Cash cow learning journey

Cash cow learning journey

Posted: adult2money.com On: 24.06.2017

It was ish when I first caught car fever. I was spoiled enough to have parents who would purchase my first car. Adult owned and driven. Also, I hated the gold color but thought I could get it painted for cheap. I was out almost a grand that I would never again see.

I sold the and bought a faster and newer sports car with my hard earned money earned from working my minimum wage job as a grocery bagger. Please share with a comment below. I love this post — very valid points. However, I will never buy another new car again for many of the reasons you listed above. It even survived a slow speed unavoidable deer strike just popped out the bumper a little.

I will probably get a mid-sized cat or SUV next year but it will be used. For the time being, I have a reliable ride, low repair costs and low insurance costs. So here I am within a few weeks of my truck turning k mi today and 15 years June And since my last post I had to dump another grand into the truck. Like I said at a certain age you start to loose the fiddley bits coolant leak-old rubber, engine idler pulley assembly and belts - just dang oldand broken parking brake cable — corrosion.

There reaches a point where maintaining the old car becomes an expensive hobby. After k, I have reached that point. I am glad you have the confidence in your car to drive 22 hours.

I am waiting to loose a radiator, starter or an engine mount past k. And thats a good indication that its time for a new or newer car. For me, Ill take the depreciation hit, Ill go new, nobody abused the vehicle except me. I actually paid cash for the truck 15 year ago too. Let me throw a financial conundrum and an observation out there: I have had some folks say since the truck is long paid off I should simply keep it AND buy a new vehicle, that way I would have a backup vehicle and have a truck if I need to haul stuff.

I know the U. That should meet my minimal hauling needs and the personal prop tax should be alot lower and no insurance.

cash cow learning journey

An observation, for those few new car models that have not grown into behemoths and changed size classes in the last 15 years, pricing stays steady with inflation. A Hyundai Accent is a good example. It is still the same subcompact class. And the cool thing is that so much that used to be options is now standard. And as for Hyundaitheir quality has vastly improved from way back then, so maybe taking that into account, adjusted for inflation that brand has become cheaper over time?

Your chevy silverado can still haul wood and cement from the home depot as good as the model. Your honda prelude still gets good gas mileage like the civic. Your ford explorer sport can still get through the snow in winter or through the mud for a camping trip as well as its version. These vehicles are still good. Sure these cars and trucks might be lacking in bluetooth stereos with Wi-Fi capabilities, maybe they dont have a key fob or an immobilizer…or maybe they dont even have air bags.

But you dont need those bells and whistles and even so you could modify your old vehicle to include those features anyways! But just wait 20 years and see one of these vehicles at a grocery store lot.

Youll remember owning one and all the memories come back. And by that time, the model that some sucker spent half his income on, can be yours for 2 grand. Weighing the options I got a used car with a lot of warranty left on it. The plan is to give the new car to my son as his first car when he hits He is 5 now.

I prefer the older vehicles, and I am currently transitioning from a Camry to a Acura RL 3. Well, I drive an Audi A8. Yes, inthis car cost over 40 k. But I bought it in for under 5k with 80 k on the clock. A lot of money? Yes, the BODY is Aluminum. That includes an Alternator I just replaced this week. It only broke down ONCE when the fuel pump gave out at k. The car gave me plenty of warnings that the fuel pump was failing, but I ignored them until it finally completely failed about 20 miles from home.

Otherwise, it has never made me call a tow truck. Even though the body is Aluminum, the car weighs close to two tons. You have massive protection around you with airbags galore and strong crash impact beams to protect you from people texting and running into you because they had to Tweet how fabulous they look driving with their new iPhone.

After all, in it was the finest car Audi ever produced. My goal was to keep it untilthe 20 year anniversary. But it still looks and drives like a vehicle a full decade younger, so I may push it to 25 years.

My husband I have Toyota Solara. Leased 4 years and then purchased it. It has more than K miles as of now. I love my Gmc Sonoma. It ran a bit rough and so I ran 3 big bottles if fuel injector cleaner through it during the first 3 tanks of gas. Ran smoothly after that. Now needs a few things fixed, but nothing major. Body is in extremely good condition. Can not be happier with this truck. Takes me everywhere I want to go without complaint, though it gets a bit toasty during summer since the act needs replaced.

Why should I buy a new or newer truck when this truck is perfect. My beautiful Saturn SL also green is in the shop today for a tune-up, and leaving it behind actually brought tears to my eyes. I love that car so much. That was 20 years ago. Well sort of new…. Currently our family has three cars a Toyota Sienna with miles Saab withmiles and a newly acquired Saturn sw2 wagon with miles.

All these cars were purchased way below cost. All from private owners. The car that I bought new 20 years ago was a Saab which just died due to someone putting too much oil in it. It had Miles. This is why we got the Saturn. We have no use for a car payment… life is too expensive already. People say that an old car is more expensive though and that is simply a lie.

Fact is that the amount of expense we put into a used car is far lower than a car payment plus the high insurance cost. On my Saab even though over the past two years it was a very old car it gave me very little trouble until someone messed it up with a bad oil change. I keep that car in the driveway and only drive it a few times a week. Automakers have gone nuts with computers and cars are becoming more and more computerized.

Even worse, with more computers, every part in a car becomes more proprietary. If your clunker from way back in breaks down, you can probably find spare parts and fix it yourself. If your newish clunker breaks down 20 years from now, nobody will have parts to fix it except dealer if they still have it in stock. So most new cars being made now are pre-destined for junk-yard regardless of anything else due to proprietary pars and sheer lack of pars availability.

She became too ill, to drive. It has k miles on it. I need to decide what to do, soon. Fortunately, it is still running. I have had three Saturn SL s. It is all I have had in the the last 20 years. I had all three in the yard until November. My roommate owns the first SL1 which is a green one like yours, bought in I guess I could have kept it bought I bought a 97 SL 2 with only 9, miles from an old lady.

I was T boned in that one. I had to buy another 99 SL 1 from an old lady with 19, miles on it. I now have K on that one. In total aboutmiles of Saturn driving. Some rust is eating my undercarriage now — brake lines, transmission lines, oil pan.

