Lessons Driving an $800 Car Can Teach Your Kid

Whitney and I teamed up for today’s post about our new (to us) car. We decided to do it interview style. Here we go.

Q. I know you were recently involved with purchasing a “fresh ” automobile for you to learn how to drive and then drive high school. What were the criteria you were given by that your dad to your car?

Whitney:

Yes, lately (as in 4 weeks ago) we bought a “new to me” car that I’t ever been learning how to drive. However, my daddy envisioned a set of criteria. It needed to operate well, (that isn’t simple to locate that cheap of a cost ), it wouldn’t require any immediate repairs (that was REALLY hard to locate ), and it was a guide transmission or “stick-shift” that really helped the ever-narrowing alternatives. But the actual kicker: the automobile had to be under $1,000. I started searching around the start of May and found some intriguing listings on a regional Craigslist-like website (KSL.com). One (my favorite) read, “Bought this car for my son to learn how to drive stick, ” he crashed it into the mail box, I grew up, so good luck! ” Unfortunately, we didn’t comprehend that one or who would’ve ever been a fantastic story, but to not say my car doesn’t seem like it’s been turned right into a mailbox.

Jim:

As regular readers are well aware, we can have gone out and purchased Whitney a new Tesla to drive to school. But what type of message would buying a new automobile have delivered to her? Imagine how hard your life would be if you found yourself riding in coach and then began flying first course? So we decided not even to place Whitney in coach. She’s riding on the wing, the cargo hold, along with the lavatory. We hope she’ll love being able to ride in trainer afterwards. The rationale behind the criteria was:

Manual transmission: Katie and I both drive Toyota Sequoias with automatic transmissions, but we feel strongly that our children will need to learn how to drive a manual transmission below our guidance as teens. So the choices were to buy another automobile to drive or to get a third person to .
Running: Pretty much any car that runs is worth $1,000, but the point of this criteria was I didn’t need a therefore unique. ”
No instant fixes: Similar to above, I didn’t need to need to do any first work so anything, where the brake lights or windshield wipers weren’t working, was out. That didn’t mean the power mirrors or door handles needed to work, but it needed to both run and possess its security equipment working.
< $1,000: Three reasons for this standards. It is meant to be a car. So wreck or any repair totals the car. Secondly, I wanted to teach both the Whitney and my subscribers that short-term transport can be quite cheap. I have frequently said that reliable transport costs $5,000. A automobile isn’t reliable, but it’s shipping. Third, I wanted Whitney to need to learn how to shop for a car. It s easy to get a car that is $ 5,000. A automobile requires additional work. She needed to make the calls and decisions.

Imagine how difficult your life could be if you found yourself riding in coach and then began flying first course? So we decided not even to place Whitney in coach. She’s riding on the wing, the cargo hold, along with the lavatory.

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Q. What did you find yourself with?

Ride Rings?

Whitney:

After a couple of weeks of searching, I wound up with a 1997 Nissan Altima that’therefore exactly the same (very appealing ) colour as our 12-year-old couch, with a manual transmission. It was originally recorded at $900 but we were able to get it down to $800 due to my expert bargaining skills. Actuallyit’therefore because we needed to meet up with the guy at a hamburger place because he left his home while we were test driving the car and that he gave us a discount for our time. It was sort of a story, especially since the name that is signed was left by him in the vehicle. My car may not seem that beautiful on the outside, but it’s got a nice personality. It’therefore a little banged up but still seems pretty decent and works well, nothing a sub-par paint project can’t mend, right?

Jim:

We overlook ’t have a 12-year-old couch. We’ve never had one that fresh. Actually, Katie and I haven’t actually bought a couch in our own lives. We’re looking forward to obtaining a couple Spring, though.

Q. I heard it cost much less than $800. Why was that?

Whitney:

The true price of the car came to $796.68 due to this $3.32 in change left from the ashtray. And yes, I did just count this up with this article. But among the shift found there were a couple of gas receipts along with a movie ticket for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, that coincidentally came out the year I was born.

Jim:

I told Whitney by paying just $800, she’d have $200 left over for fixes.

