Monday, June 6, 2016

They Gotta Have that New Car Bling





YA know how I am always preaching that pretty much all of us are dependent on government hand outs? In my former job as a fork lift operator I worked for a company that sells text books and educational materials. While it might have been a publicly traded company I can assure you 95% of it's gross came from tax payer money.

These days as most of you know I work part time for a car dealership in it's service department. The good part about this job is I don't find myself physically repulsed by the goods or services I am peddling. No more titles such as "Barak Obama: A Black Savior" or "Two Male Penguins in Love" that I have to take from one point and load on a trailer for delivery to children across the country.

No about the only thing I have to watch out for is NEVER telling a customer how I really feel about automobiles, debt, insurance or engines. Even when they ask me point blank for my opinion.

I have been there long enough now to pick up on a few things that are troubling though.

1. I am constantly amazed at the lack of mental stability and/or physical capabilities of people who are allowed to own automobiles. Seriously people I am not talking about someone who suffers from occasional depression or some other low level mental disorder that can be controlled and make the sufferer appear normal. I am talking about people who cannot even control their own physical bodily functions and are not out of the drooling stage. How can anyone allow these people to drive a couple thousand pounds of speeding metal around? Further more where the hell are these types getting enough money to afford these new vehicles? Some of these people are a menace to pedestrians and small animals everywhere.

2. Even at the dealership my salary is basically being paid for by government money. I would estimate 40% or more of our customers are public employees. Another 20% on top of that are contractors and other businesses who rely on big trucks of the F250 or higher range who are either doing work and getting paid directly or indirectly because of government money. Another 30% or more are on disability or pensions of some type (perhaps not all of them are government pensions though) which leaves in my estimation somewhere short of 5-10% from the real private sector.

Simply put without government spending my services would more than likely not even be needed. Another interesting point is the number of State government departments that boast huge departmental garages and yet still require every repair be done by a local dealership.

3. People cannot do basic math. Or if they can then there is some magical numerical factor given to the new car effect that turns straight forward equations into something from the twilight zone. For instance: Three times last week I witnessed customers having mechanical troubles that were out of warranty on perfectly good vehicles otherwise. In each case we are looking at repair bills in or around the 2K range but for vehicles less than 8 years old. In all three cases it was easier for the customer to walk over to the sales side of the dealership and buy a new car with debt than it was to shell out the money for the repairs. In each case the customer, who was now in debt at who knows what rate for the next seven years and probably out 20K or more overall was convinced they had made a good decision.

I just don't get it.

In six years they will be making that jump again I am almost positive of it.

Lastly are the ones who have been talked into too much vehicle. These are the drivers who put 100K miles on a two year old sedan every 6 months and then wonder why it isn't in warranty because they don't have the money to fix it. It's like they never look at the X amount of time OR so many miles part of the warranty.

Oh ya as a side note. We have been going through a real busy period lately now that people have recovered from tax time. So much so the big wigs had to start strong arming the employees into parking in the actual employee lot and not in the customer parking areas. The bitching about door dings on the vehicles reached a climax about the second day. I just don't get this American need for new cars when it is nothing but a liability every friggin day.

Sometimes to make a point I will give myself door dings just for the sheer shock value of it :)

Ok let me clarify that. I DO understand when I see some young guy with a flashy ride because he actually needs his car to increase his reproductive chances but no one else does. It's not even like these new car buyers are leaving the lot with a Shelby or something cool like that. I mean who really cares if you are driving a brand new Edge or Focus or something like that anyway?

People. Vehicles are for transportation only. They are not some extension of yourself and unless you can shell out really big money no one pays a damned bit of attention to what you are driving anyway. Unless it's really bad I guess :)

I can afford to fix either of my late 90's vehicles over and over again up to buying new engines 2 or 3 times a year with the money I save from not having a car loan and not needing the expensive insurance. People ask me all the time how I can afford to only work part time and I start by asking them what their car payments are each month and how much they pay for insurance. I usually don't need to go any further with an explanation to see the light go on behind their eyes.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!!!


18 comments:

  1. I understand what your saying but I have a couple clients who I work for who demand that no vehicles on their sites have over 120,000km on them. I got busted because my truck had just short of 300k km on it. So now i have a newer truck but I charge them more for making me change trucks.

    Exile1981

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  2. and that's why my bike is a battered ratty old jap bike that is reliable as they come instead of my brothers riding £26k Harleys. Vanity has no place in a practical mind, if it does the job it doesnt need to be flash or pretty

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  3. Its the must have it now mind set, a car is a tool a form of transport I couldn't tell you one make model from another and cant understand why people ooh and aha over cars. I struggle with knowing what my car is at times I know its black and land rover but can never remember the model

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    Replies
    1. You drive a Land rover.......OOOOOOOOOOh. Pricey and Prestigious but durable!