It helped having the T boned car of the same color in the back yard. Mine looks pretty shinny still. You can paint the black bumpers with black plastic furniture paint to make them look new again with only cleaning them first. The 99 seems to be the best year for lack of repairs. This post goes on forever, so many people replied.

In 99 they updated the engine for the third time, a lot of the other things stayed the same but it would make sense there were no major issues as they had 8 years to work the issues out by that point.

The only real issues I had were oil consumption and the sunroofs never made it past 60k. I HAVE A CAMRY THAT I BOUGHT NEW IT HAS 70K ON IT NOW. AND I BOUGHT A CAMRY WITH K AND I DRIVE THE 97 EVERY DAY AND THE 09 REARLY. NO PAYMENTS ON EITHER OF THEM BUT DRIVING THE 97 IS MORE FUN TO ME, IT COULD USE SOME PAINT BUT THE INSIDE IS AS CLEAN AS WHEN IT LEFT THE SHOW ROOM.

AND THIS IS THE 3RD OLD CAR I HAVE BOUGHT SINCE THE NEW CAMRY OTHERS WERE A VOLVO A FRIND JUST WOULD NOT STOP ASKING UNITILL I GAVE IN AND SOLD IT TO HIM AND THE OTHER WAS A TACOMA PICK UP TRUCK, WHICH HAS NOW BEEN SOLD AS WELL.

NO MATTER WHAT ANY ONE SAYS OLDER CARS ARE MORE FUN WHEN IN GOOD CONDITION. My older daughter bought a Toyota pickup, in or so, very basic but with an automatic transmission. It has the R22 engine which will last forever. Parts do fail, the master brake cylinder has gone out on it twice, and after she moved on to a newer but less reliable Subaru I took it home and fixed it up for something to do.

I found an 88 in a nearby junkyard, and scavenged the interior, changing it from vinyl hell to upholstered seats and carpeting. I stripped the cab down to the bare metal left the dash in place though and treated a tiny bit of rust, put spray can bedliner down, paint over it, then the new carpet, door panels, seat and uncracked dash. I also fixed the fan with a new switch and some replacement wiring from the donor truck. For the outside, I spray can painted it myself under my carport.

I have had training, so I prepped and taped it off, and used a Rustoleum appliance epoxy that was a pretty good match to the original paint. It worked great, is easy to touch up and has been very durable, after it hardened up.

I took the sides off the inside of the bed, cleaned up inside then sprayed primer and more spray on bedliner inside them then resealed them. I treated surface rust with por rust conversion treatment, and fixed one hole through the bed, with JB Weld. Then I made a mistake.

I did a herculiner do it yourself bedliner. After my daughter had the truck back for a while, and rear ended two cars, I had to do some work to push the front end back out. I did that with some help from some friends with hydraulic rams and installed a new bumper and front fender. So this truck was a spare, and was borrowed by friends and driven infrequently for a few years. D2 finally got her license at 24!

I can pass people at over 75, going uphill. It may not get up to speed fast, but once there, it goes and goes, at remarkable speed. I drove to Denver once in one day, in about 15 hours. The thermostat needed to be replaced once I got there, but I got there. When I drove it back, I took 2 days headed home. The factory ac still works. Not new car cold but it works. I also got the windshield replaced man, did it ever need that! I also got the side and back windows tinted. It was a 29 year old truck when I delivered it to D2.

The rear axle seal went out recently, which is the second time for that. My wife asked me to think about if needed repairs were more than the truck was worth. I read up on the engine and the reliablility, and the simplicity, and gave the repairs the go ahead.

The truck now has overmiles, and is still chugging along. But the time was fun, a labor of love, and the darn thing just keeps going, reliably. I got myself into financial trouble back then and my dad bought me this car and told me I was going to drive it until it dies. It does have a little more comforts than some of the cars mentioned here like power windows and locks, keyless entry, heated seats, CD changer, sunroof, etc.

It hasmiles on it and has never needed any major work other than an alternator. I always find a 5 to 6year old car and buy it for cash. Then put 10 to15 years on it. I agree about driving old cars.

I have a Ford F withon it. My mom has a Ford Ranger withon it and a F withShe says she will never buy another new car. My price is 5, max. I love this post. It reflects my feelings about cars pretty well. But they are expensive to own and operate.

All I need the car I drive every day to do is get me to work and back economically and maybe with some added quirky flair. It was in nice shape when I bought it and ran well but needed some things. The brakes front and back needed to be rebuilt, it needed some brake lines replaced as well as a couple of wheel bearings and the timing belt changed.

All total I did the work my self for under in parts on top of my dollar investment and then I tossed a local shop 50 bucks to check my work and just like that I had an dollar running driving automobile that has paid me back in spades.

It consistently averages 31 MPG and costs me my state minimum in excise tax 25 dollars. They would have called NAPA and paid much more.

Yes I agree completely. To drive a very old car, you need detail knowledge about the car, and what can go wrong. Not many people are willing to invest that kind of time and effort.

But once you have that kind of familiarity and skill in maintaining your old car, these old clunkers can go a long long way for heck of lot less money than any much more expensive newish cars. My husband loves buying new cars, but I have been thinking lately that it could be beneficial for us to keep our old cars and work on getting them back to the point of functioning. I like how you point out that older cars get better gas mileage and are more practical.

I imagine that we could do some research and find out how we can use new parts to get our old cars and trucks running again. Yes new cars cost a great deal of money. I saw my parents buy multiple new cars at eventual cost rivaling that of a home purchase.

That is a serious financial mistake. I own a very very old car, and a very old truck both of which are my daily driver. My car is very easy to repair as everything is within easy reach. Key here is to get an older car which is easy to maintain, and learn to do the work yourself. Things like replacing brake pads, replacing fuel filter, even water pump and timing belt are within reach of DIY owners.

All very easily manageable financially! I still drive my car which is about 15 years old. I was thinking about buying a new one, and then i decided i didnt want to stress out about people dinging my door and full coverage insurance. I would rather spend money doing other things. When my car was new, I was stressed out about people dinging and used to park far away etc. Now, I park in the tiniest gaps that my car can fit in without worry.