Q. Now every sub-$1,000 automobile has a couple of quirks. What quirks does your car need?

Whitney:

Every automobile has some quirks that you just get used for a while, but this one includes some especially intriguing quirks. For starters, the windshield wipers, radio, and mirror adjusting buttons won’t work if you turn the ignition too far, which we figured out a couple weeks after getting the car. Another (somewhat more annoying) quirk is that, when unlocked out of the motorist ’s door with one of those keys, the alarm will sometimes go off until you unlock it from your passenger’s side (my neighbors especially enjoyed that quirk afterwards we attempted to unlock it in 10 pm).

Jim:

But waitthere’s more! She hasn’t noticed the quirks all yet. It escapes oil for starters. There are two brand new tires, one moderately worn tire, and one nearly bald tire. The motorist ’s door just opens from the inside, also. That one is getting somewhat old, therefore I think it will provide Whitney an opportunity to learn how to work on the car very soon.

Q. How does this operate?
Whitney:

Honestly? It runs great. Although I set about three months of starts on it about three weeks, then we haven’t had any problems with it really driving. Driving an old automobile is ideal to learn about, since if I hit an overhanging tree branch, that cares? Just another scratch to grow another 900, right?

Jim:

Three weeks? Three times you mean? In between the time Whitney wrote this and publication, it broke for the very first time, about 4 weeks after purchasing. That unique ignition has gone out. So today Whitney definitely gets to learn how to work on a car as it will no longer start.

[Update only prior to publication: We mended the door handle. It was a 2 clip. We swapped out the auto . It cost some time family activity and $53. We even got the FOB we purchased to work after that, so the alarm issue can be solved. Nevertheless under $1,000 also, however I think it could require a battery soon.]

Q. Just how do you think it will continue? When it expires, how are you going to know? What will you do that?

Whitney:

I’m hoping it lasts quite some time, (I’m slightly attached) and I wouldn’t be surprised if it lasts quite a while due to this new transmission and clutch that has been set up long until we purchased it. We’re planning on painting it purple, that is my sister’s favourite colour, therefore that she ’therefore hoping it continues long enough for her to drive, but I’m not convinced it’ll last THAT long. 

Jim:

It s disposable car. I’m not likely to throw it away for an ignition we could do ourselves with a Youtube movie , but I’m definitely not going to put $1,000 into it. If those want to paint the car, they better hurry. If it continues a year, I’ll feel as though I received my cash ’s worth from it. I’ll be ecstatic if Maren (# 2) gets to learn how to drive in it, also. When it expires, we’ll buy a different one. Every 6-12 weeks, how enjoyable is it to receive a new car?

Q. I know you’re not the only one pushing it about.

Whitney:

Half the time my auto isn’t even home ! My mother uses it to drive carpool, and also my dad just zips about on his method. They say it’therefore as it becomes such great gas mileage, but I’m confident it’therefore because they simply believe it’s fun to drive and they don’t care if it gets just a tiny ding or 2. My littlest sister likes driving in it since it isn & rsquo since she could get herself ;t tall.

Jim:

It s really been convenient to have a car around when a person goes into the shop or somebody comes to visit. Katie and I both drive it sometimes when we re operating Whitney around. I don’t care when my 2005 Sequoia with only as many miles as that Altima gets a ding either.

Q. What lessons did you learn from the buying procedure?

Whitney:

After going to see three distinct ones, and asking about multiple cars, I’t learned the questions to ask. By way of example, “any known difficulties? ” may not cover the fact that the A/C is busted for someone, as we heard at. Just enjoy, “Has bud (that is illegal in Utah) been smoked in it before? ” Which we heard from the car we looked at.

Q. How are your classes?

Whitney:

I meanthe fact that my parents feel the necessity to have a giant bumper sticker on my car that reads, “STUDENT DRIVER” have to tell you something, but in my opinion I believe I’m pretty great. I just stalled eight times in a row that one time… Joking apart I drive everywhere today therefore I’t ever gotten the hang of it, and also my parents are right that a rod is fun to drive, but it only started snowing here, therefore we’ll find out how I feel about that in a couple weeks.

Jim:

She’s terrible. The whole area is having fun watching. I m somewhat biased, but I needed to drive Alaskan Winters along with my parents until I was allowed to receive my permit. She has 6 months and a Winter until she turns 16. I m hoping for improvement that is significant.

Q. A lot of doctors believe thus and any car with more than 50,000 miles is not dependable borrow $30-40,000 so as to buy a car. What could you say ?

