Low End Vehicle and Low Net Worth Thread

[OK-944]

Same as above for my wife and myself...with her ride being a Subaru Forester (paid off) and mine an '87NA 944 which I've rebuilt and will lose very little to no money should I decide to sell it.

Key for us was purchasing our home in 2012 (when it was possible to make an offer) with half down and 3.175 percent on the balance. Sad turn these days when our three kids and their spouses, who've all purchased houses (each over 500K) over the past year - did so in a vastly more difficult financial/real estate climate than what we'd faced ten years ago.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Evans, Marv

I do and have always done all/most things for auto/home/property, etc. as a way of life. I don't trust other people to do a good and conscientious job as I do on my own things. I should think about alternatives considering my age, I guess - especially in the coming years. I've tried to position things so I & my wife won't have to consider a lot of maintenance and repairs - at least a minimum. For me, it's never been a factor of improving my living stankdard.

That used to be me, but I've changed 180 degrees. I'll be 73 years old in 6 months. I don't have time to f&%K around doing things I don't want to do. I'm done with crawling around under trucks in 10 degree weather. I never want to paint another wall or run another electrical circuit.
I've probably saved a lot of money over the years doing things myself. I've learned a lot and I used to get a lot of satisfaction out of it, but it took up a lot of time. I don't have a lot of time - I want to spend what I have left doing something creative instead of spending it maintaining the status quo.

[mjohnson]

10yo Hyundai Santa Fe - new snow tires last week probably upped its value 20%. Bought when we were DINKs it might have been two-three months of take-home pay.

I hate the car. As reliable and exciting as a brick, except recently it's not been reliable.

I hate car payments more though, so here we are. Mrs wants to carvana/carmax it but we might have missed the curve on that. I figure we'll drive it into the ground (at 150k miles we're probably at least half of the way there)

[Cairo94507]

Living debt free is very very freeing.

[KFC911]

I have a split personality .... Mr. Frugal gets first dibs, then Mr. Drunken $ailor gets the rest .

Works for me....

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

That used to be me, but I've changed 180 degrees. I'll be 73 years old in 6 months. I don't have time to f&%K around doing things I don't want to do. I'm done with crawling around under trucks in 10 degree weather. I never want to paint another wall or run another electrical circuit.
I've probably saved a lot of money over the years doing things myself. I've learned a lot and I used to get a lot of satisfaction out of it, but it took up a lot of time. I don't have a lot of time - I want to spend what I have left doing something creative instead of spending it maintaining the status quo.

I know that feeling!

We actually hired two guys to paint the trim on our brick house. Some of the gables have soffits 25 feet in the air, and I ain't a gonna do it no mo. They did a great job, and done faster than I would have.

I do the stuff like edge and mow the yard, and help my master gardener wife in her multiple gardens. I will work on my sprinkler system, and since I put it in myself, I kow the system better than anyone else. In 24 years it has been remarkably robust.
I do my minor maintenance on my cars. With a lift, and a heated or air conditioned garage and a bathroom in the garage, it is purely a hobby. I do not work on other people's cars at all.

My next big project will be to empty crap from the attic that has been up there for decades and unused and unneeded.

Anyone need a 17 gallon fuel tank for a 86 El Camino? It is going to the curb soon. I love my 21 gallon tank in the car now.

There is a fine line between saving money on a project and suffering with pain from over exerting my old body. Some chores are best left to professionals.

[Seahawk]

I really enjoy the perspectives offered in these threads.

Like others, I am over the repairing/maintaining car efforts. I simply lost that lovin' feelin...I threw out a few spiral binders of maintenance and repair logs on cars I haven't owned in 20 plus years. I was looking for my farm equipment logs since my son is home for a week and it is barn'o'rama on routine equipment maintenance.

I work on the farm equipment because the closest dealer in 20 miles away and they are horribly expensive. That and, unless I am replacing mower blades, open air work

Car-wise, my Tundra is nine years old and in perfect shape...it will be my last 1/2 ton. I bought the LC from a friend because I had put nearly 20k miles a year on the Tundra and wanted to DD miles in something else. So far so good!

[stevej37]

Never had a car payment in my life.

Current cars are below and drive them all.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Never had a car payment in my life.

Current cars are below and drive them all.

Walking sux

On mobile view .... I don't see 'em....

[stevej37]

^^^
78 SC Targa Black
84 Carrera Targa White
98 Honda Prelude
22 Honda Civic SI

Closest grocery store is 5 miles...a long walk.

[fanaudical]

It's not about what you make, it's more important to save well, live within your means, and invest wisely. We don't carry debt. House is paid for, cars are old and paid for, no designer clothes, no jewelry that wasn't passed down from family, etc. We try to only buy durable products so we only buy them once.