Love the freedom to park anywhere. We drive an 89 Camry with 73k miles, we bought new. And a 90GT Celica with 74k miles, we bought new. People wave us down or stop to ask if we are interested in selling the cars. Look like out of the show room. Had two 77 Celica hatchbacks, bought new back when. One got beat up, but in sold it to someone beating down our door for it.

Only had k miles on. Great fun this website turned out to be and your blogger comments are right on the money. Reading these comments have been like walking down memory lane. Also back in my husband had an opportunity to pick up a slick, one owner, Buick GS Stage I. He even sent us pictures of our gold, with black top, Stage I sitting along side the others beauties he had in his massive heated garage area. We kind of hated to let it go but two new cars had to take over our two car garage.

The Buick we know is in good, loving hands. I have a Ford Taurus with 70, actual miles on it. I take good care of it. I had an electrical harness get chewed on by fruit rats. Everything else has been items that you expect to wear out. If I live long enough to get tomiles, I will probably let it retire. Been driving it for 21 yrs. No frills, manual drive and windows. Knock on wood it will take me to retirement….

Gets us where we need to go. She mostly drives her Volvo wagon with our three girls. Thanks for these posts. I was saved from making a financial mistake.

I never new there were so many cheap skates out there. I thought we were all alone in this world. Proudly drive a Saturn SL2 purchased 3 months after production began. We bought 2 Saturns that day. The SL2 and an SC2. The SC has since departed but we still have, and love, our old SL2. It was equipped with minimal options.

The clear coat paint has worn off most of the surfaces but that just helps make it unappealing to thieves. Slightly less than K miles on it and I expect to see 50K more before retiring it.

Too bad GM chose to close down Saturn. That made it unique. Plastic throwaway mentality building by that point.

If you want to buy an old one, just make it or earlier, or you will regret it. She turns heads at her age withmiles. So cute, she is a little sister who would protect her owner- my son for many years to come. Many more fun memories Mia. My 20 year old Saturn just left me. I was so heartbroken. This car was amazing and I wish they would make vehicles that well. I really hope I can get 20 years out of my newer car. It was a one owner and definitely had been kept in a garage.

It is like yours was with the manual windows. The air conditioning works quite well and it appears to heat up quickly. By the way, the reason your Saturn was slow to heat up in the Winter was because the thermostat went bad. I noticed the choice cars were Ford Taurus, Lincolns and Cadillacs that met my criteria. Some of them had extremely low miles. It would have been a lot more work and money to keep a luxury car in perfect condition.

I have an old geezer neighbor that had a Cadillac in absolutely perfect condition. I honestly prefer the simplicity of my 5-speed spartan Saturn hobby as opposed to managing the maintenance of an old Lincoln. Anyway, my Saturn is in excellent condition and when I took it home, I went on youtube and learned the art and science of automobile detailing.

I used compound on the finish and followed that with fancy wax. It almost looks black from shade-side angles. I treated the bumpers and I love those non-painted bumpers — nothing looks worse than modern cars with big paint chips knocked out of their painted bumpers.

I cleaned and rinsed the carpet with the help of laundry detergent, scrub brushes and a wet-and-dry vacuum cleaner. All I had to do was wipe the seats with a cleaner. They were in pretty clean condition. I cleaned and treated all the rubber window and door seals and all the black plastic that is exposed to the elements.

I learned how to clean the engine and engine compartment and now that looks new, too. My previous car, a Toyota Camry had awesome Michelin, expensive tires with only about 20, miles on them, so I had them put on the Saturn wheels.

After I did that, I scored a combined 40mpg I live in a rural area with 2-lane roads and 55 mph. I have the standard Saturn plastic wheel covers, but thankfully they are in good shape and cleaned up nicely and look shiny. I want a rebuilt power steering pump because I think it is too noisy.

Paying cash for a car, always a good idea. Going with a used car to let somebody else take the depreciation hit, usually a good idea. Keeping a car past 20 years maybe not such a good idea.

If you can own a car for 20 years at all may be dependent on several variable factors. How much you depend on the car i. What sort of climate you live in hot and dry, near ocean with sea salt spray, in cold where rock salt is used on the road Ability to find replacement parts easily after 20 years. Both were bought new. My pickup with k stopped dead in the middle of the road coming home from work a while back and I had to have it towed in to the shop where Jim, my mechanic works.

This particular mechanic has been working on my vehicles and moms vehicle for 20 years. I did mechanic work in my younger days, transmissions, engine rebuilds, struts casio fx-991es calculator emulator download. I just do the simple stuff, fluids, belts, filters.

The next day, while my 14 year old truck was in the shop, I was driving mothers 20 year old car with 79 k- yes, seriously So I ride back to the same shop in a tow truck again. When I call mothershe says to have Jim check the brakes too, because they feel funny. Jim had already repaired my truck in the morning. Apparently some of the insulation had degraded off the 14 year old wire harness and it was shorting out the ignition system against the block.

So I took my truck to work from the shop. Moms car looks great from the top, no rust and paint is intact, but looking at it from the underside is totally different. The steel rear brake lines had rusted to the point where they were leaking. He showed me where the brake fluid had london stock exchange primary data centre the paint off of the rear suspension arm.

How to get building materials in farmville 2 using cheat engine deterioration to the underside was very evident once I got under the car on a lift.

The transmission only required a simple part, but because the car was so old it was no longer available. Fortunately he was able to fabricate a piece that worked. While we were under the car he started poking at the left rear frame rail with a screwdriver and rust flakes started falling on the floor. Then he tells me to turn around and check out the rear bumper from the back side. Its rusted, Swiss cheese. From your blog, it sounds like you kids either avoid driving or have some alternate means of transportation.

Not all of us are in that situation though. Ironically mothers car passed state safety inspection every year for 20 years. From my personal observation and experience, the safe and economical lifespan of a car is 13 to 15 years average, depending on the manufacture of the car and assuming good maintenance.

A little used car may get 20 years on an outside estimate, but beyond 20 years it becomes a hobby. And hobbies can be very expensive and time consuming. Vanessa and I just sold the Saturn and bought a newer car.

I have a post on that going live soon, so please check it out. I usually buy used vehicles. New or used, I generally drive them into the ground at aboutkmmiles.

