Low End Vehicle and Low Net Worth Thread
 

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

My extravagant purchase this week was a new $100 expansion tank for my central heating system.which I'll install myself

During the holidays I plan to do some kerbside front brake maintenance work on my $1500 Nissan SUV

Savings for both jobs should add a few $100's to my net worth but I probably won't even notice the change in my standard of living

:D

Yep, a not $pendy lifestyle here. Easy to do at my age. What's weird about it is that Cindy & I could have the more $pendy stuff if we really wanted it. We just don't want it...perhaps habits gained over decades of saving and investing?

I usually do the jobs like that myself. Save a few bucks and hopefully get a new tool or two in the process.

I have bought exactly 3 new cars out of 36. I like cheap depreciated cars that require a little TLC.

rjp

I do our yard work, most of the house cleaning, maintain our two Hondas, take the trash to the recycle center and lots more. I can fix most stuff around the home but my theory is to “make sure it’s good and broke” before I actually call somebody. We could afford to have somebody do all that stuff but I don’t sit around very well and like to have stuff to do. Of course golf and fishing always have priority.

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.

Low End Vehicle and Low Net Worth Thread
 

I drive a 1986 vehicle as my daily driver for the last 31 years. No car payment since last millennium. I do my own car repairs for most things. Partly because no shop knows old 80s cars. No ports to plug in the computer!
I mow the yard myself.

My 2011 Wrangler key fob was not working. Thinking I was about to drop $200 on a fob and another $150 on programming, I opened it up and cleaned the contacts with a pencil eraser and it works flawlessly.


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I love dailying a Civic with 190K miles. I can park it anywhere.

I have to go change the oil on the minivan this weekend. I think it only has about 120K miles. That car embarrasses the kids. But it's awfully easy to get caught up trying to keep up with the Jones. One of my kids goes to a private high school, where the average parent drops their kid off in a late-model European SUV. And not the entry level ones--those are the ones for their 16-year-old kids.

Fook status. I have worked for many uber wealthy (old money) and they drive modest cars and don't wear jewelry.

There's probably .001 % of the population that gets it. No one here on OT, for sure. Or you wouldn't be here. Don't think about it. You're not a .001 % person.

That's for sure. Neither am I. But if you add the value of my 4 desirable cars, you could buy the lot for 15K. Maybe 25K if I was a dreamer like all the rest of the fools that populate my life.

Life is a house of cards and I have 4 standing. Task your meager brains and figure out the possibilities.

This is a great thread. I've come to realize lately that of all my good friends, nobody has lower aspirations than yours truly. Making do and modest goals are my way of life.

I didn't even lock the doors in my civic (was a standard so that was the anti theft device). Was nice not to worry about locking the doors everytime I got out, being broken into, scratched, ect.

I frequent the jeep sub on reddit and those guys with the soft top wrangles will get the top cut to get burglarized.

There is great book from 1996, The Millionaire Next Door. It is about the different types of savers or non-savers and their characteristics. The authors feel most millionaires live in middle class or working class neighborhoods, and live modest lives with modest needs. The typical drives older cars, wears no jewelry, no fancy watches, etc, They are not in need of the fancy lifestyle that many of white collar professionals pursue, fancy house, fancy cars, etc., but have little actual accumulated wealth - they spend it as fast as they make it. I think from being on this board for a long time, there are many that live generally modest lives and have accumulated substantial assets.

"The more stuff you have the more you worry about the stuff you have"

I've always loathed cars but you have to have one... So "Older cars with character that I can fix myself".

A friend of mine has large collections of various items (Cars, Motor cycles, BMX bikes etc.) He never got married and has no children of his own. He told me all of his stuff will eventually go to his nieces and nephews.

My newest car is a 2010. Our wedding rings are made of rubber. The computer I use is my son’s 3 y/o Chromebook that his school gave him. For exercise, I bought a Bowflex barely used with all the attachments for $160 from the original owner. I have the invoice from Bowflex for $1800!

I am extremely frugal for most things in life, mow own lawn, do own painting, home and car maintance, buy as much crap used as i can, mostly only costco clothes.

However, for the things i care about, i dont mind paying for quality. I hate the disposable society so when i buy a tool i want it to last.

My recently bought used cayman was almost 2x more expensive than any other car i have ever bought and still feel a bit uneasy about it. Lost both of my parents recently and at 46 maybe a bit of a mid life crisis thing.

Dont judge others by how they spend thier money though, cant claim any moral high ground for being frugal, just as bad as having fancy pants and judging those with kirklands

Pretty much my mantra. Never buy anything of value new.

Realized that I have never even purchased a new computer until this month at age 56.

And, it adds up. That computer is for retirement!

I’m not sure where I fit in… I have built almost everything I have (built my own house on raw land in the middle of a canola field)… not as much because I wanted to but more because it’s the only thing I could afford to do. I have some nice vehicles but do all of the work on them myself and didn’t exactly buy in at the top of the market.

With respect to old daily drivers, I decided to drop $5000 on my very high mile 12 year old tundra instead of spending $70000 on a new one. My old truck is getting new tires, a new box, and a few cosmetic touch ups. It’s been a great truck since I bought it new and I think right now, this is a better investment than the alternative.

Exactly where I am. And it’s hard to let go and let somebody else do it after so many years of doing it myself. The first set of tires I had to pay retail for and pay someone else to mount and balance them, I about had heart palpitations!

Our current fleet of vehicles are:
2001 GMC diesel dually
2010 Volvo XC90
2002 Boxster S
1999 996 C4

All were purchased with cash . My wife and I have zero debt including our home . Our only bills are utilities/gas/groceries . We are both retired with a healthy nest egg . We both have pensions and drawing SS .

We live well within our means , that's part of the reason we are where we are financially . We worked VERY hard to get to where we are now . It feels good waking up each morning knowing we are successful at our life plan .