Need CC parent advice about buying/owning my first car

Parent Cafe
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<p>I’m currently taking a gap year, and am about half way through at this point. Counting summer, I have about 8 or so months before I go to college, and don’t plan on taking a car to my selected university (at both of the schools I’m choosing between, freshman aren’t allowed cars anyway) so I don’t think I will be needing this car long term, unless I come home a lot during summer and breaks. My dad and I are having a lot of problems, and have been for a while, especially since my mom died (about two years) so he refuses to help me with this car thing. I’m looking to spend around 2,000 or LESS on this car, title, registration ect, everything but insurance. I’m not yet sure if my father will be willing to put me on his policy and have me pay the difference. </p>

<p>I have a job, but I live in a semi-rural area where the closest establishment is about a 15 minute drive away. I work part time, and it has been a hassle trying to get to and from work—I’ve had to hitch many rides, and rode my bike there, twice—and other than work I just stay home and eat because of the ‘’distance from civilization’’ thing (and as a work-a-holic with friends that live across the country, it’s torturous). I really hate being stuck at home, and without transportation, I can’t do much. Many people are willing to help with transport for things like a job, but when it comes to the ‘’non-essentials’’ like volunteering, shopping, going to the gym, meeting new people, attending events ect, they are ‘’too busy’’. Though I live under my dad’s roof, he’s a bit neglectful so I’ve been on my own in terms of food, necessities, appointments ect, and it would also be nice if I could take care of those things and be able to get around without worry. </p>

<p>My dad wouldn’t agree to let me get my license, so I don’t have one yet. Now that I am 18 though, I don’t need his permission. I took drivers ed already, but it’s been around a year. My first order of business currently is to pay for my temporary license (the ridiculous fee of 22.50), practice a bit with a relative, take the test and get my regular license (another 25.75—thanks Ohio Gov!). But I don’t know what comes next after that. How much does it cost to get the vehicle titled and registered? Where should I look for a car? How do I get insurance if my dad won’t let me on his policy? What do I need to know about owning a car? How much help will I need from another adult in my life since my dad is out of the picture? What about the fact that I’m taking a gap year? Should I buy the car and sell it before I go back, or keep it? Because of driver’s ed know some of the rules, but not a lot of the ‘’off the record’’ ones you get from life experience.</p>

<p>There is a family friend who is a car dealer, so I plan on starting there. I have also heard craigslist is a good source, but I’m a bit skeptical. The money will be coming out of the life insurance funds my mom left, which I’m trying to use as little as possible of because I want to save the rest for school. I don’t need a cool car, just something with good gas mileage that gets me around and WORKS. </p>

<p>Any tips and advice would be GREATLY honored.</p>

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<p>Just assume a car will cost you more than you think it will.</p>

<p>You really need to think through your budget. If you buy a car for $2000 for example, it’s an old car likely with high mileage and you can expect that it’s going to need repairs - soon. Repairs can range from relatively inexpensive (ex: new spark plugs), to more than the car’s worth (ex: transmission failure, engine failure), to everything in between. </p>

<p>Cars also need maintenance - oil changes, brakes, tires. Try pricing tires - very expensive.</p>

<p>The cost of insurance is critical to consider as well. It’ll be quite expensive whether you get on your father’s policy or not. You can easily get some online quotes or contact an insurance company or two by phone to get an idea of the cost - just let give them an example make/model car you might get. You should probably figure $100-$200 per month but check so you can have an actual figure.</p>

<p>Don’t forget that insurance generally has a deductible - if you get in an accident, and you’re at the highest risk point to do so given you have no experience driving, you’ll have a deductible to pay - more out of pocket.</p>

<p>And then there’s gas - it’s pretty expensive. You can calculate what this would end up costing you based on the miles you’ll drive.</p>

<p>I assume you’d sell the car once you head off to college because leaving it sitting around will cost you even when you’re not using it since you’ll still need to pay insurance, could have vandalism happen to it or it might be stolen, and it’ll likely be depreciating while it’s just sitting there, etc. When you sell the car you’ll likely lose money unless you can manage to buy it at a very good price.</p>

<p>At the end of the day you need to consider your ROI (return on investment). The only real return you have is the transportation to your destinations. That’ll have quite a cost for the car, insurance, gas, routine maintenance, repairs, deductibles, etc. Compare this cost to taking a bus or perhaps pitching in to share rides with others (you pay a share of gas). Most likely the latter will be least expensive.</p>

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<p>Nice summary from glad graddad. If you know someone in the business, that’s definitely the place to start. With a very limited budget you are going to have to be very careful about reliability of what will probably be a bit of a clunker. So buy with the assistance of someone you trust. Go onto the Edmunds.com site, pick an inexpensive older used car and then select the “true cost to own” option which will help you calculate all those extra hidden costs.</p>

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<p>I hear and agree with most of what you say except the last part–no bus service in sight for around 60 miles or friends to take me places. I went to boarding school and graduated already so most of my friends are from out of state and have graduated. Family friends will only do so much to a certain point–they have their own lives and im reaching the end of my line with them. Thanks for the reality check though. I guess ill have to budget higher–like 3500. Or should i go more? My moms life insurance money (my share ) is about 22k, but again trying to Dave for college here. It would be sooo much less stress for me if I didn’t have to go back and forth with my dad about insurance…would being on his policy really make that much of a difference? </p>