I had a F I bought used. At 15 years and ,km, it was not worth repairing anymore. Too many things going wrong. But if it blows another spark plug, it is going to auction or the wreckers.

My used Blazer died at insider trading toronto stock exchange ,km. It died on me in town and the service people never could find the reason for it not working. So bye bye for that one. Then I replaced it with a used Dodge Neon one year old and I kept that ticking till ,km and then it had way too many problems to keep it. I did replace that with a new Toyota Corolla and it haskm on it now and I plan on keeping it till it dies or becomes too unrealiable.

If one lives in town, you can risk using older vehicles that have problems as you are never far from help. Out here, a break down in the winter would be extremely unsafe. But why someone would waste money buying or leasing new vehicles every 2 years is beyond me.

Thanks for the post. Cost of Ownership is so important on keeping older cars. It is time to consider moving on. Many new cars have New Tech that is has not been in production many years. The CVT Transmission, Direct Fuel Injection, and Computer Infotainment management systems. One could imagine what price or where you have to take it to get it fixed when the warranty is over.

Many of the reasons for keeping an old car apply to me, but the cost of taxes and insurance are primary. I just think of the money I save each year. Every car my wife and I have ever owner has been more than 10 years old and was paid for in cash or check. No matter how small the value is, it is a positive value and contributes to our net worth.

Plus, I can actually change brakes and do other reapirs on my own on barclays bank zambia forex rates cars. Most every one drives a year old car or van, but sends their kids to nice private schools. I feel very strongly that there are better areas of life to spend or save your money.

I also stress buying nice vintage furniture! I currently own and drive a chevy C10 longbed. I love this old truck. The air and heating are non existent. Crappy little radio and nothing powered. BUT… Its been reliable for the most part and the fact that it turns heads every now and again is kinda nice. I mostly like it because I can do most of the repairs myself, I can haul things or go camping. And it still gets me from point a to point b.

Just today I replaced a hose on it because the hose was cracked. Our Toyota has been with us for around 15 years already and bet it can still reach above If it runs and is still reliable, why bother getting a new one, right? My Toyota is 16 years old withmiles.

It is reliable, gets good mileage, has a day trading stop limit trunk, and looks great. I love my Durango. Nothing wrong with keeping an old vehicle. I have 2 cars. A Honda Civic hatchback and a Honda Civic sedan. Both cash cars, very basic, both run great and are excellent gas savers! Got them cheap too. People around here do not seem to like them though… probably because they are slow I do not understand the ricers.

Gives regular civic owners like me a bad name… The 90 is pretty fun to drive actually. I hope to never get rid of it any time soon. They are both manual so unless I abuse them, they will not have transmission problems. On a long trip of miles or so, either one will get about mpg. I try to keep them running in top shape so they do not break down at the worst times not that they really break down to begin with… Glad to see someone who has similar views about cars like I do!

Drive that saturn until the wheels fall off and then some! I love that I came across this charming post. I absolutely love my trade currency fidelity Plymouth Acclaim…I will be so unhappy when I have to give it up.

If Chrysler was still selling this car I would buy it again. What I love is the simplicity… Zero frills…simple dashboard… Great visibility. No cockpit feel…bench seating. I have 2 kids who are messy too. Looking into selling it and just buying a Used Ford Expedition for cash safe, reliable and still big enough for our family. Trying to be fiscally responsible. Thanks for this article!!

I drive a 16 year old Honda Civic. It is being practical for me. If it drives it works for me. Thank you private label forex brokerage sharing this!

Specially in countries like india where new cars are priced exorbitantly. I drive a Buick Park Avenue in Toronto. It is by far the best car I have ever owned. Those are the only repairs it has in ten years besides routine things like tires, oil changes and breaks. Our winters and road salt have been hard on the paint and it is starting to rust pretty bad.

But it still drives so smooth, and it has the most comfortable leather interior and cushy seats, it is like driving a couch. I love my Buick! I have a Saturn Ion. I bought this baby new with a six year contract. I laughed out loud when I was reading this article. I can relate to all these pointers, except 6, 12 and I have driven my carmiles.

It is now in the shop to replace the ORIGINAL clutch. I will never get rid of my Saturn. Even when I buy a newer car used. I will pay cash. There is no freedom like being out of debt!

Glad I stock trading 101 video here. I used and abused the 95 beyond repair and will save it for parts. The 97, I expect to grow old in it. Still the second best thing to a Rolce Roy out there.

I cannot do car notes, and I know that with proper care, if the 97 Jag powertrain is solid, I will have it for at least another 10 years. I drive a Odyssey. We have 4 kids, one who just started college. It hasmiles. We got it 4 years ago when we moved back from overseas. We thought we were going to move again— but are still here. I try to do everything I can myself, but cars are more complicated than they used to be. I totally agree that cars depreciate and are a lousy investment!

I owned a Oldsmobile Intrigue, best car ever. Unfortunately, went to a dealer just to test drive a newer vehicle and walked out of there several hours later buying that vehicle.

My husband coerced me into thinking it was the best deal ever. Have regretted it ever since. I work and my wife stays home with the kids. We have a few rules for cars that fall into line with what you are saying. A car payment is the worst. It ties up money on a monthly basis, and you loose a bit every month to interest. Get something that is easy to work on. Almost all common issues with older models have been hashed out on car forums, and there will usually be a step by step tutorial on how to fix the car on Youtube.

Any car made the role of stock market development on economic growth in nigeria the last 20 years is not going to have much of an issue getting towith little headache. I would say with that Saturn, you may want to change that timing belt at aroundThey are crazy easy to do.

Thanks for stopping by. But solid point for other readers. I think driving an old car is better if its original owner knows how to take care of it. No matter how old a car is, if it was well taken cared of, it can still last for many years. I have a Prizm I bought at an Insurance auction for k when it was a year old. It needed new hood, headlights, radiator. I agree with all your notes. I currently have a 16 year old Dodge Durang0 yes, from that still runs.

Yes, they are about as old as my truck but they have less miles on them and they have a lot less rust on the outside than my truck. I would be using the car for every day use driving to work and to the grocery store, among other things.

I tend to be frugal in just about everything, but especially cars — at least until I can afford a bit of a younger one. Great to save money, but the older cars are just not as safe….

