Not really sure what I want to do anymore
Discussion
leef44 said:
As an accountant and a car enthusiast, I would say this is sound advice. If you sell the car, you will get the itch and then need to get another one and now it's cost you the margin between buyer and seller.
I have two cars and do less than 4000 miles a year. The SLK V8 keeps me going. I hardly use it but then you get bored, you watch youtube or read a car magazine or an article on PH then you get that itch and you want to drive.
It's almost like an addiction, I have to have that V8 in my life! If I sold it then I know I will want to buy another V8 car at some time in the future. So this is a sound financial investment because it saves me from spending again!
I do agree in some respects that the key is to hold on to something longer term. However, if the inner accountant in me comes out I start thinking about the costs for something sat in my underground parking being used for a few thousand miles a year max. I have two cars and do less than 4000 miles a year. The SLK V8 keeps me going. I hardly use it but then you get bored, you watch youtube or read a car magazine or an article on PH then you get that itch and you want to drive.
It's almost like an addiction, I have to have that V8 in my life! If I sold it then I know I will want to buy another V8 car at some time in the future. So this is a sound financial investment because it saves me from spending again!
Parking costs (opportunity costs as I own the spaces) - £130pcm
Tax - £50 pcm ish
Insurance - £80 pcm ish
Servicing - £100 pcm ish
That’s before depreciation and any cost of repairs or consumables like brakes and tyres.
£100 a week give or take for something I probably use a couple of times a month at most for enjoyment. And then there’s the cost of the shed car for the odd normal trips.
Living in a city centre suits us greatly for many things, but I struggle with the maths for a toy, albeit can afford it comfortably and I miss having a fun car.
TameRacingDriver said:
I tried that actually when I went through the same feelings before, and sold my MR2 Roadster and went without for over 18 months. By then I was itching to get back in the game.
To be fair on that occasion, I lived really near the city centre so was going out socialising a lot more, I now live more in the sticks and where all of the good roads start, and although I still socialise, perhaps not as frequently.
The problem is, especially now, even though I don't use it much, I do kind of need a car, or at least, it would seriously inconvenience me not to have one at certain times, and I can't bring myself to drive a 1.0 shopping trolley all of the time, I get enough of that when I borrow her car for quick trips. Add to that mine is worth basically piss all and costs peanuts to run (apart from the tax), as another poster said, I may as well just keep it and if I drive it only once or twice a month, so what.
Your previous situation mirrors my current one. Live bang slap in a city centre, socialise a lot. Rarely have any need for a car, not able to really tinker or even wash it as it’s in an underground car park. Used to go on runs and to meets but don’t even think about them really any more. To be fair on that occasion, I lived really near the city centre so was going out socialising a lot more, I now live more in the sticks and where all of the good roads start, and although I still socialise, perhaps not as frequently.
The problem is, especially now, even though I don't use it much, I do kind of need a car, or at least, it would seriously inconvenience me not to have one at certain times, and I can't bring myself to drive a 1.0 shopping trolley all of the time, I get enough of that when I borrow her car for quick trips. Add to that mine is worth basically piss all and costs peanuts to run (apart from the tax), as another poster said, I may as well just keep it and if I drive it only once or twice a month, so what.
Feels like a have a car shaped hole in my life where I’m
Sad not to have a toy but can’t see when I would use it so hard to justify. That said, the cash for a toy is sat in stocks and shares so hardly something I can play with.
Can see myself with another lotus in the garage in the not too distance future once I sorted a new daily/long distance bland transport.
How about (if you haven't already) taking your direct access and getting a motorbike? Gets you everywhere you need to go, and it's FUN! But keep it garaged for the rest of the time, the cost to insure and maintain is minimal (even less if you do it yourself) - so you get your speed demon fulfilled as & when you need to, but without having a ton of metal rotting on the driveway.
Or set up your own garage, that way you get to drive around in other people's cars all day long, but don't actually need one yourself... except to get to work maybe... or just get a motorbike for the commute!
Just a thought!
Or set up your own garage, that way you get to drive around in other people's cars all day long, but don't actually need one yourself... except to get to work maybe... or just get a motorbike for the commute!
Just a thought!
Interesting, all this talk of sim racing etc.
My 15 year old is heavily into it, albeit without most of the spendy kit shown on here. He enjoys building the cars, tweaking setups and aero and the like - even asking my advice on occasion!
I've watched a couple of endurance races with him, too - including the Le Mans 24hrs - and was fascinated by the realistic rendering, strategies employed and calibre of some of the drivers (some bloke called Max Verstappen has been seen racing).