<p>I’m kinda sad that my money will all pretty much be wasted. But considering he’s trying to bully me to move out (rather do that than take the responsibility of kicking me out) I might be using my car for more than transportation…(if u catch my drift).</p>

<p>Also, what about a scooter or moped? Though I can’t sleep in one the cost of everything you said would be a HELL of a lot cheaper.</p>

<p>Jym–looking at Edmunds within 5 to 10 minutes!</p>

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<p>any idea on what kinda car/make/model/year i should be looking for in my price range? i was thinking like a 1995-2000 honda accord or civic. any other suggestions? again im looking for price, reliabilty and mileage.</p>

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<p>If you are complaining about the low fees to get a license, owning a car, especially a low cost car like you are thinking, is going to be a shock. How are you going to afford to pay for the car? Is there a relative closer to work that might let you stay with them?</p>

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<p>unfortunately no. i’m not complaining so much as teasing–and right now i’m a bit short on cash because the season is over at my store and they are cutting hours, so i have a lot less money than i used to make–but im trying to get a second job. if i get lucky, MAYBE someone will drive me to work at my new job–it would take a load off. i mean, like i said i have 22k and i can budget higher but i dont want to go too high. plus, i want to factor in those hidden costs upfront so i know how to budget more accordingly. i might need to budget 2,000 for the next 8 months JUST for car maintance and insurance, making my budget 4-5,000. but who knows. its a cruel world when your parents dont support you, but it’s my reality. that’s why i’ve come here. i can usually trust the CC parents to be brutally honest but helpful.</p>

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<p>Since public transportation is out, what about SteveMA’s good idea of staying with a relative or friend even if you pitch in and help with rent? Maybe you could rent just a bedroom from a relative/friend. That might help you solve a couple of problems.</p>

<p>On the car, the main thing is to budget a fair amount more than the actual cost of the car to hold in reserve for the additional costs and the ‘what-ifs’ in case it breaks down. There actually are fairly reliable cars available for a $2K-3K but that ‘fairly’ has caveats - the car will likely still have some things go wrong with it. The problem is that you never really know what’ll happen so unless it’s under a warranty you have to be prepared for the possible costs as much as possible. Even a Honda/Toyota/etc. can break down and need expensive repairs.</p>

<p>I don’t recommend a scooter/motorcycle because of safety concerns and of course, if you live where there’s a lot of weather, it’s not very practical.</p>

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<p>How much do you make at your job? How many hours/week are you working? My guess is that you are going to put MORE into this car then you are making over the next 8 months. While I get sitting at home isn’t any fun, it makes no sense to spend $3000-5000 for a car to make $2000. Keep your life insurance money, pay for college and forget the car–and maybe even the job…</p>

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<p>You are in a tough spot. I was thinking “scooter” before you mentioned it yourself, but that definitely does not work for an Ohio winter. The biggest problem is that a $2000… or even a $5000 car can very quickly need a $1000 repair. Your family friend car dealer may be the best option. Do you trust that person? Can that person help you with maintenance and repairs? Craigslist is so full of scams I would not recommend it for a young girl with little knowledge of cars looking for a first inexpensive vehicle.</p>

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<p>i’ve explored the ‘‘nearby’’ options and the one family that is closer to where i work is still not close enough. i live in ohio, around a lot of farmland and there is snow everywhere, so i guess a scooter IS out. i made around 550 my first month working, but it has since dwindle because my store is not making much money. but SteveMA–i gotta eat, buy soap and toilet paper and other anemities–and the money i made was enough to get me what i needed. and like i said i’m looking for another job. staying home for 8 months makes me cringe–i’d rather walk everyday to work than do that. having few (i only talk to two people) friends, and limited internet (no computer–on CC for phone right now) and nothing to do can turn someone crazy. i’m a young adult–i feel like staying home doing literally nothing is a waste of existence. for my first few months into my gap year i did just that–stayed home. i was depressed and suicidal and really off my rocker. life had no purpose. you don’t know how badly i would kill to have classes and homework. i don’t want to go back to that place. it’s beginning to creep up on me now that i work less. and i was thinking i could sleep in my car to save gas if i needed.</p>

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<p>Have you investigated apartments near the business center or just anywhere? I would think that somewhere in ruralish Ohio you could find a reasonable apartment for 8 months, work fulltime either at one job or a couple and have enough to live off and not need a car. If you aren’t sure how to go about renting an apartment, let us know. Maybe someone in OH near you has suggestions.</p>

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<p>Here’s what I would say:</p>

<p>97-02 Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic or Geo Prism - “well maintained” and checked out by a trustworthy mechanic. </p>

<p>Repairs needed to put it in the tip top shape that you want like brakes, new tires, timing belt, tuneup, etc: $1500 - Cars of this vintage always need something. These aren’t real “defects”, but most people who are about to sell or trade in a car aren’t going to invest in these things, but you need to have them done for the car to be reliable. </p>

