Sweat the Big Things. Part 2: Transportation

This is Part 2 of my three part series about housing, transportation and taxes.  These are the three things which I believe can make or break your finances.

Part 1 discussed buying a house.  This post will talk about the costs associated with transportation.

Don’t do it. Just don’t.

In my last post about buying a home the smart way, I mentioned that buying a house will most likely be the most expensive transaction of your life.  Coming up in second place is buying a car.

Buying a certain type of home can be a status symbol.  A sign that you’ve “made it.”  That you’re finally a grown up and don’t have to be ashamed about inviting your friends over anymore.

But I would argue that a car can be more of a status symbol.  If you drive through a nice neighborhood, you will be admiring the homes but you’ll also be looking at what’s parked in the driveway.  You’ll be thinking about the guy with the Tesla in a much different light than the guy with the old Civic.

And this is why cars can potentially destroy your finances.  There is such an emotional attachment to certain cars that it can cloud the judgement of even the most savvy and cost conscious consumer.  Someone coming in the car buying experience with eyes wide open can easily be led astray by an experienced salesman.

They’ll come in for a slightly used Toyota and leave with a brand new Lexus.  Along with a large shiny monthly payment.

There are two principal ways cars can wreck your finances.  Cost and time.  Let’s look at both of these and find out how you can minimize both.

You’re Not Paying For Just a Car

Whether buying or leasing a car (which is another discussion altogether), everyone looks at the monthly payment as the cost of the car.  We live in a paycheck to paycheck society where monthly payments are the barometer of affordability, so this makes sense.

Unfortunately, cars cost more than the monthly payment.  Just like buying a house comes with extra costs, so does buying a car.  Those extra costs come in the form of gas, maintenance, repairs, insurance premiums, parking and tolls.

The average monthly car payment has risen to $509.  With the associated costs that becomes over $700 per month.  The average price of a car sold in the US is over $30,000.  There are car loans that stretch to 7 years nowadays.  This is insanity and will keep you from accumulating wealth for a very long time.

And let’s not forget the almost immediate depreciation you get with a car.  At least homes generally go up in value at the rate of inflation.  Cars lose value as soon as you sign on the dotted line, and they keep going down after that.

So you have a hefty down payment along with a monthly payment.  And add ongoing associated costs to that.  AND the vehicle is losing value over time.  Sounds like a huge money sink to me.

But lots of people really need cars.  If you’re one of those people, like me, you need to do as much as you can to minimize all of these outlays.

Get the cheapest and safest car for your needs that is reliable and gets great gas mileage.  As long as you stay away form luxury cars and getting a bigger car than you need, you’ll be better off than the majority of Americans.

If you want to be wealthy, an expensive car will be a huge obstacle in that journey.

Death by Commute

Another overlooked part of driving is the cost of commuting.  And I’m not talking just about money.  Your health and your time, and sometimes your soul, can all be taken from you because of your commute.  Commuting can literally kill you.

I can attest to this personally.  At my first employer I was commuting less than 10 minutes each way.  I filled up the tank twice a month.  I could go home and see the family for lunch if I wanted.  Life was good.

Then I got a “promotion” which had me driving 35-40 minutes each way.  Sometimes in heavy traffic.  Life was not so good all of a sudden.  I could physically feel myself getting more stressed and I started to have more neck pain.  I had to wake up earlier than before and had less time to spend with my family.

And car maintenance issues started to crop up.  The AC randomly stopped working.  I was hearing strange new sounds coming from the engine.  And all this in just a couple of weeks of my new commute.  I was also definitely less happy at work than I was before.

The only plus was that I could listen to podcasts more often.  But it’s not really a plus since I could have just woken up earlier and listened to them before.  So pretty much nothing but negatives with this longer commute.

The new commute actually compelled me to look for a new job.  And thank goodness I did since I found a new position at a different company for more pay and a commute similar to my original short one.  I noticed the differences almost immediately.  The job was more fun, the neck pain disappeared and driving was kind of enjoyable again.

Finding a new job is one way to reduce the negative aspects of commuting, but there are others.  Public transportation, telecommuting and carpooling are some other ways.  Get creative and find what works with your current situation.

I really appreciate my short commute and it’s going to take a lot for me to give it up!

Conclusion

In my last post about housing I mentioned the Latte Factor.  It showed how you can cut out your morning coffee and invest those savings to grow some money.  Applying this to car buying really makes the Latte Factor not worth the effort.

Kelley Blue Book allows you to look up the 5 year cost of ownership of any car.  This takes into account the car’s price and along with registration, insurance and maintenance.  It’s a great apples to apples comparison to see how much cars really cost.

A 2017 Lexus ES 350 has a 5 year cost of ownership of $54,071.  A 2017 Toyota Corolla comes in at $34,286.  That $20,000 difference can send your investment accounts skyrocketing.  Both cars seat 5 people and are reliable.  And the Corolla owner can keep getting his lattes everyday.

This is a real and significant difference that can make or break your finances.  The Lexus might turn a few more heads, but the Corolla owner will be wealthier.  And if he invests his money wisely, he will be FAR wealthier.  Don’t let your ego get in the way of being rich.

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Comments

  1. Really great points here. I’m so glad I never got caught up in the culture/hobby of drooling over cars or even caring about different brands. I bought a used Kia Spectra three years ago when my Saturn L-series bit the dust. I did this because I wanted the most bang for my buck, and I read a lot about Kia being exactly what I’m looking for. I have a long commute (about 54 miles round trip) so all I really care about is getting the most for my money, as I will be putting a lot of miles on it. I also advise others, similar as you are right now, to look to save money on their car purchases. After all, cars will be a lot cooler 10 years down the road!

    • Syed says

      Exactly! I recently got a chevy malibu which I plan to drive for a least 10 years. By then I figure Teslas will be cheaper and a lot more cooler than they are now so I’ll finally make my move then. Keeping up with cars is so expensive. And even if you’re a “car person”, there are so many better and more fulfilling things you can do with your money.

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