"New baby forces sale"
Discussion
CarlosV8 said:
We've got the generic people shifter on the driveway, and yes, that is generally used for baby duties. However this means my Monaro is basically only getting used for commuting and the odd bit of hoonage, whilst doing 13mpg.
I managed to fit all the stuff for two kids (a four year old and a baby) into a Ford KA.I can't imagine what you think you need that won't fit into something as humungous as a Monaro.
Gaz. said:
St John Smythe said:
I think aww999's post should be a warning to all men. Once you become the 'stay at home' Dad, you're knackered. Your wife controls the purse strings, I mean on the occasions you want to pop out for a quick beer with mates (in between changing nappies) do you ask your other half for pocket money? Sounds awful!!!
I can think of two blokes I know who both earn £25-30k each and are still alloted 'pocket money', what they can spend on what, who there friends are and how their spend their ever decreasing spare time.This is a bigger thing than who is the breadwinner or who stays at home with the kids.
DJFish said:
We have three cars.
We used to need two of them, now we only really use one so we're flogging the wife's car.
It's not a conscious decision, it's just the difference between two people living together and 'family' use.
In fact the one car we use regularly is a bit tight on space due to our decision to use rear facing car seats, when no.2 arrives it'll be even more snug.
Most 'baby forces' sales are simply due to practical reasons.
We used to need two of them, now we only really use one so we're flogging the wife's car.
It's not a conscious decision, it's just the difference between two people living together and 'family' use.
In fact the one car we use regularly is a bit tight on space due to our decision to use rear facing car seats, when no.2 arrives it'll be even more snug.
Most 'baby forces' sales are simply due to practical reasons.
had to sell my boxster last year, for the birth of my son, needed to get a family car (seat leon cupra TDI) but made sure i kept enough change back for an mx5 for the weekend and track days, sadly doesnt get used as much as i would like but do take it to work and back from time to time. Hopefully will fit in a few track days in 2013, but i can see how people cant find the time to use them once they have kids.
Gaz. said:
I can think of two blokes I know who both earn £25-30k each and are still alloted 'pocket money', what they can spend on what, who there friends are and how their spend their ever decreasing spare time.
This is a bigger thing than who is the breadwinner or who stays at home with the kids.
^^^^ This. I know many couple's where the husband is the main bread winner but they still get pocket money and told what they can and can't spend money on. I even know one fella who has to keep a spreadsheet and account for every penny he spends. Yes marriage is about compromise but it seems when it comes to finances, it's the blokes that do most of the compromising for some reason and changing a car for baby is one of those situations where I feel many blokes are forced into it by their other halves.This is a bigger thing than who is the breadwinner or who stays at home with the kids.
Yes obviously major purchases need a discussion, especially if they are large enough to effect overall finances but otherwise I am a firm believer in if you've earned it, you can spend it how you like.
jimxms said:
cymtriks said:
I managed to fit all the stuff for two kids (a four year old and a baby) into a Ford KA.
I can't imagine what you think you need that won't fit into something as humungous as a Monaro.
3 kids, a double buggy and 2 weeks of shopping for a family of 5?I can't imagine what you think you need that won't fit into something as humungous as a Monaro.
Actually, I recall taking five people walking and caving in the KA, three adults two kids, picnic, napsacks...
You do realise that there is at least two shopping bags worth of space in front of the babys seat (because his legs can't reach there anyway), two between the rear seats and one in the wifes footwell.
The Monaro is more than big enough, maybe some people are just rubbish at packing?
Guvernator said:
Gaz. said:
I can think of two blokes I know who both earn £25-30k each and are still alloted 'pocket money', what they can spend on what, who there friends are and how their spend their ever decreasing spare time.
This is a bigger thing than who is the breadwinner or who stays at home with the kids.
^^^^ This. I know many couple's where the husband is the main bread winner but they still get pocket money and told what they can and can't spend money on. I even know one fella who has to keep a spreadsheet and account for every penny he spends. Yes marriage is about compromise but it seems when it comes to finances, it's the blokes that do most of the compromising for some reason and changing a car for baby is one of those situations where I feel many blokes are forced into it by their other halves.This is a bigger thing than who is the breadwinner or who stays at home with the kids.
Yes obviously major purchases need a discussion, especially if they are large enough to effect overall finances but otherwise I am a firm believer in if you've earned it, you can spend it how you like.
www.wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_money_mistress
cymtriks said:
Ah, that'll be the Focus then. Junior 1, Junior 2, Junior 2's friend, holiday luggage and shopping.
Actually, I recall taking five people walking and caving in the KA, three adults two kids, picnic, napsacks...
You do realise that there is at least two shopping bags worth of space in front of the babys seat (because his legs can't reach there anyway), two between the rear seats and one in the wifes footwell.
The Monaro is more than big enough, maybe some people are just rubbish at packing?
I must be, because I often find it hard to fit everything we need in my LWB LS460! Especially when you try to go away on holiday for a couple of weeks.Actually, I recall taking five people walking and caving in the KA, three adults two kids, picnic, napsacks...
You do realise that there is at least two shopping bags worth of space in front of the babys seat (because his legs can't reach there anyway), two between the rear seats and one in the wifes footwell.