<p>I’m guessing you better budget $4500 + taxes, title and other misc.</p>

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<p>maybe ill do that, but it seems to me that the business/commercial area is surrounded by suburbs mainly. it would be really nice if i could find an apartment complex nearby a work establishment. i actually have a ''friend", (ex <em>cough cough</em> ‘‘friend’’) who is doing exactly what you said, he works full time at kroger. i would ask to share rent with him but…anyway, i really wouldn’t mind that kind of thing, really my ONE problem is that i really like my job and i know that times are tough and even low end jobs aren’t hiring. i fear moving out there and loosing my job/not getting a job and being stuck. maybe ill look into jobs around relatives that live further away like you said and just quit the job i have now. </p>

<p>ahhh this is all so confusing. i really don’t know what to do now. i still feel like having a car, though not cheap, would be better.</p>

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<p>

You may be thinking - but not very clearly! It’s unsafe for a young female to sleep in her car - period. On top of that, it’s uncomfortable and cold. Forget the idea of sleeping in the car.</p>

<p>I did a quick search (on autotrader) and when I plug in 2K-3K for a car most of them come back with 100K-200K miles or more on them and even then most are up around the 3K area. I’m currently driving a car with over 200K miles on it and it’s actually pretty reliable so it’s possible to get a decent car with that mileage but it’s the ‘unknown’ that’s the issue - you just never know if or when they’ll break and how costly that is.</p>

<p>Talk to your car dealing family friend and see what he thinks and what you could get with them for that price range. The problem is, unless he owns the dealership, you’ll likely not get a warranty, at least not one longer than 30 days, and even if he can get a discount on repairs it could still cost a major amount of money to repair the vehicle. I’ve also purchased used vehicles that I drove for some months and then sold at a profit thereby costing me little so it’s possible that it wouldn’t cost you a ridiculous amount. It’s all a risk that you’ll need to decide whether it’s worth it or not.</p>

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<p>ClassicRockerDad and GladGradDad here is what i will say–maybe if i talk to my family friend he we give me a good deal and tell me the TRUTH about a vehicle that he has, a cheap one, and hopefully wont screw me over. he sells used cars and i’m not really sure what to expect if i go to him, truly. ill call him tomorrow morning to get his opinion but the unknown scares me a lot.</p>

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<p>There may still be someone willing to rent a room or something even in the suburbs. Are there any colleges near where you work? Maybe there is a prof going on sabbatical that needs a house sitter? Have you asked friends or family if they know of anyone with a room to rent or looked in the classified ads for apartments? I guess you need to make a choice of continuing to live at home or finding a job that you can support yourself even if you have to quit your current job. You should be able to string 2 part time jobs together to make enough to survive for 8 months though.</p>

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<p>that’s a hard choice to make SteveMA, and i will begin to explore the items you suggested. my only problem is this–going to school. my dad never wants to seem like the bad guy to people on the outside. he will do everything he can when we have a conflict to make it seem like i ran wild when he didn’t do anything (when the reality is, he or both parties are at fault, but he is the “i’m right always and what i say goes” type). he’s also a pretty smooth talker. this is why he won’t ‘‘kick me out’’ but instead '‘push me to leave’–if he kicks me out, he’s a bad father. but if i make the choice to leave, i’m responsible for myself and it becomes my choice therefore his hands are clean. and if i leave, it no longer becomes his responsibility to pay for school because ‘‘hey, she left’’. but if i stay, then to avoid looking like the bad guy he is more likely to contribute to financing my education or atleast helping me get to campus, which i need. he has already hinted that he ‘‘doesn’t have enough money to pay my tuition’’ though his 6 figure salary and his 100 percent EFC has me suspicious. i don’t want to give him anymore reasons not to contribute by moving out completely.</p>

<p>don’t get me wrong i’m a sensible kid and i know i have it pretty good compared to others cause i know it’s a cruel world out there–im not disputing that. it’s just it’s hard when people don’t give you everything they can–especially when they have the means to do something and wont. i’m not the type of teen to say ''i hate you/this/my life and im 18 so i can do what i want so im leaving!" im not that dumb. the world eats people like that alive.</p>

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<p>I went to college in rural Ohio so can envision your landscape. Churches are located in town centers where things are walkable. Pastors know older congregants, some very sweet and they, ll tell you subtly who is sweet and who is nasty. They have older Victorian style homes with spare bedrooms from children who grew up and moved away. If you could rent a bedroom somewhere you could walk to a job in town, you won’t likely need to repair your feet in the next 8 months. At your age you could walk up to an hour to work so that may open up mall jobs on the edge of town, too. I would suggest calling a few pastors and network it. You don’t have to be religious to ask them. Their goal would be to get some older congregant a little rent and company. You can also barter some household chores to cut down on rent. </p>

<p>Please don’t hitch hike rides. It is terribly unsafe.</p>

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<p>Work it all at once … Try to secure a job while you network the housing “if I can get this job.” People with spare bedrooms can wait until you are sure you have the job first. And if your dad knew you were needing a ride for some nearby job interview he just might give you a ride for that purpose .</p>