Elio Amazed
Elio Addict
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2014
- Messages
- 3,507
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I've always had a spare car. I work on them myself. Over the last 30 years I've tracked the cost of keeping that spare as opposed to not having it. In the end, it costs more vs the mileage and time I keep them as opposed to just having one. Since the spare car ends up being the older one, it's more prone to having an issue as opposed to having that spare car being new. It is convenient to have that spare car but not necessary and when you look at just 10 years of ownership of both, not just the upkeep on both but insurance, license and inspection that they both need every year. So, paying just those three for a car that sits 90% of the time is not the best use of money. Same for cable TV. When the TV bill is the same whether it's on 100% or 10%. Same for when something like a transmission controller goes out. It's a harder pill to swallow when the car is only driven 10% of the time as opposed to 90%.
What it comes down to is, it's a convenience car. It ends up making your overall cost go up over a year but you are willing to pay to have it sitting there in case you need it. It's no different when someone has to buy the latest version of a phone because it'll do more when in fact, all then do with it within a week is text, check social media, take selfies and make a phone call once in a while. People justify it because of the convenience of having some new feature.
It's NOT just a convenience especially for the high-miler unless that's all they let it be.
That second vehicle is an opportunity instead of a liability if you think of it as such.
Being creative and frugal is not just a hobby for a few individuals. It's a lifestyle.
Having that vehicle CAN be totally the opposite of your phone example.
I paid $79 for an Android with all the bells and whistles two years ago.
I transferred 3900 accumulated minutes from my 10 year old LG four days ago.
They GAVE me 3900 texts and 1000mb of data. The old phone used minutes for everything.
I pay $19 every three months. And I get triple minutes, texts and data. I use the magicjack at home.
The magicjack costs me about $25/yr and gives me everything I could ask for.
I paid $7,100 cash for a nice home including closing costs, taxes and inspections in '08.
I cancelled cable TV a couple of years ago. Problem is that I live in a "bowl" with hills 360 degrees.
Instead of getting brain damage by continuing to watch pixelation/dropout, I'm going YouTube TV @ $25/mo.
My property, school and per capita taxes all total around $300 a year.
The state subsidizes them. I checked into the cost before I bought the property.
My furnace is efficient. My December gas bill was $104. My December electric bill was $83.
Bottom line is that I have saved money with a backup.
A wise person does not speak in absolutes.
As they say, your results may vary...
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