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Am I Weird?

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3K views 22 replies 22 participants last post by  SammeyG 
#1 ·
SIL purchased a car for $32,000. It's one of those new hybrids. I believe the Ford Escape, fully loaded. She only makes about that much. Her DH who is her second husband only gets disability. It's a nice car and I was not envious one bit at all. I was just so thankful that our six year old Taurus is paid for and that we are not in debt up to our eyeballs like she is with these new wheels. I have absolute no desire for a new car. If and when we do need a different car we're getting used again.
 
#3 ·
I don't think your weird at all! I admire people so much who aren't jealous of others. I think it's a wonderful quality to be appreciative and thankful for what you have.

You probably also sleep much better at night than your SIL who must worry about paying off that huge debt.
 
#4 ·
You are not weird at ALL, although a car salesman might think otherwise. ;) Somehow it's become a very serious status symbol to have a brand new vehicle. I know tons of people who are chronic leasers....they have car payments of $200-400 per month and lease a new car every two years. At the end, they have nothing at all to show for it. I'm like you....very glad that my truck, albeit old and rusty, is MINE. My parents have been married 35 years and have never, ever in their lives had a new vehicle. Just think of it this way: your SIL could've probably bought a nice used car for $10,000 or less. Even at today's prices, you can buy a LOT of gas and repairs for $22,000.
 
#5 ·
No way!

I don't think you are wierd! We have no car payments and I am perfectly happy driving what we have. We have been car payment free for several years and the thought of having one again makes my stomach turn!

Dh and I made a pact to drive our cars for 10 years and they buy a 1 to 2 year old used car and pay cash for it when the time comes. One vehicle is 6 years old and the other is 5. The 6 year old vehicle we bought new (and paid it off with his bonus the year after we bought it) and the other was 2 years old when we bought it. We pay ourselves monthly into an account which is our car fund, and we will be able to pay for new-to-us vehicles when the time comes.
 
#6 ·
I don't think it's weird to not feel jealous about other people's expensive cars. I have a friend who has been married for 5 years. (My friend describes herself as drowning in debt). They pay around $700-$800 a month (or more) to lease two brand new cars. They have been doing this for several years. I feel bad for my friend, I know that she will always have an expensive car payment that they can't afford. I just smile and don't say a word. I can't tell her that she's making a decent salary and if she just made better financial decisions she would be able to live debt free. Since high school she has been in the mind set that "she deserves nice (expensive) things."
 
#8 ·
Not weird at all. We have no car/truck payments and we love it. Buying a new car for some people is like keeping up with the Jones'. Not us. My husbands truck is a 1975 chevy and runs like a top. May look rough but no payment. Mine was a 1985 AMC Eagle until hubby wrecked it. Looking for another deal. When times get hard and I believe they will people who over extend themselves with vehicles etc. will be in serious trouble.
Barb
 
#9 ·
Not weird at all. I've never bought a brand new car (even back when I could have afforded to) because I've always thought it was foolish to pay that kind of money on an item that depreciates so much in value from the moment you drive it off the lot. You're not weird, just smart.
 
#10 ·
I agree with the rest... your not weird....I pay a hefty $404.00 a month for my TrailBlazer...I do regret having this kind of payment..It was used but still had a nice price tag of $23,000....Once it's paid for I hope to have it for many years.... I have learned enough from this wonderful site that the next vehicle will hopefully be paid for in cash...
 
#11 ·
This is the first time both my husband and I have car payments at the same time. Mine has one year left and his has two. I hate car payments. I can just about afford the insurance on less expensive vehicles (a 2004 dodge van and 2005 chevy truck) No fancy stuff for us, just four wheels to get from A to B.
 
#13 ·
No weird.
I drive an 1998 caravan with 168,000. miles on it, okay so it isn't the best looking thing (especially right now since it is covered with sand and salt) BUT it has been paid for for years and it gets me where I need to go.
DH keeps saying we need to get you a new vehicle but I keep telling him as soon as this one doean't get me where I have to go we can get another one, no need to get rid of this van when it is fine to get something that just looks better....

