mattdel

No jokes here, I want this to be a serious thread. I have a dilemma.

During the past couple days I've had the opportunity to look back on my life, what I've done, and what I've accomplished, and I realized that really, something is amiss. I've done ok as far as a job goes, I make enough money to live on at my age.

But honestly, I'm terrible with money. I have no sense of budgeting whatsoever...

I've been given the option to pick-up my car tomorrow.
Honestly, I don't know if I want it back.
Financially, it really isn't a good choice for me right now. It takes alot of gas to keep that thing running, and I don't have the time to figure it out.
Plus the fact of where I live, it's not a good choice for winter.

Do i take my car back, and pay my ex monthly for it? Or should I get rid of the "moneypit" and get something a bit more sensible and financially "pleasing", just for a year or two?

Honestly, i'm 50/50. I need to better myself as far as this budgeting aspect goes, and having the #1 car that i desire isn't good for that plan.
But on the other hand, its a mustang! you cant willingly give up a pretty nice fox vert with 88k on it.

dimebag

matt honestly if it were me, id take the car back... how bad are payments gonna be a month on it? if you can afford that and still make it thru as far as bills/food/etc are concerned then i say do it... like youve said before... its one of the one things youve really ever wanted/had... id keep it, again so long as its afordable for you, if its out of range i think your gonna have to let it go... but i say if u can, get it, if its gonna be too much, you have to let it go

jhall01

yea if you can fit it in ur budget and it not put u n a bind i would keep. i get 20mpg out of mine. which isnt that bad. if u want it bad enough u will keep the car and find a way to afford it. THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY.

adumb

it is really hard to make a decision for you since alot of us don't know all of the factors. if you still live at home then definately without a doubt get rid of the car. you have no reason owning a money pit when you could save alot of money on something more sensible. if you are on your own and have a apartment or something like that then i think you still need to get rid of the car. only reason being is that you said you have zero money to your name right now. if you make good money that is impossible.

do you party alot?
go to bars?
buy lots of electronics?

the money you are making has to go somewhere. although a car isn't hte best place to spend money it is certainly better then spending it on drugs and beer. you will never see a return on a night of partying while if you buy a car for 5g's then you can hopefully sell it for something around there. i don't even know how old you are so you might want to not grow up to fast and just have a good time right now.

something that might make you feel like there is hope is the fact that when i was 16-19 i drove like a complete idiot had 7 stangs never sold one of them cause i always crashed them first. had lots of dept from modding the cars. got my liscense revoked until further notice(ended up being 9 months). now ten years later i am a totally different person. i don't drive like a complete moron. i have learned to save money. once you start not living pay check to pay check you won't understand how you ever lived like that before. i don't even know how i didn't get stressed out when i was younger not having any money saved up for emergencies. much like you it took a chic leaving me also to get my **** straight, maybe it was kind a f u to her or something i don't know.

hopefully i made a couple coherent thoughts in this i am awefull at grammer

stangman94

Take it back until you can find a car to drive then sell it. It will just be tempting you to put money into it.
Don't tease yourself by having your dream car and not being able to mod it. Get it over with and sell it.
Once you are finacially stable and not in debt then treat yourself and buy one.

86 5.0L

honestly write down you budget on a piece of paper, then cross out everything thats not needed.

onetrickpony

I am terrible with money, I make $1000 and spend $2000. My wife really has to keep me in line because if I want something I just buy it. I dont care what it cost's. So about a month ago she sits me down and shows me how much money I blow every month and I could have thrown up. So I have been really good. MOst of the time I always talk to my wife before I buy something and if she says I cant do it I have to have self control,sometimes I am able to do it and sometime I wait a few days and then buy whatever it is I want.

Since the little sit down, I do not buy anything unless I get the ok. I honestly was blowing about $1200.00 a month on bull****, eating out, buying **** for the car just all kinds of stuff. My point is if you sit down and go over your bank account and figure out what you are spending on the stuff you really needvs the **** you just **** money away on I am sure you would **** your pants and would be able to afford the car.

ahittz24

I am 23 I barely make over $13/hr fulltime, I go to school full time, I have a 96 cavalier z-24 with rebuilt motor in tip top running shape (I didthe full rebuild to save money), I have a 91 mustang That I have COMPLETELY restored over the past 2 years, I have very little debt (cell phone, $184/mo car payment (for both cars with 13 mos left), few dept store credit cards) all in all totalling about $2000 dollars in debt. I have a GF that holds down 3 jobs (1 fulltime, 2 part time), and also goes to school fulltime, she has no debt. I pay for school tuition up front in full and so does she, It took many years to finally be ahead of a paycheck. Living paycheck to paycheck sucked, but I got ahead finally and I dont ever want to go back to that way. I had a girl ***k my head up too and then I met this one shortly after and she is VERY good with her money. We both work hard and enjoy what we have. It took time but with out her saving money would be a nightmare.

mjr46

Your 24 right.....here's what I did when I graduate college at 26 (yeah Iknow a little late) I had been a tech on and off and finally started doing it full on......I knew I was going to get married soon so I eliminated spending and driving the 1 mustang I had.....I found a 81 jetta diesel that got 45-50 miles to the gallon (no joke I keep a log book) it ain't preety and people laugh at me still to this day as I still use it as a daily driver 228,000 and still going....heck the money on fuel and INSURANCE i SAVE IS AMAZING...quit eating out......ramen noodles ain't the best but it's cheap and you can live off it......I only bought necessity items and found cheap places to live and with in a year or two I found myself and my new found wife at the time we had plenty to have a down payment on a new house....And no I don't roll the dough in just very frugal........and now I'm at the point where I have 3 stangs...still can't afford to drive them everyday with gas prices but none the less frugality is the key to sucess when you don't make tons early on.......so I guess what I'm trying to say is put the stang on the back burner for a while until you get back on your feet and trim your expenses where and when you can to a need only basis yeah the dollar menu at BK has been my friend many times even though the "BK Stacker" looks enticing....anyway good luck with your decision!!!! P.S never pay anyone for something you know how to do yourself. It also helps to find a girl who when you do get another one that understands the point of saving.....trust me it helps my wife is great with money and I trust her completely ...if a girl requires you spend every last extra penny you have on her like the quote un quote "expensive girl friend" kick'em to the curb!!! they're what I call "USER'S"

MikeVa

Well Matt, looks like you did some serious thinking. If it was me, I would not take the car back. Get your life straightened out, get those ducks in a row, THEN you can have the fun. Right now you are thinking clearly beacuse you do not have the car in your possession. Once it's back, bad habits will come back too. I am one of the few here that will tell you NOT to take it back. However, I think you already made the decision. If you are questioning yourself about taking the car back, then you already decided.

You're young bro, plenty of time for fun.