Did you know that the average person spends more on their cars than saving for retirement. This really bothered me and got me thinking. What have I spent in car purchases for all the cars I have ever owned. I will list all the cars I have ever owned and will update it with any new cars I will purchase in the future as a way to keep track of this ever growing expense and surprising trend affecting our society. I am only listing the purchase prices and not the maintenance or any interest charges I have paid because of my faulty record keeping throughout the years. As I write this I am amazed at the amount I have already spent. See this featured video in the link below as a cool way to get free cars for life using cash.
My Car Timeline:
1st Car : Mazda RX7 – Paid 250 bucks from a Family friend.
2nd Car: Mazda 626 – This car was a loaner from my father, but I used it for a good two years so I included it here
3rd Car: Volkswagen Jetta – 21,000 dollars spent on a new 1999 car
4th Car: Nissan Murano – 32,000 Purchase, ended up only paying 16K on a new 2003 SUV
5th Car: Toyota Sienna – 18,000 spent on a used 2007 Van purchased in 2010
6th Car: Mazda 3 – 16,000 spent in 2013
7th Car: Toyota Camry – 16,000 purchased in 2015 previous car was totaled.
Grand Total up to date= $86,250
Minus Trade in money= -$14,800
Minus Insurance $ – 12K
Minus Trade in money= -$59,450K
*Update I actually spent less than grand total because I received 14,800 K in trade in money. I only paid half of the Murano because it got rolled into another loan that I did not have to pay.
What can you do to avoid spending more on cars than on Retirement:
- Buy Cars that are only valued 15-20% your annual income.
- Keep cars at least 6-10 years as long as they are safe to drive.
- Continue to save for a new car every month, cars break down and you need to be prepared.
- Listen to your Gut, do not finance a car for more than 3 years or more than 7% APR Rate.
- If it costs more to repair a car than the full value it’s worth, its time to sell and move on.
- Add up your annual transportation expense, attempt to save more than that in retirement accounts.
- Once you have paid off a financed car, give yourself at least 1 year before getting into another car loan to help you catch up with retirement.
OK now you have the opportunity to comment below with your own grand total of car purchases. Is it more or less than mine? How do you feel now that you know your grand total?
The Nissan Murano and the Mazda 3 are great looking cars. Great tips to help people save some cash and not spend a fortune on a vehicle. Thanks!