Eileen
 
#15 ·
i love driving around with no car payment it puts a smile on my face bigger than any new car ever could. maybe when we are out of debt except for the house and that is reduced by half then we will consider an acutal new car but i doubt it LOL.
 
#16 ·
I don't think you're weird at all. All of our friends have brand new spiffy cars...but they all have huge spiffy car payments too. They're the ones that are jealous when they find out that our 2004 Chevy Cavalier, while not "spiffy" by any means, is super reliable and totally paid for. :)
 
G
#17 ·
Not weird either...

...although last night DH confessed he was feeling guilty because he took great pleasure in watching a brand-new Lexus SUV get hit with some ice from the back of a truck and crack its windshield. I had to explain that that's what you get when you buy a good used car instead of driving a new SUV (his previous vehicle was a brand-new Chevy Blazer)...
 
#18 ·
I would feel guilty if I felt good because of someone else's bad luck too. Being frugal is good and all but when you start taking pleasure in something bad happening to someone because of the way they choose to live their life and what they buy, it is not cool. :down: I visit a few boards that deal with frugality and paying down and debt and this was the one place I hadn't seen a lot of this kind of attitude. Well I'll get off my soap box now, it just that that attitude really chaps my hide.

As far the whole car payment thing, I am literally in the count down to having mine paid off and I can't wait. I can't say that I'll never have another car payment but I'm sure striving towards it. I will say this, I will never have another $400 car payment.
 
#19 ·
I drive a Volvo the same age as my grown son, wnd with nearly 300,000 miles on it. Its paint is horrible looking because I didn't know that pecan-tree-sap would erode the surface layer until it happened. It requires about 1200 - 1500 dollars worth of repairs per year, and I do not insure it for replacement since the insurance would cost more than the car is worth (I perceive any insurance I can comfortably live without as a savings - please note I do carry liability even though I have never so far caused an accident). I'd love to have all the gadgets, but not enough to pay for them, and I consider the value dropped by driving a new car off the lot an unacceptable expense for my beliefs.

So, If you are wierd, I'm keeping you company ;-)
 
#20 ·
All of our cars are paid for, so I agree that you're not weird at all. I'd hate to be making car payments. If the average car payment is $400/month, that equals $4800/year. Even with four vehicles (Our truck, mine and DH's work vehicles and DD's car), our upkeep and repairs for all of them didn't come close to that amount last year.

--Michelle
 
#21 ·
I'm with you...totally not interested in a new (or even newer) car. We have an '89 and a '98...both paid for and run super! Haven't had car payments for a couple years now... Have had to do brake work ($600) on one recently...but that seems like nothin' compared to the payments friends make (and their crazy high insurance!!).
 
#22 ·
You're not weird at all. We sold my new car that we owed quite a bit on a few months ago. 3 of our cars are paid for and the one with a loan belongs to ds. He's paying for it. We've had so much good luck purchasing used cars lately, that we will never buy another new car. All 4 of our current cars were purchased used.

The depreciation is already done, there may be some dents and dings and I don't have to worry about where I park so it doesn't get hit. Used is so much better. If you look really hard, you can find some great deals on used cars.

We had a car that was paid for and about 12 years old. We sold it because we thought we needed a new car. That old car is still going. I see it around town all the time. Wish we'd kept it now.
 
#23 ·
1 out of 5 of my cars were new. My first car was the only one that was new. It was my dad and step- moms. They bought it from a dealership. I took over payments on it in my Sr. of high school. That was somewhat of my graduation gift as well. The reason why my father decided for me to take over the payments was to teach me that what you want in life you have got to pay for it. No matter if it was a car or what ever. I am somewhat glad that he tought me that. But no I don't think that you are weird. Since then when ever I buy a new car I usally buy a used car. SOmetimes you can find better deals that way.
 
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