Three things amuse me though:
- The presence of some sort of algorithm that determines whose car should suffer mechanical failures
- The presence of some sort of algorithm that determines the weather
- The fact that when they pit there is nobody there! No blur of mechanics changing tyres, no refuelling: just a car parked outside a garage for a few seconds.
Overall though, I reckon they're quite enjoyable races to watch.
I'm 54: when I was at school, computers had green DOS screens...
My 15 year old is heavily into it, albeit without most of the spendy kit shown on here. He enjoys building the cars, tweaking setups and aero and the like - even asking my advice on occasion!
I've watched a couple of endurance races with him, too - including the Le Mans 24hrs - and was fascinated by the realistic rendering, strategies employed and calibre of some of the drivers (some bloke called Max Verstappen has been seen racing).
Three things amuse me though:
- The presence of some sort of algorithm that determines whose car should suffer mechanical failures
- The presence of some sort of algorithm that determines the weather
- The fact that when they pit there is nobody there! No blur of mechanics changing tyres, no refuelling: just a car parked outside a garage for a few seconds.
Overall though, I reckon they're quite enjoyable races to watch.
I'm 54: when I was at school, computers had green DOS screens...
Don’t underestimate how much money plays on your mind. When you were 21 you were probably single and mortgage/rent free. You didn’t have to worry about children, pensions, partners or aging parents. You just looked at what you could afford that took your fancy and went for it.
When middle age hits you look at how hard you work and how much of that effort is required to pay for a new car. It doesn’t add up, especially when you factor in boring responsibility.
I could afford a much more expensive car but don’t because I want something that excites me. Something like my EP3 CTR did in 2002. There isn’t anything. The only way to do it is modification and that gets very pricy very quickly and resale become a problem. The regulators and the car companies have conspired to bugger up the industry. It’s really sad and I don’t know how the problem can be reversed. Good job I’ve got the TVR.
When middle age hits you look at how hard you work and how much of that effort is required to pay for a new car. It doesn’t add up, especially when you factor in boring responsibility.
I could afford a much more expensive car but don’t because I want something that excites me. Something like my EP3 CTR did in 2002. There isn’t anything. The only way to do it is modification and that gets very pricy very quickly and resale become a problem. The regulators and the car companies have conspired to bugger up the industry. It’s really sad and I don’t know how the problem can be reversed. Good job I’ve got the TVR.
SonicHedgeHog said:
Don’t underestimate how much money plays on your mind. When you were 21 you were probably single and mortgage/rent free. You didn’t have to worry about children, pensions, partners or aging parents. You just looked at what you could afford that took your fancy and went for it.
When middle age hits you look at how hard you work and how much of that effort is required to pay for a new car. It doesn’t add up, especially when you factor in boring responsibility.
I could afford a much more expensive car but don’t because I want something that excites me. Something like my EP3 CTR did in 2002. There isn’t anything. The only way to do it is modification and that gets very pricy very quickly and resale become a problem. The regulators and the car companies have conspired to bugger up the industry. It’s really sad and I don’t know how the problem can be reversed. Good job I’ve got the TVR.
Oh I don't underestimate that, I'm someone who has a bad history of stretching themselves to debt for cars just because I fancied it at the time.When middle age hits you look at how hard you work and how much of that effort is required to pay for a new car. It doesn’t add up, especially when you factor in boring responsibility.
I could afford a much more expensive car but don’t because I want something that excites me. Something like my EP3 CTR did in 2002. There isn’t anything. The only way to do it is modification and that gets very pricy very quickly and resale become a problem. The regulators and the car companies have conspired to bugger up the industry. It’s really sad and I don’t know how the problem can be reversed. Good job I’ve got the TVR.
I am looking at other cars but at the same time the sensible part of the brain which remembers the trouble I got myself into is screaming at me to make do with what I've got.
It's not like the car I have isn't fun either. Sometimes I feel like I'm never happy with what I've got, which is annoying and something I've been working on over the years. I'm better than I was for sure, but that little devil on the shoulder never goes away.
Turbobanana said:
Three things amuse me though:
- The presence of some sort of algorithm that determines whose car should suffer mechanical failures
That I'm not aware of. 'Drivers' can overstress and break engines, gearboxes etc and cars can be damaged by accidents, or in my case, rubbish driving. But, random failures is new to me. - The presence of some sort of algorithm that determines whose car should suffer mechanical failures
However, I only know a little. Maybe some games have that feature?
Oh, I'm way older than you too!
Edited by Blib on Thursday 9th February 16:21
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