How do you justify a new car purchase to your OH?
Discussion
I think I've found a car that I want to buy after investigating several options and man maths seems to stack up on it. I just need to run it by the finance manager (my OH) but how can I increase my chances of that going well?
My situation is that we have two children under 3 years old (a 2.5 year old and a 6 month old), I'm the breadwinner and she stays home and looks after the children. I fully support her in this, as we decided before our first child was born that there was no point in having children if we were just going to pay someone else to raise them and besides, the job my wife had before we had children was not that well paid, so the financial benefit to her going back to work when you factor in the cost of day care was not a significant one.
With regards to the car I want to buy, it is newer and lower mileage than my current one, as well as higher spec and undoubtably more fun. I will however need to take out some finance in order to buy it, whereas I own my current vehicle outright and it has been reliable, despite coming up to 11 years old. I would have thought that if I don't change it now, it would still need to be changed in 12-18 months anyway.
How can I justify the additional monthly outlay? Well, I had a modest pay rise at work recently, although to be honest, I have just started paying into a pension scheme and the extra money pretty much covers my contributions. However, we just cancelled our cable TV service, which is a fairly substantial monthly saving and I do earn some extra money tutoring in the evenings on a fairly regular basis!
Last time I bought a car that I really wanted (my WRX), she was quite good about it, despite it being 4 years older and slightly higher mileage than the car it was replacing. However, the old car was on a PCP and the payments on the new car (WRX) were pretty much the same. I had bought her a new car the previous year though and we were recently married, so still in our honeymoon period!
She's a bit tired and grumpy at the moment though, which is understandable(as our youngest isn't sleeping that well) and yes, ultimately, I can man up and put my foot down and say I'm getting it but I don't want to have to be a dick about it! I did buy her a new car last year through necessity, as the old one had become unreliable but it's a "white goods" family car, albeit quite a decent spec. I will let her drive my new car and I think she will like it and find it fun but she'll probably try to put me off, as there are probably other house-related things that she would prefer to spend our money on.
Any advice to help me reach a diplomatic conclusion would be gratefully received (ideally a conclusion where I get my new car and she's still happy)!
My situation is that we have two children under 3 years old (a 2.5 year old and a 6 month old), I'm the breadwinner and she stays home and looks after the children. I fully support her in this, as we decided before our first child was born that there was no point in having children if we were just going to pay someone else to raise them and besides, the job my wife had before we had children was not that well paid, so the financial benefit to her going back to work when you factor in the cost of day care was not a significant one.
With regards to the car I want to buy, it is newer and lower mileage than my current one, as well as higher spec and undoubtably more fun. I will however need to take out some finance in order to buy it, whereas I own my current vehicle outright and it has been reliable, despite coming up to 11 years old. I would have thought that if I don't change it now, it would still need to be changed in 12-18 months anyway.
How can I justify the additional monthly outlay? Well, I had a modest pay rise at work recently, although to be honest, I have just started paying into a pension scheme and the extra money pretty much covers my contributions. However, we just cancelled our cable TV service, which is a fairly substantial monthly saving and I do earn some extra money tutoring in the evenings on a fairly regular basis!
Last time I bought a car that I really wanted (my WRX), she was quite good about it, despite it being 4 years older and slightly higher mileage than the car it was replacing. However, the old car was on a PCP and the payments on the new car (WRX) were pretty much the same. I had bought her a new car the previous year though and we were recently married, so still in our honeymoon period!
She's a bit tired and grumpy at the moment though, which is understandable(as our youngest isn't sleeping that well) and yes, ultimately, I can man up and put my foot down and say I'm getting it but I don't want to have to be a dick about it! I did buy her a new car last year through necessity, as the old one had become unreliable but it's a "white goods" family car, albeit quite a decent spec. I will let her drive my new car and I think she will like it and find it fun but she'll probably try to put me off, as there are probably other house-related things that she would prefer to spend our money on.
Any advice to help me reach a diplomatic conclusion would be gratefully received (ideally a conclusion where I get my new car and she's still happy)!