The Monaro is more than big enough, maybe some people are just rubbish at packing?
Personally I think the reasoning behind most peoples decision to go for an MPV is that you've already made your life difficult with kids, why make it even harder trying to stuff them and everything for them inside a small car.
Guvernator said:
Gaz. said:
I can think of two blokes I know who both earn £25-30k each and are still alloted 'pocket money', what they can spend on what, who there friends are and how their spend their ever decreasing spare time.
This is a bigger thing than who is the breadwinner or who stays at home with the kids.
^^^^ This. I know many couple's where the husband is the main bread winner but they still get pocket money and told what they can and can't spend money on. I even know one fella who has to keep a spreadsheet and account for every penny he spends. Yes marriage is about compromise but it seems when it comes to finances, it's the blokes that do most of the compromising for some reason and changing a car for baby is one of those situations where I feel many blokes are forced into it by their other halves.This is a bigger thing than who is the breadwinner or who stays at home with the kids.
Yes obviously major purchases need a discussion, especially if they are large enough to effect overall finances but otherwise I am a firm believer in if you've earned it, you can spend it how you like.
We have our 1st baby on the way in a few months and whilst I'd love to have a toy in the garage as well as a family wagon, I'm trying to think when I would ever get to use it. I work hard during the week, so at the weekend will likely spend time with the wife and nipper. If we go anywhere, we're likely to all go together, so what use is a toy for that?
When I was a kid we had a Mini Clubman Estate for our family of four until I was about seven and my brother was five. We then "upgraded" to a Talbot Horizon. We all know how big a Mini is and a Horizon is probably about the size of a modern Fiesta. Having small cars didn't stop us going to France on holiday with all our luggage; we just fitted a roofrack.
cymtriks said:
I managed to fit all the stuff for two kids (a four year old and a baby) into a Ford KA.
I can't imagine what you think you need that won't fit into something as humungous as a Monaro.
Did you even read my post? I never said it wasn't big enough, in fact it's huge but the space isn't particularly practical. The 2 front seats are like massive armchairs, but this means the it's difficult to get in the back, especially with something as unweildy as a baby seat. Slow seat motors don't help either! And although the boot is fairly big on my model (later Monaros had a fuel tank in there and therefore very little usable space), because it's essentially a saloon once the pram is in there there's not a lot more room.I can't imagine what you think you need that won't fit into something as humungous as a Monaro.
We manage with it when required, but in reality it's easier to use the wife's Picasso as everything can just be lobbed in. Now I could live with the Monaro, but I've taken the decision to get something more practical - it might be some sort of Volvo T5 estate, 330d Touring or just a boggo diesel estate, I'm not sure yet, but it won't be something small like a Ka and it won't be an MPV.
In the short term the money released from the Monaro will help pay for a GTi6 conversion on my 309, and in the longer term the money saved each month will go towards stuff like a bigger house or perhaps a VXR8. Weakness? I don't think so, a touch of sensible-ness? Maybe. But I've always made sure I have some sort of interesting car, whether it was my daily drive or locked in the garage, and that won't change any time soon!
oyster said:
It's not so much about spending what you've earnt, it's about making use of that spend.
We have our 1st baby on the way in a few months and whilst I'd love to have a toy in the garage as well as a family wagon, I'm trying to think when I would ever get to use it. I work hard during the week, so at the weekend will likely spend time with the wife and nipper. If we go anywhere, we're likely to all go together, so what use is a toy for that?
Oh I totally agree but I wasn't advocating splurging money on a toy when a baby is due, that would be a bit selfish, however at the same time their is no need to totally give up on life and trade in for an MPV either. We have our 1st baby on the way in a few months and whilst I'd love to have a toy in the garage as well as a family wagon, I'm trying to think when I would ever get to use it. I work hard during the week, so at the weekend will likely spend time with the wife and nipper. If we go anywhere, we're likely to all go together, so what use is a toy for that?
There are many practical yet still fun cars which are perfectly adequate to ferry baby around too. What I see many many times and object to is this totally illogical panic which seems to ensue when baby is due.
Just recently a friend traded in a perfectly acceptable 5 door Golf GTI (which he loved) for a Kia something or other (which he hates) which isn't really any more practical, economical or has as decent a residual value because he thought he needed to for baby's sake. It's almost as if the act of having to give up the decent car in exchange for a sh*tbox MPV is some weird right of passage to fatherhood. Either that or they have been forced into it by peer pressure\other half\family.
oyster said:
It's not so much about spending what you've earnt, it's about making use of that spend.
We have our 1st baby on the way in a few months and whilst I'd love to have a toy in the garage as well as a family wagon, I'm trying to think when I would ever get to use it. I work hard during the week, so at the weekend will likely spend time with the wife and nipper. If we go anywhere, we're likely to all go together, so what use is a toy for that?
This is very much the position I find myself in.We have our 1st baby on the way in a few months and whilst I'd love to have a toy in the garage as well as a family wagon, I'm trying to think when I would ever get to use it. I work hard during the week, so at the weekend will likely spend time with the wife and nipper. If we go anywhere, we're likely to all go together, so what use is a toy for that?
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff