"Man Maths" and your best/worst examples thereof please...
Discussion
I'm applying some of these at the moment (details will be revealed here if it pans out as intended), but this morning a realisation dawned upon me.
If I forgo a daily morning coffee and Sunday breakfast from the friendly folk at my local (and others - it's surely a bad sign when you're recognised at more than one) Starbucks - yes I know and don't care, then that adds up to just over £25 per week. Given that I don't smoke and barely drink (the latter as a result of preferring to drive), I justify my vice accordingly.
However, for some reason I decided to multiply that by 50 weeks and realised that's £1,250pa. I'm looking at buying a cheapy E36 to run as a daily now that I'm without a company car and fuel card and possibly staying that way if I pursue one path open to me.
No coffee for a year = free car. That still has some value at the end of the year - which will doubtless be offset by what it will cost to maintain, but as £1,250 will buy, insure and tax the thing, it seems a small sacrifice to make...
..but can I exercise that much self-discipline?
I severely doubt it, ergo Man Maths. What examples do you have?
There is another far more rational justification too that boringly does add up, the realisation above just happened to amuse me
If I forgo a daily morning coffee and Sunday breakfast from the friendly folk at my local (and others - it's surely a bad sign when you're recognised at more than one) Starbucks - yes I know and don't care, then that adds up to just over £25 per week. Given that I don't smoke and barely drink (the latter as a result of preferring to drive), I justify my vice accordingly.
However, for some reason I decided to multiply that by 50 weeks and realised that's £1,250pa. I'm looking at buying a cheapy E36 to run as a daily now that I'm without a company car and fuel card and possibly staying that way if I pursue one path open to me.
No coffee for a year = free car. That still has some value at the end of the year - which will doubtless be offset by what it will cost to maintain, but as £1,250 will buy, insure and tax the thing, it seems a small sacrifice to make...
..but can I exercise that much self-discipline?
I severely doubt it, ergo Man Maths. What examples do you have?
There is another far more rational justification too that boringly does add up, the realisation above just happened to amuse me
A familiar set of circumstances to many classic car owners will be
"Oh crap, I think I need a new <<expensive item>>. It's going to be £500. Bugger, I can do without spending that."
Sometime later....
"That's good, it wasn't the <<expensive item>> it was just the flange trunnion doofer.
It's only cost £10 to fix, so now I've got a spare £490 to spend".
"Oh crap, I think I need a new <<expensive item>>. It's going to be £500. Bugger, I can do without spending that."
Sometime later....
"That's good, it wasn't the <<expensive item>> it was just the flange trunnion doofer.
It's only cost £10 to fix, so now I've got a spare £490 to spend".
Using a tank (50L) of superunleaded every 4 days commuting at 25mpg... but that's only an extra hundred and fifty quid a month over what an 'orrible diesel would cost and therefore a bargain.
Just laid out 460 tax, 800 on the M extended warranty, 500 insurance, 800 tyres/service... still cheaper than the depreciation on the 123D i swapped for it (completely ignoring depreciation on the M)
Now i've written that down i'm feeling a bit queasy.
Just laid out 460 tax, 800 on the M extended warranty, 500 insurance, 800 tyres/service... still cheaper than the depreciation on the 123D i swapped for it (completely ignoring depreciation on the M)
Now i've written that down i'm feeling a bit queasy.
Don't get whats "man" about this???
I do this all the time. Take for example I sold my Porsche which was £500 to insure per year and I'm replacing it with a Series 1 or 2 Jaguar XJ6 which is a shade under £200 to insure per year, which means if I keep it for 3 years I save £900, hey presto "Darling, I've magiced an extra £900 to spend on a Jag" .... most cars last 3-6 months with me ...
Thing is both me and OH are both as bad as each other when it comes to cars .... sooooo it doesn't really work!
I do this all the time. Take for example I sold my Porsche which was £500 to insure per year and I'm replacing it with a Series 1 or 2 Jaguar XJ6 which is a shade under £200 to insure per year, which means if I keep it for 3 years I save £900, hey presto "Darling, I've magiced an extra £900 to spend on a Jag" .... most cars last 3-6 months with me ...
Thing is both me and OH are both as bad as each other when it comes to cars .... sooooo it doesn't really work!
I posted something similar a while ago in the HSV forum...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Good old Man Maths.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Good old Man Maths.
Not quite "Man Maths"
Upon recieving my inheritence I told my mum I was going to spend £25k on an M5. Mother was less than impressed with this idea saying I was mad, waste of money etc. So I told her she was right, £25k was too much for a car and i'd be buying a £10k motorbike instead. The first words from her mouth upon hearing the "M" word were "go buy the car!!"
Upon recieving my inheritence I told my mum I was going to spend £25k on an M5. Mother was less than impressed with this idea saying I was mad, waste of money etc. So I told her she was right, £25k was too much for a car and i'd be buying a £10k motorbike instead. The first words from her mouth upon hearing the "M" word were "go buy the car!!"
PH Classifieds budget escalation.
I start looking at for example a basic S1 Elise for £7k. But it's only a bit more for a 160. Then not much more for a nice VX220 Turbo. But if I'm looking at those it isn't really a major leap to a S2 111R. Before I know it I'm browsing the Exiges and wondering where I'm going to get four times my original budget from.