And now most cars have wonderful new affordable safety features. I make more than enough money to be a new car, even a really nice one. In my youth I would have bought a new car every few years. I drive a Ford Taurus, with overmiles. It gets me from point A to point b, which for me is home and a train station. Keep good tires on her. Hope to get anothermiles out of the old girl! I THINK I HAVE TO DISAGREE IN GENERAL AND SAY THAT: IN THE 70s and 80s and 90s I HAVE NOTICED THE PRICE THEY WANT FOR USED VEHICLES AND IT IS INSANE.

Bought a old ranger with forex early warning heat map its been nothing but fix this fix that service this service that.

Just like any purchase, you need to check over a used vehicle. I drive a 16 year old car and I plan to drive it as long as possible. I have one myself. I just hope that How to make a money inthe bank briefcase can drive it for as long as possible.

Funny, my daily driver is a Saturn. I own a SW2 Wagon and a SC1 Coupe. I love my Saturns. I plan to run my Wagon into the ground, and sell my coupe soon to buy a truck so I can haul boats. My 3rd car is a Mustang GT. People are amazed and ask how we still maintain the car. I am comfortable using my year-old car and as long as it is safe to drive. And, I agree with you old car is sexy! I still drive a Chevy Cavalier automatic that i have to manually shift the gears in because the transmission has been giving me problems for going on 2 years now.

I hate that if I leave it sitting more than 2 days I have to jump it off, but I love that I have not had a car payment for a lot of years now! I intended to upgrade again this summer but after reading this excellent post I have changed my plan. I shall run the little focus into the ground. Maintainance costs are so much lower than getting that newer,shiny car. Even when you get that new car it still has to be maintained, more money on top of how to trade the gap in forex thousands it cost to upgrade.

It is the most economical method in getting the best value from something. I shall say no to upgrading. Even that is far less than buying even a used car. I will probably fix the Corolla and just drive the Sonoma until it dies.

By the way, the Corolla only has 78, miles and the Sonoma Low mileage for old cars. This blog made up my mind to repair and keep!!! We bought a used Mazda 6 several years ago and sold an older vehicle that had high maintenance costs. Thanks for sharing the can i buy ipo stock on etrade of owning a used car.

I look forward to reading your other articles on hypermiling. Buying used cars is an insanely huge way to save money! You can even buy used replacement parts! I drive an 11 year old car because the overall cost of the vehicle is far less than owning a new vehicle. Hi I drive Ford ikon petrol 1.

My car is running well and I feel like a king. My car saved my life in accident. Ford car saves life by stopping engine. Body super strong other cars scared to come near! It gets close to 30 mph on highway and runs forever. Only difference is, I do care how it looks and regularly shampoo the carpets ect. This is a great post. Am so in agreement. Our Toyota Corolla is nearly 20 and still passes its MOT every year.

Am in the UK and getting parts is proving increasingly difficult small things like a recent door hinge but we will carry on using our car as long as we can. Its not a beautiful car but very beloved by us. Its only got 95k on it, and I owned it since when I bought it with about 60k on it. I can haul a lot of stuff in it, but I tend to baby it now, because I want it to last forever.

It got a little rust on the bottom of the doors, but I ground that down and repainted. Someone had cut the rear defrost wire, and I never bothered to see why they did that. The drivers side window is chicago board of trade feeder cattle futures little weird…you have to press the switch in a certain place for the window to go down, and the rear doors only open from the inside.

I bought an instrument cluster from a Sable, and now I have a working tach in the car. I modified a garage door remote where I just push a button on the glove box to open the garage door. I love this article! I own a Toyota Camry. I am all about frugality. I would say that owning an old car is completely worth it in the long run and will save thousands of dollars.

If you go to boomerang forex trading cheap place to get it done, then thats what you will get——————A CHEAP WORTHLESS PAINT Bloxhams stockbrokers cork. I think its a good thing to buy a great car with low miles and keep it for a very long time.

My car is a honda S Yes I paid a fortune for it brand new, however I am keeping it for a very long time. I think that it is really wise to drive older cars if they are reliable. I best foreign exchange rates in san francisco liked how you said that they are quite affordable.

However, I do think that it is important to make sure that the vehicle is reliable through things like repairs. We actually made a couple thousand on the Civic. We bought a Civic Hybrid with a bad battery and got it rebalanced.

The trick is to never fall in love. Sell them when the depreciation is nil, rinse and repeat. Otherwise you wind up with a POS that nobody wants. Glad to hear it!

I drive a Honda Accord withmiles on it. I drive 60 miles a day, but it gets me from point A to B. I recently changed the timing belt. I get teased sometimes when I go on dates, but I just like the larger balance in my savings account from not dumping money into cars. My current car is a BMW i. Most parts are easy to find and cheaper online.

It will literally save you THOUSANDS if you avoid the dealer like the plague! It runs well, except for a small oil leak and broken ABS sensor. I live in London England I have two yes two 22 year old Rover s. It needed a new clutch but had covered just 37k miles. It has now done about k and still going strong. Mind you in terms of reliability it was never its strong point. It was even written off in when a BMW hit it but again I repaired it myself with secondhand panels -new bumper, lights, bonnet, wing.

Would I ever sell either of them the other is mint with just 24k? How long did you have it for and did it require a lot of auto repair? They are fun little cars, but I would sell it and get something better on gas, and cheaper to repair. I enjoy your humor about your car. Do you ever see yourself selling your car for salvage parts in the future?

I have a Ford explore with overmiles on it as well Mercury Mountainair with over miles on it… that looks a lot like the Ford explore. When I was growing up, my parents always bought used cars. My dad felt like they were less expensive to have repairs done on them. Surprisingly, we never had major car troubles throughout my childhood.

This is why I still keep my 21 year old vans! It runs good enough and there is no big license renewal that is needed. Used car are the best for these reasons, especially eating in the car. I used to drive a Ford Taurus up until 5 months ago. It now is too unsafe to drive with k miles and 15 years. Worst car grants students learning disabilities decision ever.

I calculate forex cross rates with you about new cars — brand new cars are the stupidest wastes of money on the planet. Cars loose a ton of value the moment they drive off the lot.

