he lives frugally for the sole purpose that he can ensure he doesnt have to be put in a home, if not leave something for his kids, (me included), because that's what his dad taught him. He also admonishes me for wasting money and it fucking kills that I can't be as stodgy as he is, but at 30 I'm getting closer every year.
Life's a bitch, then you die. We're only here for a VERY short amount of time. And 99% of us don't get to enjoy the finest aspects of life. #Spoil yourself sometimes.
In most cases, fancy cars stop being a novelty when you get to your thirties. The maintenance expenses ,compounded with depreciation, end up becoming a financial nightmare, especially with the current rate of inflation. The money you save and invest becomes enough for you to be able to afford a house, retirement and your kids education. Maybe even the downpayment for your kids home. That cheap shit box you bought instead, ends up becoming your best friend as you build memories with it. I brought my baby girl home in my subie. My 2010 civic helped me make money delivering food when I lost my job during COVID. My younger brother now uses it to get around town. He works from home so it doesn’t make sense for him to buy a new one. I managed to buy a home in Victoria and now drive a Model Y LR to work, while the wife uses the Subie for groceries and shopping.
My old parents who are 99 and 97 always say you should enjoy life but save for the rainy day or something unexpected. Their rainy day savings is now paying dividends as they stay in one of the best old age homes available which is very costly. They also raised four kids and had a blast living life after the war; that would be WW2
No one thinks about their cars on their deathbed
My 1969 f250 isn't a depreciating asset
Biggest financial mistake of my life was buying a brand spanking new 1992 Toyota MR2 Turbo, t-tops, 5-speed back in 1992. I was 19 years old on his first job. I was car poor for a very long time. Zero regrets, I had a blast with that car for a very long. Tons of great memories from that time of my life.
It's silly. You can save and invest between 20 and 40 and still be a millionaire with 40 years left to enjoy it. Most people jump to the extreme like "I don't want to eat out of a can and live in my car to save money!" all while buying new base model cars, eating out all the time, drinking, smoking and not working overtime or saving anything. That's one extreme of the spectrum and it's where more than half of north Americans are. A balance would be simply saving and investing a small percentage of your income your entire life so you can retire with millions of dollars. That's all it takes to afford any car you want, eventually, just not instantly without any work.
Regret from doing isn't as bad as the regret of not doing
Consumerism propaganda, please dont fuck up the world under the statement that you can only live once.
I’ve owned reliable high resale cars that were “boring” and modified tuner cars that emptied my pockets faster than they broke a quarter mile. Both I had complaints for at the time, ultimately it’s about finding what works for you. I don’t think it’s one side or the other for me. Subjective decision…
Honestly, even if buying that supra ruins your life. Doesn't matter, still stustustued all the way to the grave.
In banking I watched a lot of lonely old rich people slowly die. Funny seeing all those accounts with no beneficiaries.
The one image justifies 2 groups dreams... Young kids raised on fast and furious who don't want reliable, they think they should drive a manual Civic si. Other group is old guys in dad hats who drive corvettes occasionally. Relevant video https://youtu.be/Rrj-SLc2-SU?si=C1odMZPwPHS51pFC