Watch the first bit of this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw0kuEG7NR8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw0kuEG7NR8
Edited by jdw1234 on Friday 16th January 17:20
Transiter said:
Buy your new car in the same colour as your old one, if she notices tell her she needs to get more sleep.
Or, just buy it then apologise and say it'll never happen again. I've found this is a tactic that can be reused time after time.
"forgiveness is easier to obtain than permission"Or, just buy it then apologise and say it'll never happen again. I've found this is a tactic that can be reused time after time.
ME "I'm off to have a look at that Mondeo ST wife"
HER "Yeah alright, bye" - *thinks he's always looking at cars, he only saw it this morning, no chance he'll buy it*
Four hours later
HER "WTF is that massive thing doing on our drive!"!
ME "I bought it"
Her*thinking she should have objected more before I left*
Me *thinking - too late!*
HER "Yeah alright, bye" - *thinks he's always looking at cars, he only saw it this morning, no chance he'll buy it*
Four hours later
HER "WTF is that massive thing doing on our drive!"!
ME "I bought it"
Her*thinking she should have objected more before I left*
Me *thinking - too late!*
I don't buy cars often enough for it to be a problem.
But my girlfriend owns a horse. Any extravagant purchases on my part pale into insignificance when compared to such a past time.
I could come home in a diamond encrusted Bugatti Veyron and it would still be a comparatively sensible purchase.
But my girlfriend owns a horse. Any extravagant purchases on my part pale into insignificance when compared to such a past time.
I could come home in a diamond encrusted Bugatti Veyron and it would still be a comparatively sensible purchase.
is there some man maths you can do based on depreciation of your current car, maybe a tax benefit of the new one if it has lower tax bracket, maybe the fact that an 11 year old car is getting towards the age it will need more regular maintenance or repairs, fuel efficiency etc etc.
maybe if you can prove over the course of the next 3 years it will save you money you might be onto a winner.
other than that, and the bravado above, I would suggest just being honest, explain to her why you want the car, that you work bloody hard for a living and you deserve a reward every now and again, and that you don’t waste money on fags and beer etc because cars are your passion... tug the heart strings a little, I’m sure you will be fine.
let us know how the conversation goes!
maybe if you can prove over the course of the next 3 years it will save you money you might be onto a winner.
other than that, and the bravado above, I would suggest just being honest, explain to her why you want the car, that you work bloody hard for a living and you deserve a reward every now and again, and that you don’t waste money on fags and beer etc because cars are your passion... tug the heart strings a little, I’m sure you will be fine.
let us know how the conversation goes!
On this one, I used what I will call quite sexistly, the female approach. I sulked. I complained. I moaned and whined about the old car. Then when it came to getting a 140 or 170, I continued the sulking, moaning and whining. Especially when looking at 140s..
I now have the 170 sat on the drive..
I now have the 170 sat on the drive..
Conscript said:
I don't buy cars often enough for it to be a problem.
But my girlfriend owns a horse. Any extravagant purchases on my part pale into insignificance when compared to such a past time.
I could come home in a diamond encrusted Bugatti Veyron and it would still be a comparatively sensible purchase.
My other half is an equine vet, you're absolutely spot on there.But my girlfriend owns a horse. Any extravagant purchases on my part pale into insignificance when compared to such a past time.
I could come home in a diamond encrusted Bugatti Veyron and it would still be a comparatively sensible purchase.
Even the most woefully unreliable car throws bills which pale into insignificance compared to a horse... And that's before you get to the possibility that it'll just have to be shot!
Whatever car you're looking at just make sure that it will meet her (and the kids) needs as well; if it's got family friendly features point that out to her (Isofix fittings for child seats, wide opening doors, big auto-open boot, that kind of thing).
Oh, and make sure that she likes the colour.
Give her the impression that you were thinking of the family needs as much as your own, take her to see it, get her involved - get her to like the car before you talk finance.
Unless...it's a 911 you're planning in which case forget all that. (ask forgiveness, etc)
Oh, and make sure that she likes the colour.
Give her the impression that you were thinking of the family needs as much as your own, take her to see it, get her involved - get her to like the car before you talk finance.
Unless...it's a 911 you're planning in which case forget all that. (ask forgiveness, etc)
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