If I had to recommend something, buy a year old used car, drive it for years, and then replace it with another year old used car. I just bought a Toyota Corolla and plan on driving the damn thing till the wheels fall off. Compared to a new car, it was a steal.

gepahotalefi.web.fc2.com @ gepahotalefi.web.fc2.com

Not many because after 20 years — the car becomes an antique. The only way driving a 19 year old car makes sense is if you have owned it for 19 years and know exactly it's maintenance history.

Buying an extremely old used car like that is a HUGE risk. Don't get me wrong — I LOVE the Saturns, Toyotas, and Hondas of the s. But there isn't a huge difference in the early-mid s Toyotas and Hondas, besides the age. They still are A-B cars, still get good gas mileage, they're still humble and worry free — they just aren't falling apart.

This makes a lot of sense to me. Four to seven year-old cars seems to be the soft spot. Cash cow learning journey, I ordered a Mustang 5. In March 93 I picked it up with my girlfriend who would later become my wife. We went on our honeymoon in that car.

I think I made my last payment in March Generally, people like and love their old vehicle, whether cycling or car and sometimes they attached to vehicle by heart and they always want to use it so they care their vehicle in a good way. I am also using my car for past ten years and it gives good feelings. Your reasons also good and right. Thanks for sharing this blog. Absolutely loving all the stories on trading options at expiration strategies and models for winning the endgame by jeff augen pdf I also own a volvo thats just over 24 years old with a little surprise under the bonnet.

I feel this is what gives them a character and makes one smile. I used to not care at all what happened, and now I actually care!

Thanks for this post. It was fun to read and inspiring to see someone else who appreciates the benefits of an older vehicle.

My husband and I own a Toyota Corolla wagon. Everything is still original as the day it was born. We get offers to purchase it on a regular basis. Needless to say, my husband refuses to sell. The brake and gas lines were replaced on it, and the mechanic says everything is so rusty underneath.

People drive around too much and the car as almoston it and it is only 5 years old. After reading the posts I feel much better about my almost 30 year old blazer. I live in Wisconsin and I know what you mean. I had a 2 door hatch focus withmiles. I should of bought used I was a how much money does a obstetrician make a month and got new.

I only did because 2 mechanics were saying it was getting soo rusted underneath and risking to put up to fix when needed. I miss that car now I have car payments I am soo sick with disgust how stupid I was.

However I keep my cars forever. I had a chevy sprintmiles on it til a cylinder went so I thought I should get a new vehicle. Geo Metrosome miles on it was starting to use oil way too much. So I thought it was time now I regret it. All i can say I hope this new one lasts as long as my great focus. Why did they have to give up the 2 door hatch. My focus hatch was unbelievable nothing compared to all the stuff I stored in there all the time.

Or what I could store. I miss my car soo much. I hope my new yes a kia soul lasts like my last gems I owed!! I drive a 23 year old car for almost exactly the same reasons.

Certainly encourages less driving! I drive a Chevy Cobalt and hope to continue using it for a long time. I love my 72 Dodge. I think I can get 4 more in. I drove my last car toThe odometer literally broke on it at ,…. I got the car my paternal grandfather bought when it was a year or two old. I read that insurance for newer cars with monthly payments could cost over a thousand. Just this fact is enough to make me allergic to buying new cars.

I have essentially the same car you have, except mine is a 99 Acura TL. Ijust had a huge repair bill, but I bit the bullet and decided to keep the car, because I am already paying on another car loan, and fixing the old Acura was the only way I could continue to drive an Acura.

Thing runs like a champ 16 years later in My parents purchased it off the Showroom Floor when I was a kid, then it got handed down to me after many well cared years with them. The car is 29 years old, been stolen twice, wrecked several times and resurected from the dead with a Salvage Title.

Has enuf miles on it to have driven to the moon and back. Its my daily car, hard to find parts for it now, usually have to McGuyer stuff together and modify alot of stuff. The heater doesnt work right anymore and its not the most efficient on Fuel. I still have the original owners manuel and pictures of it from advertisements out of a magazine. The File with all the Repairs and Maintance over the Years is Thicker than a Bible. The car outlived the place we bought it from Winders Chevrolet in Columbus Oh.

Cool story you got there! Being a car aficionado since my birth because of parents and grand-parents being in the field, I also did mistakes by driving sporty cars. Thankfully not to big mistakes as people who buy new car! I always let people pay the big first-second years of huge depreciation! Since then, every single cost tied to the car decreased dramatically — compared to our previous cars!

It is such a great and huge car that every forum I checked mentioned it. Which car is the cop going to pull over? My best friend in high school era had one of those saturns, with no bells or whistles. My car is still depreciating. One of our two cars is now, in some circles, an ANTIQUE as of this month! It is now 20 YEARS OLD — and purchased new by us!

The other one is 15 years old — also purchased new. Keeping a vehicle for so long has many advantages…some already mentioned. But I find some additional ones.

gepahotalefi.web.fc2.com: Customer Reviews: The Learning Journey Cash Cow

You get to know the quirks and mechanics of the vehicle like the back of your hand. Because even though all of those options will add thousands to the initial cost — it really comes to nothing when prorated over 15 or 20 years. The last benefit at least potentially is whenever you want to sell your car, you get a huge PREMIUM for it. She left it to me in her will when she passed. Took me almost one year to bring myself to drive it. My chariot is a Explorer Sport named Buster. The car has been super reliable.

However, this car is a tough one. It runs and is in decent shape under the hood…. Mine is an 11 yr old Hyundai Santa Fe with miles which I can only hope will continue running as well as that Subaru. I put about 10, miles a year on it and love that SUV. I wish our Saturn had Cassette! I love those cassette decks that plug into your headphone jack on phones, iPods, etc. Our drivers seat also has a few holes in it! Sounds like a great vehicle George! What we needed was another take-stuff-to-the-dump, bring-home-lumber, take-dogs-to-the-beach vehicle like our station wagon had been.

So we replaced a wagon with …. I also always liked your first car. But it is obvious the 19 year old Saturn is saving you a ton of hard earned cash. Cash that will build a nice nest egg over the coming years! Better to save the money, anyway. I always buy used and make the previous owner eat the worst part of the depreciation. Going to try to get my current car to K!

