WOW! How to save $250K over a lifetime!

[walkinwood]

Quote:

Marital Industrial Complex

Nice turn of the phrase.

[Texas Proud]

It is a bit funny... but I have done both... Let's see..

1 Used - Galaxy 500
2 Used - Montego
3 New - GLC
4 New - Cougar
5 Used - Firebird
6 New - Monte Carlo
7 New - TL
8 Used - Explorer
9 New - Elantra


Every car had over 90K miles when I got rid of them... even if I only owned it for a year or so... I try to keep for 100K... but usually something came up that made it worthwhile to change (like the cash for clunkers)...

it also is funny that I still own 1/3 of all the cars I ever bought... two of them are 6 to 7 years old, but I plan on keeping at least another 5 to 10 on both of them... (the wife might have something to say about that... but by then the kids will start to drive and she might see things differently)....


OK... took a look at the list and decided to see how much I had spent... a total of $114K wow...

[Livefree]

bought my 01 Honda Accord new for $15,600 and still going strong..only has 75k miles on it..and the only thing I've had to do besides oil changes was a wheel bearing replacement.

[Urchina]

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Originally Posted by IndependentlyPoor I know how to save $200K immediately. Just don't buy one of these: Behind the Wheel - 2010 Aston Martin Rapide - A Sedan So Beautiful That It Hurts - Review - NYTimes.com

That was a low blow. Now I have even more on my "covet list." I was making such good progress weeding it out, too!

[Urchina]

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Originally Posted by ziggy29 An extra dollar earned may net out to 60 cents after taxes. An extra dollar not spent nets out to a dollar.

Ziggy, I know this, but thanks for stating it so eloquently. I'm putting this on a notecard next to my financial goals 3x5 cards on my bureau, to remind me every day that what I don't spend is important! Thanks!

[WhoDaresWins]

Yikes(referring to previous posts about a dollar saved)! I just spent three dollars today on 3 beautiful hand blown and etched cordial glasses at an estate sale this morning. I have 3 equally beautiful antique cordial glasses(formerly a set of 4 given to my mother at her wedding in 1941 by her brother), but one was broken by my sister after imbibing a bit too much about several years ago. These three don't quite match the other three, but they are quite lovely. I haven't drunk a drop from a cordial glass in ever so long, but it does give one pause concerning small amounts leeched away by things one doesn't need. It all adds up, doesn't it? Tomorrow is another day, and thank goodness there are no estate sales...that I know of!

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urchina Ziggy, I know this, but thanks for stating it so eloquently. I'm putting this on a notecard next to my financial goals 3x5 cards on my bureau, to remind me every day that what I don't spend is important! Thanks!

I kept a little different reminder card on my bureau....... It reminded me that life is short and it's important to enjoy each day as it comes. A new car here and there, going to the Cubs game instead of watching on TV, raising a family without excessive austerity, taking vacations while you're still young enough to enjoy them, spending time with family and friends even if it involves spending a few bux.......

You're gona be dead a long time. Have a little fun now.

[stephenandrew]

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Originally Posted by swampwiz .... and only saving up enough for Little Johnny to go to State U rather than the best little private places that are recommended by the typical pompous high school counselor (like mine, who couldn't believe that with my perfect 36 on the Math ACT and 32 composite that I shouldn't be shooting for MIT or an Ivy League place), a couple could easily hit the critical mass target without giving up much other pleasures in life (relatively speaking.)

I tend to see automobile transportation as a commodity. A 1992 Honda Accord can get you to the same place as a 2010 Lexus. Yes, the Lexus is nicer, might be safer based on some crash tests, but the two vehicles more or less provide the same service. In that regard, I think paying as little as possible for like commodities makes sense.

I don't think education is a commodity. I think there are differences in colleges that, depending upon the individual student, may make paying more for a private school a sensible choice. I am not really talking about the quality of the education--I think kids can get a good (and probably nearly equivalent) educations at schools as disparate as Harvard and Kansas State University. Kids are people thogh, and as such they learn differently-some may benefit more from a smaller more intimate class room setting, some may get "lost" in larger public institutions; some schools may be be known for be more social active and integrating that activism into thier coursework---for some kids this may be a better way to "reach them" educationally. Some kids may want to complete athletically in college but don't have the physcial skills to complete at the Divison I level--for them, being able to participate in sports at the Div III level may be the motivating factr that keeps them in school.