Whitney:

This ’s ridiculous. I wouldn’t necessarily say I would drive my car throughout rural Mexico. It’therefore maybe not quite that reliable, however it gets me from point A to point B as well as a brand new Tesla. HoweverI don’t believe I would borrow money to get a car. Simply listen to this Dave Ramsey Show, each other person on the show includes auto payments and tens of thousands of dollars of debt. It is a luxury. I might be riding the public transport bus to school every day,which would take four times too, but it’s definitely less costly. If you can’t manage it, take the time to save, or locate another option. Few things in life really are, although it may not be easy or ideal.

Just as an automobile seems essential, it’s a luxurious …If you are able to ’t manage it, take the time to save, or locate another option. Few things in life really are, although it may not be easy or ideal. — Whitney Dahle

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Jim:

Amazing how much could be about cars than a surprising variety of inhabitants and possibly even attendings. A car is while a car is not reliable also you can easily expect to receive 5 years from a car that is $10,000. I find little reason to borrow more than $5-10K to get no motive and a car for an attending physician.

Then you missed out on a Vital part of your adolescent years, if your automobile wasn ’ t worthy of some name

Q. What lessons do you anticipate you will learn from that car?

Whitney:

I would like to learn some humility. My car will definitely stick out like a sore thumb from the parking lot of my school. However, that may be because of the paint job. Either way, who would like to park an expensive automobile in a high school parking lot ? Are you asking to get a great dent? I’ve been learning basic mechanical processes including changing a tire or checking the oil, in addition to what to do if your car spins out.

Jim: 

I’ve made her convinced she’s in the college. Apparently she doesn’t even know about the personal one down the street. So far as the lessons to understand, I mostly need her to realize that transport mostly learn she isn, learn how to work on a car somewhat, learn how to drive a stand, and can be quite inexpensive. This week she must learn top off it, check out the oil, and how to identify the parts underneath the hood.

Q. Your parents are very wealthy. They can get you a nice truck, a new Volvo, or a Tesla to drive. However they didn’t. Is it that you think is? Are they simply economical or are they trying to teach something to you?

Whitney:

They are trying to teach a thing to me. My soccer coach has always stated, “It doesn’Regardless of if you win if you didn’t find out anything. ” and I believe that applies to this circumstance. Did I learn how to get a car however, the next time I would be driving a Tesla would be following I’m well into my profession so it wouldn’t feel for me to be getting accustomed to one today once I won’t be driving another great car for some time. Besides, who wants to summit in high school? By living a somewhat humble life, my parents’re showing me which I don’t want a blog and also a occupation that is high-income to have a life. They’re creating an example of an viable lifestyle for me personally.

Jim:

Seems like she heard the lesson. ’ ll get to update to some $ 5K automobile maybe if this one expires fast she.

Q. Which automobile has more miles, yours or your dad’s?

Whitney:

They really have about exactly the identical amount, rsquo; ve around 242,000 miles that only means that they. That’s even with the extra 7 years my car has on my father ’s.  In actuality, my dad’s car is worth $ 3 times as much as mine according to Kelley Blue Book. 

Jim:

Wow. My car really is just worth $3K now. Oddly, I believe it quite trustworthy and shot it all of the way to Cabo San Lucas this year and regularly tow a boat 6 hours each way to Lake Powell with it.

Q. Do you look forward to getting something nicer once you get older to drive?

Whitney:

Yes and no. I really like being able to drive a car rsquo & that; s unique and you can tell when you pull up, whose it’s. In addition, I enjoy the fact that I don’t need to worry about telling my parents when I scratched it or if somebody hit it from the parking lot. It’s not a big deal. However, I would enjoy a nicenew car, but that only gives me a goal to work towards in the long run. It’d feel so much better to buy my dream car than to be handed the key.

That only gives me a goal to work towards in the long run, although I’d love a new car. It’d feel so much better to buy my dream car than to be handed the key. — Whitney Dahle

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Jim:

Yes. When this one dies, I’ll get something nicer. I mean, Katie will and I’ll receive her Sequoia.

What are your thoughts about driving an old car? Can you buy your child a beater? Also, a name, any ideas is needed by every beater? Allow me to know in the comments below.

The post Lessons Driving an $800 Car Can Teach Your Kid appeared on The White Coat Investor – Investing & Personal Finance for Doctors.

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