Cars are extremely important.
They give us that extra level of freedom that you just can't get from riding the bus.
It's true that nowadays you can take an Uber or a Lyft, but it's still not the same as having your own car. Not only do you have to wait, but you don't know what kind of car you will be stepping into, you don't know what kind of person you'll be dealing with, and you will end up paying significantly more than it would have cost for the gas in your own vehicle.
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I know quite a few people that don't have a car. Those people spend at least $100 a month taking Uber back and forth from work. They also wait approximately 30 minutes to an hour every single day. Time they are not getting paid for that they can never get back.
I usually recommend that these people try to find an inexpensive car instead of relying on those services. I'm not saying I never Uber, it does come in handy once in awhile, but it doesn't beat having a car.
On the other hand, I also know several people who have cars that are way outside of their means.
I don't get it.
There is a new employee at our restaurant. He's a fairly nice guy, and most of the women find him attractive. I get along with him quite well also, as do many of the guys.
He drives a 2016 BMW M4. It's black and shiny with black rims and dark tinted windows. It rumbles very deeply as if there's some sort of problem with the muffler every time he pulls up to the parking space just beneath the closest window.
I figured that the guy must have a decent amount of money and that he's just working at the restaurant to have something to do. Every now and then you meet somebody like that.
I spoke to him the other day and found out that this is not the case. That car cost him something like $34,000 and he's spending most of his paycheck paying that. His living situation is not good. He doesn't have a lot of money to throw around, but what little he does have he spends taking girls out on dates in his shiny black BMW.
Instead of saving up money that he makes at the restaurant he's just spending at all. I've met plenty of people like that but they usually spend the money on alcohol in the afternoons and evenings.
This guy isn't even getting to drink though. He's just driving around an expensive car that is more than he can afford and spending his entire paycheck on it.
I myself drive a reasonably nice car despite working at a restaurant, and I do spend some money on it. I take care of it and I keep it in good shape. However, it is not outside of my means because it is more than 10 years old.
My roommate drives a faded white 1996 Acura. It gets him from point A to point B and he doesn't have to worry about spending a lot of money on it since he spends most of his money on going to school.
I definitely understand wanting to have nice things. I especially understand wanting to impress women by having a nice car. However, if you really can't afford that car and you're eating ramen noodles for dinner instead of steak after working all day...... what the heck are you doing?
It's possible that having a really nice car makes life worthwhile for our new hire.
It's definitely his decision to do whatever he wants with his money, but I simply can't advocate spending more than you make on a car that you really can't afford.
There needs to be a balance. I do think most people should have a car, but if you can't afford an expensive one you can find plenty of inexpensive ones that will get you around. You can even find cars that are pretty nice for cheap. Cars that your date will not be embarrassed about. They don't need to cost $40,000 though when you are barely clearing $20,000.
That's just ridiculous and counterintuitive. You're screwing with your ability to enjoy life by over stressing yourself financially.
Maybe it's just something I see a lot around here, but I really have to ask why are there so many poor people with expensive cars?
Poor people with expensive cars - what are you doing?
