Automotive advice requested...

CraigB

Ich bin ein Kartoffel
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Joined
Feb 14, 2007
Messages
17,814
Location
SWMO
Car(s)
Mustang SVO - Frontier Pro-4X - BRZ - D21 Hardbody
So I may be coming into a small windfall that would allow me to payoff what I owe on the truck. The question is, do I:

A. Save that money I had been spending on the monthly payment (I do have a house to build in the future).

B. Save half of it, but use the rest to finance a gas getter, daily driver, fun machine/auto-x beater (think Ford Fiesta ST/Focus ST, BRZ).

C. Save all of it, but then buy something in the $5k range around September.

D. Something I haven't thought of...

This question has been asked elsewhere, but thought I'd put it here to.
 
Adult me says to pay off the truck and use the rest to put towards your new house.

The other part, hows the truck been? Still happy with it or are you in that lull that I get after owning a car for some time? Nothing’s immediately wrong but you’re worried about the future and want to try something different because finances are good right now?

Do you have other cars to use as grocery runner? I recall you also wanting to replace your wife’s car soon-ish, perhaps maybe use some of the monies toward that.

I’m not very good with this stuff. Usually I hem and haw for months about it and then just say “fuck it” and do the thing I most want right now. As long as you’re not going to bankrupt yourself with whatever choice, what’s it matter? Making a decision is much more exciting than sitting there thinking about what’s “best.”
 
Truck is stellar, no complaints, no worries about it's future. I'll be keeping it. Plus, if I get something a bit more efficient, I'll probably drive it more often than the truck. Guaranteeing it'll last far into the future.

Currently Gena's car is fine too. I have concerns about the CVT, but I'd rather put a new one in it and keep driving it. She hasn't said she wants it to replace it anyway, so I'll let her use it to the end.

I've thought about doing the lease thing like you did, but I'm concerned about the usual 12k mile limit.
 
Will you save money by paying off the truck early? Ie, did you get a 0% loan? If it is that type of loan, you are getting free money, so bank what you get and let itmearn some interest.

Are you currently renting? If so, I recommend saving that money to help get you into your own place.
 
Nah, it's got interest. No free money for this moron.

I'm about 15 years into a 30 year on the place I'm at now. New place will be a simple cabin on the wooded acreage we bought last year. Current home would be a rental at that point, or clean it up real well and see if we can get $120k or so out of it.
 
I've thought about doing the lease thing like you did, but I'm concerned about the usual 12k mile limit.

I could only recommend a lease if you know what your mileage is year to year and are very sure it will not increase as time goes on. My mileage limit per year is also only 7,500 since I knew between both mustang and wagon each we’re about 3,500 per year plus having a company car if mileage started to increase. It was honestly a silly move because I have 3 cars now, for what?
 
Because more cars, more fun?

Oh, I did think of something to add as a potential idea. Is it time to buy a $5k Honda Acty Kei truck on the other side of the country and road trip it home?
As much as I like (or rather find hilarious) the Acty, you don't want to road trip it. Two of my friends have them and highway speeds are so low that it borders on being dangerous.
 
Are you on track to have enough in retirement to be fat n happy?

I'm self-employed, I'll retire when I am dead.


As much as I like (or rather find hilarious) the Acty, you don't want to road trip it. Two of my friends have them and highway speeds are so low that it borders on being dangerous.

I've considered that it might be a rough go, but I'd stay off interstate highways. If it were bought in the PNW, I could see a friend that moved away a number of years ago while out there.
 
Because more cars, more fun?

Yeah I guess.

Oh, I did think of something to add as a potential idea. Is it time to buy a $5k Honda Acty Kei truck on the other side of the country and road trip it home?

Only if all the other major projects are taken care of like home repair shit. :/
 
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