Can I justify a second car? Responsibilities and such...
Discussion
Sold the Z4MC to buy a Saab Aero TTDi Estate. Have a fair bit burning a hole in savings (to me anyway).
Have a newborn lad 4months old, hence the reason for the SAAB. I want him to be a petrolhead and be like: "Daddy drives a f
king fast car" when he is a tad older.
Bit sad i know. Just feel so fricking old (I'm 33 btw). What happened to enjoying life? Could be I grew up in a household where money was scarce, and my folks sacrificed the good things in life to ensure their kids had a decent start.
Is it becoming more and more difficult to justify ones passion for cars? I'm talking about the average bod here, not the 1% who can go out and buy anything they want.
I'm hankering after a E46 M3 Cab/Impreza, anything with 300bhp+ like a crazy person. But I know it probably will not be used as the Saab ticks a lot of boxes. Then again, It is something which make me a tad happier and get me back to where i used to be when it came to cars..
Have a newborn lad 4months old, hence the reason for the SAAB. I want him to be a petrolhead and be like: "Daddy drives a f
king fast car" when he is a tad older.Bit sad i know. Just feel so fricking old (I'm 33 btw). What happened to enjoying life? Could be I grew up in a household where money was scarce, and my folks sacrificed the good things in life to ensure their kids had a decent start.
Is it becoming more and more difficult to justify ones passion for cars? I'm talking about the average bod here, not the 1% who can go out and buy anything they want.
I'm hankering after a E46 M3 Cab/Impreza, anything with 300bhp+ like a crazy person. But I know it probably will not be used as the Saab ticks a lot of boxes. Then again, It is something which make me a tad happier and get me back to where i used to be when it came to cars..
If you can afford it and the car dosnt owe you anything then why not.
We are currently trying for a baby and I am looking at RX7's at the moment. We have both talked about it and we can afford it so there isn't a problem.
At the end of the day it dosnt cost a lot to run and if it does it just gets garaged until the problem is fixed (I am pretty good at sorting problems myself).
Just because you have a kid dosn't mean you should put your life on hold, it just means you have to comprimise a little bit more. I can see myself going for a midnight blat to relax plus that gives me plenty of time for the little nipper.
We are currently trying for a baby and I am looking at RX7's at the moment. We have both talked about it and we can afford it so there isn't a problem.
At the end of the day it dosnt cost a lot to run and if it does it just gets garaged until the problem is fixed (I am pretty good at sorting problems myself).
Just because you have a kid dosn't mean you should put your life on hold, it just means you have to comprimise a little bit more. I can see myself going for a midnight blat to relax plus that gives me plenty of time for the little nipper.
I'm in a similar position (albeit a year or so further on, both in terms of my age and little one's age) and I'm considering treating myself to the E46 M3 I've always wanted.
My criteria though is that is cannot affect the rest of the family. I would feel like a price if we couldn't go on holiday or he couldn't have something nice for Christmas because of 'daddy's silly car'. I also have to accept the fact that if something major goes wrong I will have to fix it and move it on to recoup the expense.
If you have properly done the maths, allowed for unexpected expenditure and you can still afford it, I say why not, but as The Fox says above your kids should be number 1 priority.
My criteria though is that is cannot affect the rest of the family. I would feel like a price
if we couldn't go on holiday or he couldn't have something nice for Christmas because of 'daddy's silly car'. I also have to accept the fact that if something major goes wrong I will have to fix it and move it on to recoup the expense.If you have properly done the maths, allowed for unexpected expenditure and you can still afford it, I say why not, but as The Fox says above your kids should be number 1 priority.
The Crack Fox][sensible head said:
Your lad won't remember flash metal at his age, he'll remember who took him swimming, who taught him to read, who played football with him. Get a cheap and depreciation-free classic when you're both older and enjoy some spannering with him then.[/sensible head]
/Father of 3.
I remember all of my dad's flash cars and they bring me my best memories. My dad also taught me how to swim /Father of 3.
My Mrs. talked me into buying a TVR S2 when she was 5 months pregnant! Currently trying to justify buying a 4th car (not counting hers). Well, one is un-MOTed and the potential new car comes from a family member so it would be silly to let it go...
If you can afford it why not? Doesn't have to be expensive and you can always get rid.
