When should i get a car?

[my porsche]

dude $10-20 isn't in my family budget ok, please dont make fun of those of us who can't afford our licenses. Gosh.

[P3RG4R3C]

It's around $400 altogether here.

[Knuto]

OH. I paid around 1200 dollars for the licence. I got a Ford escort xr3i 86'. I bought it for 700 dollars when i got my license. Here we have to be 18 to get the license.. But i'm glad i did it. lots of fun even though i study at a universety now and dont have much time to drive

[scottie300z]

ouch thats expensive. Sort of weird that its more expensive than your car, but then again i guess they are stressing that the ability to drive is a privilege. If i had a car that was cheaper than my licence id have a matchbox car.

[Lagonda]

i guess they are stressing that the ability to drive is a privilege.

It's probably just the decent driving lessons. A concept unknown in the US

[Schmallz]

Do you want to have a girlfriend in high school? Logistically, it's almost necessary to have a car to start dating. Do you want your parents to have to pick you up or drop you off on a date? Do you want to have to bum rides from friends for dates? Do you never want time alone with a girl?

Yeah, you don't want to be like me, my girlfirend was the driver for about 4 months, before i got my license. But im not lazy, its that she was about 6 months older than i was.

[Schmallz]

It's probably just the decent driving lessons. A concept unknown in the US

Wait, let me get this straight, you guys have to fork out a couple hundred dollars for a Drivers License?

[h00t_h00t]

Alot of the money goes on lessons, for example I've spent around $1300 on lessons alone, and will spend the same again on insurence

[Egg Nog]

Having a car at a young age can be fun - in fact, that's just about all it has going for it, because you're kidding yourself if you think you might 'need' it for transportation. That said, I'm not against it, within reason.

Assuming you're paying for everything yourself, there's nothing wrong with getting a car as long as you're careful. Money is hard to come by with a student job, so be wise.

There are generally 3 types of people who drive cars at a young age:

1. People who had cars given to them by their parents, who don't worry about costs.

2. People who buy themselves a car and pay close attention to their budget

3. People who spend all of their money (initially, and continually) on their car

The first group of people don't really matter - if you're one of these people, there's no point talking, because everything will be done for you. The major importance is between the 2nd and 3rd groups. Cars are cool, but not worrying about money is cooler.

People in group 3 tend to be the modifiers. As fun as souping up a car is, it's almost always a waste of money - over 95% of the time you're not going to see your money back. Sorry, it's the truth. People who seriously modify cars know this, they are sacificing the money for the fun factor. If you don't have money to throw around, it's a bad idea.

If you're looking at getting a car, you need to first think about exactly why you want it, then look at how much you have, then look at prices. If you're very careful, you can even make things work in your favour. - I bought a 914 (before I was old enough to drive it) for $450 and sold it for $2200. I bought a 944 for $3600, put $1200 or so in repairs into it, and sold it for $5400. (All Canadian figures). Now I'm 20, and I've got enough money to fly to southeast Asia, live here for 3 months, go back home and still have enough not to worry about finances.

I know lots of people who have made as much money (which is not really that much on average young person wages) and have spent it unwisely on cars (as a #2 type of person ) and now don't have anything left to see for it.

Think ahead, then purchase wisely. That's all the advice I can give you for now

[h00t_h00t]

I'm somewhere in between 1 & 2 then, I'm being given a (worthless) car and loaned insurence tax etc. money until I can get a job then pay it all back. So I'll be poor AND in debt WOO!

[CHEESE-TACULAR]

see, what if im like in both 1 and 3? like i spent alot of money on my car and my parents payed a portion too