We have a 10 year old Sienna and a 9 year old Tundra. With six in the family there are few options that fit that many. Sounds a lot like we share a similar mindset. My car is now 11 years old, and is still running great. So even if you make technology improvements to squeeze a few extra MPG out, all that added weight cancels it out.

Our car also has low mileage. Something like xxx on it. Being a single girl with not much car knowledge means I need to make sure I have something newer and a little more reliable. It makes a lot of sense to keep driving such an old but reliable care when you lay it out like this. I have regretted that decision for a while now, because at the time we both had cars that were not even 4 years old yet. When we first graduated college and started earning good money, we were caught up in the rat race and were all caught up in material things.

The goal is to drive these cars into the ground. We will see if they make it 19 years. Our initial goal is at least 10 years. Anyone reading this comment and thinking about dropping a huge chunk of dough on a car, think twice. That feeling of joy right after the purchase is very fleeting and fades to regret pretty soon.

Especially when you start thinking of what you could had done with the money to move you closer to financial independence. I thought they were the budget brand….

I totally agree I just gave up my 2 door hatch ford focus withmiles on it. Should of ran it til the wheels popped off. But it needed a few pricey repairs and was getting rusty underneath and the mechanics were saying it was getting unsafe to fix. I just hate all the technology in vehicles and I wonder if I am able to keep my new car will things like my radio die if something in whatever runs it the computer dies.

Then I will have to listen to the hum of my tires down the road. I miss old vehicles and I plan on keeping my new kia soul at least 10 years hoping to get more.

Still trying to get over taking the plunge. I just fear used because everyone I know who buys used get lemons with tons of repairs. With hopes that this one will last forever. Oh yeah my vehicles were a 3 cylinder chevy sprint great car and my Geo metro not as good as my chevy.

My focus have to laugh I changed jobs drove less then 5 I get stuck in a giant drift down the street. I wish they would. Oh yeah all my cars were manual never had no motor or clutch work. I really hate having to pay car payments makes me soo stressed and I keep trying to calulate how long til I am done. I have 3 cars. I have no desire to have a car payment, nor drop however many thousands on a new car. I also like that my car is a special edition colour, and it becomes cooler every year because people whom are younger and have the same colour of car seem to find more and more creative ways to destroy theirs.

My other two cars, well The Ford has sentimental value, and the Studebaker is just rare and cool. We currently have a Saturn Ion 2, I bought it 8 years ago on the 22nd of December. He bought me a van that I had for 2 years but after it was totaled in a head on collision thanks to the poor choice of the other driver who had no license, no insurance and was high we decided not to replace the van and just share the Saturn again.

We bought some Radian carseat so we could have 2 car seat and our older son in the car, that was 2 years ago. Great story and thank you for sharing! My dad and brother both own Ions about that same year and they have been good cars. I use the term loosely because I really restore old cars but it shares the same knowledge.

Some years ago I discovered the salvage auto auctions, bought my wife a loaded kia van. In all we had 2k in a k van. Great story, thanks for sharing Vince! Thanks for commenting and please stick around!

After a lot of bad luck with cars we bought a Ford Focus, which was idiotic. We are seriously considering going carless once we flip it right side up like I said, idiotic! Cars are unimportant to me. I still drive the same car I had in college. Under normal circumstances, I would have fixed it myself. Mechanical auto repairs is one area I wish I knew more about.

Can save a boatload of money doing it yourself…. I recommend YouTube for that. Our son bought a car back in January his money, he pays insurance, all my kids have to be 18 to get licensed. Found a Volvo. Seats were worn but otherwise it was solid. He took a pt job at an auto parts store near his college, for the discount! He even goes to u-pull it for small parts. We just bought a brand new Toyota Sienna.

I wanted a slightly used one, husband insisted on getting brand new. I let him have his way because its cheaper than a divorce. But, oh my lord, it pains me to drive it! I keep thinking, what??? I used up a quarter tank already??? I just went grocery shopping!

So, me and the kids go for lots of walks now. If I really have to drive somewhere, I wait til the husband gets home and I drive his fully paid Prius. We hardly drive the van anymore and if this keeps up, my husband is gonna end up driving this van when he retires. This is a hilarious comment! Thanks for the laugh! I suppose a new van is cheaper than divorce, but apparently almost as traumatic for individuals like you and I!

Make him drive it! We played the new car revolving door game for years and now realize how stupid it was. I have an 08 Altima withmiles and plan to keep it for at least another years. I used to commute over miles per week, but have cut way back over the last couple of years. I drive a Pontiac Vibe.

I bought it used this year with less than 70, miles and I love it! I plan to drive it another couple of years and then sell it to buy a newer Vibe. The Vibe is actually the same car as the Toyota matrix, but Pontiac has stopped making them.

Being that they are all Toyota parts I never have to worry about not being able to get parts if I need them. Thankfully I have not needed any work on my Vibe so far! I do pay cheap insurance on my. My car is a Chevy Cavalier. My dad bought my grandfather this car a year before my grandfather could no longer drive. When he stopped driving it, the car sat in a carport for years, then my dad started driving it.

By the time I graduated from college and the car was passed on to me, it was 10 years old, but only had about 66, miles on it! Fun fact, Cavaliers share the same engine as the Saturn Ion. Got a Cavalier here, bare bones, all that I have added is power locks and an alarm since someone decided to break in once.

Runs like a champ. I love my old clunker a Ford Focus withmiles. It has been pretty reliable as well. My first car was a VW Jetta. I put many miles on it and was sad to see it go. My husband and I also shared a Honda Civic and put overmiles on it. I feel a bit connected to this old green machine and will be sad when I eventually replace her.

So sadly, I may need to put our beloved Civic out to pasture. Keeping an old car might work in certain places, but here in the UK we have to have our vehicles tested each year for road safety, road worthiness and emmissions.

Combined with some serious haggling, I got an awesome deal and my car could have been sold 1 year on for more than I paid for it. Tip- buy the model that is going out, that the dealer have some stock of. I no longer have to waste minutes of fuel trying to defrost or keep it warm in winter. I no longer get locked out because the locks have frozen. I cannot believe the improved quality of ride in my new car either.