I am sure that you guys will be able to pcik apart each of these specific points--they are not meant to be an exhaustive list of reasons one might consider going to a more expensive private school. I think the general point is that there are differences in colleges, and some of those differences might actually have an impact on what a kid learns. And for that reason, I think comparing automobile purchases to college purchases is not an "apples-to-apples" comparison.

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youbet I kept a little different reminder card on my bureau....... It reminded me that life is short and it's important to enjoy each day as it comes. A new car here and there, going to the Cubs game instead of watching on TV, raising a family without excessive austerity, taking vacations while you're still young enough to enjoy them, spending time with family and friends even if it involves spending a few bux....... You're gona be dead a long time. Have a little fun now.

It doesn't have to be either-or, all-or-nothing. Too many people assume frugality means "excessive austerity" and there's no reason it has to be.

If something enhances your quality of life enough, fine -- spend the money today and have fun. But some people get wrapped up in "I can afford it" and don't really even think about whether or not the money spent is justified by the increased enjoyment of life it may provide. But at the end of the day, if all of your excess cash flow is going into "today" and not into "tomorrow," I hope such a person loves their j*b because they may not ever leave it.

[fancy free]

We drive our cars until they fall apart. A big part of being successfully thrifty is becoming immune to ridicule. Which, of course, requires exposure.

I think we were born with natural immunity...

[Meadbh]

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Originally Posted by fancy free We drive our cars until they fall apart. A big part of being successfully thrifty is becoming immune to ridicule. Which, of course, requires exposure. I think we were born with natural immunity...

So.....you're still driving the VW van then?

[rescueme]

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Originally Posted by youbet You're gona be dead a long time.

Are you sure of that?....

[FIREd]

My brand of frugality consists in saving money on things that bring me little enjoyment (phone bill, utility bill, insurance, etc...) so that I have more money to spend on things that I enjoy very much (electronics, travel, good food, etc...).

Cars bring me little joy. The only thing I require of a car is that it takes me (and my stuff) from point A to point B, reliably, safely and in relative comfort. My Toyota Camry LE fits the bill perfectly. I considered getting a smaller car (even a Yaris) but cargo space was a problem. DW and I usually keep our cars until they are 10-12 years old. Some of our cars were bought used, some were bought new. But except for 1 car we have always paid cash.

[fancy free]

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Originally Posted by Meadbh So.....you're still driving the VW van then?

Only on road trips.

[WhoDaresWins]

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Originally Posted by fancy free Only on road trips.

You have a good sense of humor, fancy free!

[fancy free]

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Originally Posted by WhoDaresWins You have a good sense of humor, fancy free!

thank you! a great life accessory -- free and it goes with everything.

[Nords]

How are we keeping score-- I can tally up the prices of the cars we've bought, but do we also get to deduct the prices for which we sold them?

In that case my 1988 Yugo counts for zero-- bought for $995 and sold for $995.

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Originally Posted by Texas Proud (the wife might have something to say about that... but by then the kids will start to drive and she might see things differently)....

Now that our kid has a couple years' driving experience, we've persuaded her to restart learning how to drive a manual transmission. Since she's an engineering geek, we started with the clutch animations on the "How Stuff Works" website. But I'm glad that she has a couple years' driving experience, and I'm glad that she's driving a '97 Altima with 106K miles...

[cjking]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndependentlyPoor I know how to save $200K immediately. Just don't buy one of these: Behind the Wheel - 2010 Aston Martin Rapide - A Sedan So Beautiful That It Hurts - Review - NYTimes.com

I saw a Porsche Panamera for the first and only time recently, it was in front of me for a while in heavy traffic. I'm not usually a fan of Porsches, but this was really beautiful. I think better than the Aston. (Judging by rear view alone.)

[IndependentlyPoor]

OK, if you like the Porsche better, you can not buy it. But remember, i am saving a lot more money by not buying the Aston.

[tryan]

We're driving 2001 and 2002 vehicles ... both bought used. DW hates hearing that these things are only "puppies" and good for at LEAST 5 more years. Trick is not to defer maintenance (oil changes every 3k ...)