[oldE]

I'm right there with you guys. The last 'new car' here was in' '86. The wife bought a left over '86 MR2 to celebrate getting her teaching contract with the school board. Then there was another decade when we went through a 924s, a Quattro and some pick up trucks, all used.
Then priorities changed. We were still buying two year old cars, but were keeping them for over a decade. It was around that time when my toys became 30 year old cars which I was comfortable working on, the old E, a '90 MX 5 and the '89 Golf Cabriolet. I guess my feeling was: if they're stuck in garage awaiting parts or loving, it's no big deal.
I must admit, reading this thread, I was reminded of the Python skit of the Yorkshiremen talking about how little they had while growing up.

Best to All.
Les

[Scott Douglas]

I used to mow the yards, and edge them too. Hired the neighbors gardener to hide the fact I couldn't push the mower across the yard without stopping after each pass. 6 months later I had a quad bypass. Now I value my time more than my money so we still have the gardener, and my mower and edger sit in the shed.
Wife pointed out that the eves need painting this spring. She won't let me do ladders any more so that'll mean I have to hire someone to do them. We've painted our house twice, by ourselves since moving in back in '85. Had compliments on it too, as to 'Who painted your house? Do you have their number?'
I noticed my wife's car is at 60% on the oil life, but it's been a year so that needs doing to, eventually. May have to wait for a lot warmer temps as even though it's supposed to be 80* tomorrow the concrete is still cold.
Getting old sucks in many ways, but it still beats the heck out of the alternative.

[greglepore]

I live pretty well on the cheap, 2 mid 90's Mercedes, an '04 ford diesel truck and a 911 that cost 10k 25 yrs ago. I don't do heavy wrenching any longer but do the maintenance stuff just to get eyes on things regularly. House is a bit extravagant but was well bought so, well, guess my kids will profit at some point.
I don't buy anything "new"-bicycles, motorcycle, most of the tractor implements were all bought after someone else took the depreciation hit.

[pwd72s]

Scott Douglas [QUOTE
Getting old sucks in many ways, but it still beats the heck out of the alternative.[/QUOTE]

Yes..here too. Pains me, but I hire a lot of things I used to do. Not to save time, but simply because my 79 year old body won't allow me to do them. Part of what hurts is the damaged ego and pride, part because hiring a job done means the help simply doesn't pay attention to the details like I once did.

Talking with my PA about this...she a still kutie in her 30's...the things I miss doing. Should have seen her expression when I mentioned missing "The wild monkey sex of youth". Ha! Must have triggered a memory...

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by Captain Ahab Jr

Anyone else on here enjoying the simplicity of low end vehicle and low net worth life style

The simplicity of a low end 930 and 964 in your garage?

[Reg]

Originally Posted by oldE

I'm right there with you guys. The last 'new car' here was in' '86. The wife bought a left over '86 MR2 to celebrate getting her teaching contract with the school board. Then there was another decade when we went through a 924s, a Quattro and some pick up trucks, all used.
Then priorities changed. We were still buying two year old cars, but were keeping them for over a decade. It was around that time when my toys became 30 year old cars which I was comfortable working on, the old E, a '90 MX 5 and the '89 Golf Cabriolet. I guess my feeling was: if they're stuck in garage awaiting parts or loving, it's no big deal.
I must admit, reading this thread, I was reminded of the Python skit of the Yorkshiremen talking about how little they had while growing up.

Best to All.
Les

Hey Les. - do you guys still have the MR2?
Cheers.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

The simplicity of a low end 930 and 964 in your garage?

ha ha, touché

[dw1]

Following the example set by my dad, we have always lived considerably below what our income could get us. For a long time now, we've had 0 debt (no credit car debt, no mortgage, no student loans, etc.) despite our kids going to expensive colleges, and a quite substantial retirement savings. We have a modest house and it is certainly not the most expensive neighborhood in the area.

We currently have 2013 cars (except for my 911, which is an '87) and only pay cash for new (or CPO) ones when our cars wear out.

We shop for the best deals and my wife is a coupon/rebate expert, and I fix things rather than buying new stuff whenever possible. We don't take expensive vacations - in fact, we don't travel much. We also don't have HBO, Disney, or any of the other any premium tv channels/services.

[Tea Tray]

I’ve owned 2 Tacoma’s in 27 years, both bought new, almost 1/2 million miles between ‘em. Just sold my ‘08 and bought a new 4-Runner.
We’re both mid-60’s did the 401 thing and had a 23 year employer that matched to 17%. Yay!
We shop thrift stores and Goodwill for clothes, cook almost all our meals and live quite frugally.
That said when I got my dive license around 2000 I bought myself a used Rolex Sub and absolutely love it. The bands are kinda expensive to replace and a nice watch is the only upscale thing I own. Except for our ‘87 3.2.
My garage and cellar are a literal hardware store / fab / electrical / electronics superstore. Having grown up in rural Maine it’s 45 minutes to most serious stores.
In the end, we have the means to buy almost anything we want. We just don’t want much.
I prefer the bottom feeder lifestyle.