I am happy to take it on long journeys because of its comfort and reliability. But as a single female, I could not take the risk and expense of keeping on breaking down. Breakdown companies have limits over here to how many times you can call them out. Out of interest, where do you all keep your car? Contrary to the popular opinion on this thread that having an old car keeps you humble, there seems to be a good deal of pride around having an old car!

It is OK to enjoy some of it and having a reliable car is a very sensible purchase. They depreciate quicker than used models. S must also past inspections for all those reasons. That has nothing to do with age, if it runs properly. Our car is more fuel efficient than brand new compacts being released today. We average 41MPG on the highway. You are taxed on purchase price.

The fact remains that a new car purchase is often a poor financial decision.

And you will always be better off looking for a year old car if you insist on having something newer. Love the content on your site! This is my first visit. Thank you for addressing the inaccurate opinion left above. The moral of the story is you need to do the maths rather than just deciding older is cheaper. At least you know its a weakness. Maybe you could find a way to enjoy cars but avoid the cost and depreciation as much as possible! I have a Saturn SC1 Sport Coupe, which makes it cool withmiles on it.

I get a lot of crap from co-workers about the car, but it runs fine for the most part does suffer from all of the same issues as noted above, must be a saturn thing. I will never understand why people care so much what I drive. Usually when someone gives me crap I just point out that its paid for and I have enough cash set aside to buy the next car with no payments. That usually shuts them up pretty quick. Really funny that you have the same issues.

As you said, must run in the family! It really is amazing that other people feel the need to judge your wise financial decision to drive an economical car. Happens all the time. Well done, good sir. We moved from a Jeep Cherokee to a Toyota Matrix, mainly because the costs of consistently the Jeep seemed to make switching a positive ROI. Maybe until our future kid is 17 years old.

I bet the gas savings would justify that switch, but as you say, repairs can be tricky. I have a huge problem with people forecasting big repair costs based on age alone. Cars are only a means of reliable usually!

Good for you guys for only having 1 car, and for keeping this one for so long. I bought a used Pontiac Sunfire in and drove it for nearly 10 years. It was paid off and inexpensive to operate. Plus, we had a real baby joining the family, so it was time for an upgrade. They get you from point A to B just like the beaters do. Anyway, be proud of your Saturn and keep on driving it! Thanks for a kind and thoughtful comment Mr. Did that Sunfire have the 2.

I agree with your list, except my car runs very well and is still fun to drive. My last Accord was sold at k, so hopefully I will hit the k mark this time. Keep up the great work and thanks for commenting. I am loving your post! We have three cars that are up there in age and miles…. All run great, all maintained by our trusty mechanic, the explorer will rust apart before it blows up.

However, is there any way you could downsize to two vehicles? Cost of any vehicle is quite high! My brother owned a late 90s Explorer and those things do run forever. I think we sold it to a family friend who drove it close to k! No need to purchase a new car when yours works just fine. There were some mechanical issues but I think I could have kept it a little bit longer. It did break down on my a week before my wedding. And since we were planning on starting a family…I wanted a car with the newer safety features: ESC, anti-lock brakes, etc.

Pretty crazy that you can sell it for more than you bought it for. You know what, I really wish ours had the tape deck instead of CD! Those tape decks allow such easy ipod hookups through the speakers and they work far better than those stupid over the air transmitters!

I no longer own a car no need in NYC — but I would have probably gotten rid of that bad boy awhile ago depending based on my geographic location. They may cost me extra, but if I have to spend quality time in my car I find them worth the money. Where do you live? Missouri, and now Texas. Love that it is fully depreciated! My friend had that exact car in that exact colour back when we were in high school ten years ago. I have some fond memories of that Saturn.

My car is seven years old, and I am planning on getting at least another three years, possibly more just depends how expensive it starts getting to fix. We have three 3!!! A very old Toyota Corolla that my wife uses for commuting. A six year old Rav 4 that will serve as a car and as a truck once the third vehicle moves on.

And a year-old Toyota pickup. But once my current basement project is done, the truck can finally go away. As long as it is reliable and safe driving older cars are fine. Do you feel secure enough to drive it on a 6 hour road trip? That would be my only concern. Those points you share are some of the sames reasons why I still drive a car over 12 yrs old with close to k in mileage.

I wasted a lot of money in my twenties buying car with payments. I have had the same car for 11 years. It was the same one that I got at age I used to be one of those people who wanted a new car desperately. I then realized how ridiculous it was.

My car may not be shiny and new and has no features whatsoever, but it runs. People may have made fun of it, but mine is paid off. Great and entertaining post! Made me laugh — especially the last one! Haha, I love it. I think you missed one Jacob. Some cars were just built better back in the 80s and 90s. I had an old F that was that way. My dad made me sell in when I was in college. I never should have listened to him.

I got an amazing deal for a new baseline Hondabut in the long run it was a mistake. I drive a Honda Civic that my mother bought for me when I graduated from college. If you want to read about my automotive saga, I did a post on it a few years ago: Your email address will not be published.

Immediately receive your guide to financial freedom and be entered to win exclusive giveaways only available to our email community.

Haven Life Insurance Review. Discover It Cash Back Credit Card. Discover High Yield Savings Account. The Path Well Traveled It was ish when I first caught car fever. First of all, this was a neat little car. I still have a soft spot in my heart for clean s. It Gets Good Gas Mileage — 30 MPG city, 40 MPG highway. And like clockwork, they continue to advertise 36 MPG highway. If that happens, who really cares. This car performs that task well. Taxes are Cheap — Personal Property taxes are next to nothing.

Tires are Cheap — 14 inches of frugality, yeah! Ours can be replicated for a dollar at Walmart. Free Theft Insurance — No one would ever choose to steal a hunter green Saturn with body and paint flaws. I Love to Eat — After a certain number of years pass, you just stop caring about keeping the carpets spotless. And never for one moment do I worry about stains.

Both of these encourage less driving. It Makes Me Kind — Life is inevitably stressful, and sometimes difficult. The last thing I want to worry about is my car. That lady with screaming children who bumps me from behind at the stop sign. Accidentally backed into that pesky telephone pole again? Join our community and receive your guide to financial freedom.

Rating 4,1 stars - 484 reviews
inserted by FC2 system