If you can afford it why not? Doesn't have to be expensive and you can always get rid.
Don't over estimate how much mileage you think you'll do in something special if you have a kiddie (and all the paraphernalia) and a large comfy car available.
I won't tell you how many miles the lotus has done this year, but it's likely that the tyres will go off before they wear out.
I won't tell you how many miles the lotus has done this year, but it's likely that the tyres will go off before they wear out.
The justification's easy:
Things that are paid by the mile: fuel, insurance (to some extent), tyre wear, servicing (to some extent), wear on other components (brake, clutch etc).
Things that are flat payments regardless of mileage: VED and some servicing and insurance.
Owning a second car isn't really that much more expensive than owning one. Plus, if your daily can then be more normal and do more to the gallon, less to insure, cheaper tyres etc it can actually work out cheaper.
I've owned 2 cars since I was 25 and wouldn't consider anything else. Something that I enjoy on a B road or race track is not going to be the same car I want to commute in or travel long distances down the motorway in - in terms of noise, fuel cost or tyre cost and vice versa (what fun b road cars can you put a kayak on the roof of? Super saloons, of which I've tried plenty, are nowhere near as nice to drive as an Caterham, Elise or Boxster on a back road). I've tried the one car thing and it ends up just being an expensive and naff compromise for both environments. In fact soon I may move to three cars! (which I have done once before).
Things that are paid by the mile: fuel, insurance (to some extent), tyre wear, servicing (to some extent), wear on other components (brake, clutch etc).
Things that are flat payments regardless of mileage: VED and some servicing and insurance.
Owning a second car isn't really that much more expensive than owning one. Plus, if your daily can then be more normal and do more to the gallon, less to insure, cheaper tyres etc it can actually work out cheaper.
I've owned 2 cars since I was 25 and wouldn't consider anything else. Something that I enjoy on a B road or race track is not going to be the same car I want to commute in or travel long distances down the motorway in - in terms of noise, fuel cost or tyre cost and vice versa (what fun b road cars can you put a kayak on the roof of? Super saloons, of which I've tried plenty, are nowhere near as nice to drive as an Caterham, Elise or Boxster on a back road). I've tried the one car thing and it ends up just being an expensive and naff compromise for both environments. In fact soon I may move to three cars! (which I have done once before).
We've always had a 2-seater, and we have three kids between us. We used to have a Clio 1.2 Grande for the boring stuff, which cost next to nothing to run, and used the fun cars for, err, fun!
One positive is that now the kids are in their late teens, they are proper petrolheads! With that in mind, you might say that it is your duty to introduce your kids to these great cars!
One positive is that now the kids are in their late teens, they are proper petrolheads! With that in mind, you might say that it is your duty to introduce your kids to these great cars!
I have an old avensis estate for household duties like going to the tip, B&Q, etc. I also commute in it over winter. It cost me £950.
My wife's car is a really nice mini cooper-s clubman. Cracking car, costing 10x what i paid for the avensis.
Ben (my 3 yr old) loves my avensis. I unlock it and let him to play with it (our driveway is safe and he never has the key, plus i keep an eye on him). He sits on my lap and does the steering, indicators and wipers while we go back and forward along the drive.
Ask him which car is better and he'll say "daddy's".
I also bought an mx-5 as a winter toy, known to ben as "daddy's new car". He plays in that too, though i'm yet to take him out in it (no isofix).
My two cheap cars are more than enough to stir his interest in cars at his age.
Once he hits 5yrs old+, i am thinking that i should get something more interesting to replace the avensis though. Something that makes a nice noise too.
My wife's car is a really nice mini cooper-s clubman. Cracking car, costing 10x what i paid for the avensis.
Ben (my 3 yr old) loves my avensis. I unlock it and let him to play with it (our driveway is safe and he never has the key, plus i keep an eye on him). He sits on my lap and does the steering, indicators and wipers while we go back and forward along the drive.
Ask him which car is better and he'll say "daddy's".
I also bought an mx-5 as a winter toy, known to ben as "daddy's new car". He plays in that too, though i'm yet to take him out in it (no isofix).
My two cheap cars are more than enough to stir his interest in cars at his age.
Once he hits 5yrs old+, i am thinking that i should get something more interesting to replace the avensis though. Something that makes a nice noise too.
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