Car loan requirements (Chelsea)

And ew who wants to get on a bus with nasty people who may hurt you?

i have used public transportation and will again. i shower daily and have never hit, shot, or stabbed anyone.  

probe1957

Liesje

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cyclefiend2000

 

And ew who wants to get on a bus with nasty people who may hurt you?

i have used public transportation and will again. i shower daily and have never hit, shot, or stabbed anyone.  

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cyclefiend2000

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**content removed, personally directed/refers to edited content** What's with all the sniping and snark?

Public transportation in Southern CA (where both Chelsea and Jenn are) can be rather sketchy. In general, people in So Cal, especially Orange County, just don't "do" public transportation. The routes are awkward and don't go to many of the most helpful places, the buses run infrequently, there are zillions of stops so it often takes an hour to go 2 towns over, etc. And, yes, the buses can be quite sketchy, depending on the routes you want to travel. I've been on the bus in downtown Hartford, CT (a city known for its lack of safety and escalating crime rates) and it was a much more pleasant experience than the buses in CA. Quality and perceived safety of public transportation can vary wildly between areas, so yes, slamming public transportation is elitist (and I'll do it too, I admit freely), please try to consider that buses near someone else might not be the same as buses near where you are.

Those of you making fun of Jen for wanting a new car because it feels "cleaner" - do you use toilet seat covers in public restrooms? Will you buy a used mattress? Do you scrub your fruits and veggies with a scrub brush or "veggie wash" before eating them?

Everyone has their own quirks and pet peeves, and what seems ridiculous to you might make someone else happy. Who are you to judge?

If someone pays $500/month for a car, but they are really really happy about that car and enjoy every moment spent in it, does it really make them any worse than the person who spends $100/month but despises it? What's money for, if not spending on things that you enjoy?

Different strokes, different folks, etc. **content removed, personally directed** It's not becoming... there's one thing to witty snarking on occasion, it's quite crossing the line to make fun of people's personal preferences.  

**content removed, refers to edited content**I was not referring to germs as much as dirt and grime that gets worn in and doesn't come off.  I lived in an old apartment before and as much as I would scrub, it never felt clean.  There is a certain dinginess to old used things.  Don't like it, sorry.  I am not even going to bother replying to all your futher squabblings being a germaphobe.  Obviously I am not the only one who prefers new things or the malls wouldn't be packed everyday.

probe1957

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jenn52

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Cita

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Oh the explatives I would like to use right now.  I am not a germaphobe because I don't like used cars or furniture.  I never said I wouldnt own "a used house", I said an OLD one. There is a difference.  **content removed, personally directed**  I haven't trashed you for your lifestyle.  **content removed, personally directed**

I am not even going to bother replying to all your futher squabblings being a germaphobe.

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Cita

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Courtney, I love you.

I opened NDR and it said this thread was four pages, and I said "Oh crap.." because I knew it was gonna be some ridiculousness.

I appreciate everyone's input, really I do, but I must be really bad at saying what I mean, because some of these responses are kind of ridiculous in that they have nothing to do with my situation.

I know I can't get a car loan or payment without a job. I'm trying to figure out how much I need to make and for how long to get a decent car loan. Clearly I'm not going to a car dealer tomorrow. In fact in my very first post I asked if anyone would give a loan to a 20 year old. I won't be 20 for two months. I was trying to figure out if, in a few months, when I've had a job for a few months, and therefore steady income, if anyone will give me a decent APR loan for a new car. Also..the APR on a loan for a used car is going to be a heck of a lot higher than on a new car.

I've thought about car insurance of course, but I've already talked to my Mom about adding my car to her insurance policy, and I think that will make it plenty affordable. When she had her CR-V, with me as the primary driver, we paid $120 a month. Not too shabby, IMO. I've had my license 3 years, and haven't had an accident, so I'm not too high a risk to insurance companies, and if I have a reliable car, I'm even less of a risk.

I'm getting a job ASAP. I've been applying to places like crazy. I don't particularly want to work retail or food service, but I'm still applying at those places. Not wanting a certain job doesn't mean I think it's beneath me, or that I won't do it..it just means I don't want to. There are no jobs you (general you) don't want? It sucks now that I don't have access to a car because my job choices are even more limited.