I start looking at for example a basic S1 Elise for £7k. But it's only a bit more for a 160. Then not much more for a nice VX220 Turbo. But if I'm looking at those it isn't really a major leap to a S2 111R. Before I know it I'm browsing the Exiges and wondering where I'm going to get four times my original budget from.
I'm considering buying a mini-lathe do do little bits and pieces for my project car like bushes and widgets, as well as knocking up various tools for working on my main car without having to bother a dealer for a 'special service tool'.
This will set me back >£500.
I could buy a car for less than that. So I'm now looking for a £500 car for commuting when I do any serious maintenance on my other cars. Ideally one that is small fun and cheap to run.
But then a small car will need filling with fuel and insuring/taxing. This will cost a lot of money, possibly even another £500 over the year.
So now its £1000 for a small car, or £500 for a lathe. The lathe is now a bargain
PS - yes I know they can't be used for the same things and so I'd still need the lathe and something to drive while I work on my commuter car, but this helps justify it all. Honestly.
This will set me back >£500.
I could buy a car for less than that. So I'm now looking for a £500 car for commuting when I do any serious maintenance on my other cars. Ideally one that is small fun and cheap to run.
But then a small car will need filling with fuel and insuring/taxing. This will cost a lot of money, possibly even another £500 over the year.
So now its £1000 for a small car, or £500 for a lathe. The lathe is now a bargain
PS - yes I know they can't be used for the same things and so I'd still need the lathe and something to drive while I work on my commuter car, but this helps justify it all. Honestly.
My ManMaths expertise is second to none - the number of times I've explained away the new addition on the drive to my wife through the use of complicated fabricated equations is high. Eventually she gets bored of listening and just asks me to sell something to make room...
Best ones are:
- I don't smoke any more, so if I did that would be seven quid a day
- I go out less these days, so thats fifty quid a week
- This type of car depreciates more slowly so it is actually saving money for me to buy it
- I bought it cheap through some killer negotiations, so technically it is free for the first year
- Cars are my hobby, you spend twenty quid a week horse riding so I can spend the same on the hobby bit of my car(s)
- I get a car allowance, but that's for my business miles, so I need to spend more on a car that meets my weekend requirements too or buy at least one extra to cover this
You can also spread the costs out over a much longer time than you anticipate to keep the car. I quite often use the 'but it will only cost me a total of 5k a year' whilst omitting the 'if I kept it for 15 years' bit.
The secret is to approach it like dragons den - know your numbers and say them with confidence!
Best ones are:
- I don't smoke any more, so if I did that would be seven quid a day
- I go out less these days, so thats fifty quid a week
- This type of car depreciates more slowly so it is actually saving money for me to buy it
- I bought it cheap through some killer negotiations, so technically it is free for the first year
- Cars are my hobby, you spend twenty quid a week horse riding so I can spend the same on the hobby bit of my car(s)
- I get a car allowance, but that's for my business miles, so I need to spend more on a car that meets my weekend requirements too or buy at least one extra to cover this
You can also spread the costs out over a much longer time than you anticipate to keep the car. I quite often use the 'but it will only cost me a total of 5k a year' whilst omitting the 'if I kept it for 15 years' bit.
The secret is to approach it like dragons den - know your numbers and say them with confidence!
Edited by Hitch78 on Wednesday 27th July 12:01
cycle to work to save £100 a month on petrol
Buy new wheels for bike to make it lighter, new gears to make it slicker, new bling to make it cooler, new jacket for when it rains, new boots for when it is cold (I can purchase all these things because I'm not spending anything on petrol)!
Man maths!
Buy new wheels for bike to make it lighter, new gears to make it slicker, new bling to make it cooler, new jacket for when it rains, new boots for when it is cold (I can purchase all these things because I'm not spending anything on petrol)!
Man maths!
mr_fibuli said:
PH Classifieds budget escalation.
I start looking at for example a basic S1 Elise for £7k. But it's only a bit more for a 160. Then not much more for a nice VX220 Turbo. But if I'm looking at those it isn't really a major leap to a S2 111R. Before I know it I'm browsing the Exiges and wondering where I'm going to get four times my original budget from.
THis is a perfect example of man maths. I start looking at for example a basic S1 Elise for £7k. But it's only a bit more for a 160. Then not much more for a nice VX220 Turbo. But if I'm looking at those it isn't really a major leap to a S2 111R. Before I know it I'm browsing the Exiges and wondering where I'm going to get four times my original budget from.
i was driving 310 miles a week for work in my 30 mpg civic type R. now i have moved closer to work so only drive about 50 miles for work a week. this is 85ish% less. so therefore i can now buy a car which does 85% less mpg. not sure what yet? i think maybe an RS6 or M5 maybe an old 911
Haribo Man said:
cycle to work to save £100 a month on petrol
Buy new wheels for bike to make it lighter, new gears to make it slicker, new bling to make it cooler, new jacket for when it rains, new boots for when it is cold (I can purchase all these things because I'm not spending anything on petrol)!
Man maths!
I'm the same... I now have a £1,300 bike with £400 wheels, and plenty of other trimmings. I could never justify spending that on a toy, but because I use it for work, it saves me £25 a week.Buy new wheels for bike to make it lighter, new gears to make it slicker, new bling to make it cooler, new jacket for when it rains, new boots for when it is cold (I can purchase all these things because I'm not spending anything on petrol)!
Man maths!
In fact, it just about pays for itself over a year, so I can go shopping again in 6 months time...
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