Do not buy a new car!!! They depreciate like u wouldn't beleive I always buy certified used and they have been inspected and have a full warranty!!! The market is so bad u can find nice cars 2-4 yrs old with low miles!!! I bought my 1999 Chevy Cavalier in 2002 with 23,000 miles and it now has 63,103 miles as of today and she is PAID FOR!!!

HamsterHuey said:

I totally feel you Carrie. I have been lucky to have the best car in the world. It's a Honda Civic and it has 160,000 miles. I have had no major problems with it.(I probably jinxed it. I may be walking home tonight.)

I hate buying cars, there's so much BS involved.

I wish you luck!!!

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

Thanks, you!



After re-looking at my budget, I don't think I can afoord a car right now. I need to find more income first. I'm going to be bussing it for a while.

I did the math.

Even if I paid 20 bucks a day for a cab ride (roundtrip) from my house. It would still be less than half the price of what it would take for me to afford a car factoring in gas, insurance and the car payment. It would still be over a hundred bucks cheaper even without a car payment if I owned a car. That shit is crazy

I just bought a used Toyota Matrix. It's cute. It gets awesome gas mileage. I bargained the hell out of the dealer so I got it cheap and I made them include the tax, tag, and titling fees.

I have to buy my first car yet.

Imago said:

I can get a bus pass through my company for roughly $22 every two weeks that's good for unlimited rides any day, any time. So about $44 a month.

I would spend $200+ on a car payment, $100+ on insurance and $120+ on gas a month. I'll save $376+ a month right off the bat.

I don't know if the conveniece of a car is worth that to me right now.

CarrieMpls said:

can I ask what the distance is from home to work ?? cuz 500+ for a bus pass is steep here

CarrieMpls said:

See you need to have a government job here in California. Free bus and rail transportation.

CarrieMpls said:

Wow. That is a huge savings! I think I'd just dread trying to do grocery shopping without a car. I guess you only have yourself to worry about and that is different from me. I have myself and 2 kids.

I live in a very rural area. Public transportation? What's that?!

So, I have to have a car. I think I got a great deal on what I got. If it weren't for the grocery shopping thing I'd love to only use public transportation. I loved it in college when I didn't have to drive to class.

BlueZebra said:

oh, not $500! I spend $55 for two weeks of getting to and from work (about 18 miles one way) if I pay cash for the bus, with my company's bus pass, I'll only pay $22.

The rest is about buying a car.

CarrieMpls said:

It might be that easy. You've got red hair, so that's probably worth an Irish passport. Then you can work & live anywhere in Europe.

PopeLeo said:

Sign me up!

HamsterHuey said:

I am workin on a way I can live there for while.

CarrieMpls said:

Maybe not such a big deal until winter.

Shop around on www.carmax.com ..... It really helps you narrow it down and figure it out.

CarrieMpls said:

Zipcar or a similar carsharing company might meet your needs if you're not going to commute by car, and all you need is a car for the occasional shopping trip or whatever. Basically, you're renting a car by the hour, with gas and insurance included. But instead of the usual complicated rental car procedures, you just make a reservation online and use your electronic card to unlock the car. There are at least 8 Zipcars within 4 blocks of my home.

Carsharing either works well or it just doesn't work, depending upon individual circumstances. When it does work, it's a financial no-brainer IMHO. My total car expenses are usually less than $100 per month. And gas prices are basically a non-issue for me.

What would Jeremy Clarkson do???

matt said:

Not a bad idea! Looks like the only place here, though, is on the U of M campus. It would take me 2 buses to get there, which kind of defeats the purpose.

Of course, one of my best friends lives upstairs from me and he's agreed to call me every time he goes grocery or target shopping, so I've got that one down. And I can take light rail to the mall of america. I'm set!

CarrieMpls said:

Done - now you can pick up your new passport in your nearest Irish consulate/bar.

PopeLeo said:

omg, I love it!

I hate cars, too.

I can't wait to move back to NYC so that I won't have to drive anymore.

Cars are evil and they suck.

The end.

CarrieMpls said:

oh well, that's what i did when i finally caved.

something i wish i'd known about years ago - the car leasing club. where you pay a monthly fee and in return are entitled to have a car for a certain number of days per month. car maintenance is paid through the fees. it would be the best of both worlds.

At first, I thought this thread title read, "I hate cats" Now I know that definitely is not true.