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  4. My bank manager keeps telling me it would be tax efficient to purchase an new car through my business. I keep pointing out to him that by buying we tools, equipment, plant and HGVs as required actually makes me money and starves the taxman. A car can reduce my tax liability but it won't make me one single penny and it will depreciate to a valueless asset over ten years but will have cost a fortune in new parts and ceased working in eight.

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  5. We are looking for a car for my daughter who just graduated but have managed to stay away from new cars even though relatives were telling us that was the way to go. We will pay for it from savings since I always say that it is bad enough buying the car without having to buy the money as well.
    The thing that I noticed this time around that I didn't see so much 10 years ago is that very few people talk about the price of the car. It is not important in today's world, they only talk about the monthly payment. They also don't talk about the number of months.
    You probably saw this but maybe your loyal readers missed it so here is an interesting story on how the car buyer is treated when they finally default on the car they shouldn't have bought.
    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-06/im-considering-filing-bankruptcy-st-louis-proves-harbinger-things-come-subprime-auto

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    Replies
    1. People only talk about the monthly payment because to them, it's basically a "subscription." Life has become a subscription service. You subscribe to an internet provider. You subscribe for cable TV. You subscribe to a cell phone service. Heck; you even subscribe to to operating system on your laptop. That's the way the young 'uns look at life now.

      As for looking for a car for your daughter; do both yourself and her a favor; let her work for, save for, and buy her own car! Believe me; she'll treat it better, and appreciate it more. What's more; she'll understand what it means to actually strive for something she wants.

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  6. My husband's truck was bought new in 1997. We just had it's first major work done on it last year. I make a "vehicle" payment to ourselves every month. That's how we paid for the work. We are currently looking for an older small truck for me. It and the work it might need will be paid for out of this same savings. Than We will sell my current vehicle and that money will go back into the vehicle fund for future repairs if needed.

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  7. In my life, I only purchased one new car. Everyone needs to make that mistake once in their life; usually when they're young and stupid. I bought it just before my first son was born. I taught him to drive in it fifteen years later, just prior to selling it in 2002, to someone quite eager to buy a beautifully maintained 1985 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham.

    I've owned many cars before and since that Delta 88; none of them new, and many of them fifteen years or more old at the time of purchase. For those of you who had "Trade it in at 100K miles" drummed into your heads, a well maintained vehicle of that age is basically in the prime of life, even if it has 180K miles or more on the clock. Today's cars are "not your father's Oldsmobile!"

    The key thing here is to avoid debt. If you must buy on credit, MINIMIZE the debt. Buying new is like going to Vegas; the house always wins...

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  8. Our Trucks are Old...mine is a 1997 Dodge Cummins.(I would NEVER buy one again, they still have both transmission problems and the front end cannot stand the weight of the Motor, motor is fabulous)310,000 miles on it.
    Ralph's is a 1998 sonoma with 387,000 miles. We do have a 2012 Suzuki SUV that we bought new at a year old and got an excellent deal. This is it, never again will we buy vehicle. we will probably sell the diesel now we are settled here. The money in payments that goes by our driveway is staggering. Just to look good at the lake!

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  9. My cars are older. I will drive them until they die. I don't need to keep up with the Jones.

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  10. Our son at 14 worked his tail, pounding fence posts and other exciting work to restore a free 74 Chevy truck. 9 years later it is still his pride and joy. Yes, he took very good care of it. It is going to look amazing as he and his lovely new wife drive off from their wedding this summer. He teases her that she is marrying him for the truck.

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  11. PP - you should see our 2006 ford f150. remember jam flipped it 5 years ago? all the dents are still there for all to see and the guys at the dealership said it was cosmetic and that if he didn't care just leave the dents. then remember when he backed us up into the ravine? more dints and dents. have we ever washed truckdura? no, that's what rain is for. our truck looks like a truck that has been to hell and back. people near faint when jambaloney tells them that there are only 130kms (9,000miles) on it. we love that truck.

    sending love buddy! your friend,
    kymber

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  12. the last brand new car i bought was a 1983 Plymouth Horizon, Payment was $151.00 a month. After we married it was used cars paid in cash. My current car 2002 Pontiac Montana has almost 200,00 Oil change very two months. Why pay $25K or up for a car?? I too don't understand???

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  13. We too made the new (or at least newer) car every other year mistake when first married. We soon realized it was the car payment killing our budget. Now we drive them until the drop dead while saving for the next one. Currently driving a 2002 Ford Excursion with just shy of 200,000 miles. I told the wife that the 7.3L diesel is just now broken in. Looking forward to 300K!

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  14. Oh come on!!! You people are suffering from low self esteem or maybe your just stingy, who knows???

    The economy will suffer with this anti-american attitude.

    I deserve a new car, I'm worth it.

    kimber

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    Replies
    1. PP - the kimber troll is back...maybe we can have some fun with them??? hey kimber troll - do you go by an alias that starts with "lotta"? or are you one of her minions?

      or maybe...oh my gawd...maybe you just really are a kimber troll for real? oh that would be the awesomest!

      Delete

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