And public transportation..yeah that's a joke. To get to the mall that's maybe 1 1/2 miles from me, it would take over an hour on a bus. And before someone mentions it, yeah, the mall is theoretically within walking distance, but there's no way in hell I'm walking that mile and a half after dark. Nothing to do with laziness, but with safety.

Also, I want to clarify why I'm so set against a junker. I grew up with them. Everyone around me has had junker cars. We do not have good luck with them. They're never worth more than scrap metal. They've always broken down every 5 freaking minutes, and cost more than they're worth to fix, so then you have to find a new junker, and start it all over again. So forgive me if I don't feel like dealing with that, if I don't want to worry about something terrible happening every time I get on the freeway (and whether you think that's a "valid" fear or not doesn't stop me from feeling it), and if I don't feel like putting my cousin's kids or my dog in a car I don't trust.

If I got a new car, I would keep it for a long time. I'm not a "keep it a year and throw it away" kind of person. I'm not totally against USED cars in general, just old cars. But here's the thing. Hondas and Toyotas and Subarus and whatever else..they hold their value. They don't depreciate like most cars. So a one or two year old Honda is going to cost almost as much as a brand new car, and you bet your butt I'd rather have something new. Is that snobby? I guess, but I also think it's smart.. That way I can maintain it the way I want, and don't have to worry about whether the previous owner drove it like a moron (which, I'm sorry, but almost everyone around here does!), and it WILL last years and years with no major issues. PLUS I'll most likely get a lower interest rate on the new one, so it'll be cheaper in the long-run.

BUT I don't need my first car to be new. Nor do I NEED it to be a Honda or Toyota, I guess. Maybe I can find something decent for 4 or 5 thousand dollars and plan on getting a new car in a year or two. But I'll still need to come up with that few thousand dollars..and since I sadly don't have any generous rich relatives, that still involves a loan from a company. Which puts me back exactly where I started.

Life is fun...

For now I guess I'll aggressively attempt to get a job I can walk to, and when I get a car I'll get a better job. Sucks, but I could use the exercise anyway. LOL.

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chelsea_b

And public transportation..yeah that's a joke. To get to the mall that's maybe 1 1/2 miles from me, it would take over an hour on a bus. And before someone mentions it, yeah, the mall is theoretically within walking distance, but there's no way in hell I'm walking that mile and a half after dark. Nothing to do with laziness, but with safety.

An hour by bus? That's nuts. No wonder Californians seem in love with cars (sorry, that's the image I have ) 

Also, I want to clarify why I'm so set against a junker. I grew up with them. Everyone around me has had junker cars. We do not have good luck with them. They're never worth more than scrap metal. They've always broken down every 5 freaking minutes, and cost more than they're worth to fix, so then you have to find a new junker, and start it all over again. So forgive me if I don't feel like dealing with that, if I don't want to worry about something terrible happening every time I get on the freeway (and whether you think that's a "valid" fear or not doesn't stop me from feeling it), and if I don't feel like putting my cousin's kids or my dog in a car I don't trust.

If I got a new car, I would keep it for a long time. I'm not a "keep it a year and throw it away" kind of person.

I have a friend with luck like that---she buys a car and it develops a problem every 6-8 weeks, none of them so expensive that it breaks the bank but when you add it up over the course of a year $$$$$$$$

We buy new cars too and we drive them into the ground---my 1990 Plymouth Horizon had more than 200,000 miles on it when we got rid of it. LOL. I think it was glad for a rest.  The point about new cars being a bad investment is well taken but I have kids so peace of mind is important to me---and I pay cash for my cars. When my first car's loan was paid off, I started saving the "car payments" and I increased it a few times over the years so when my car was getting old I already had enough to pay for the next car.

Good luck with the job hunt.

jenn52

Oh the explatives I would like to use right now.  I am not a germaphobe because I don't like used cars or furniture.  I never said I wouldnt own "a used house", I said an OLD one. There is a difference.  **previously edited content**  I haven't trashed you for your lifestyle.  

chelsea_b

Cita

Whoa, guys, who slapped you in the head with the jerk fish?

Courtney, I love you.

I opened NDR and it said this thread was four pages, and I said "Oh crap.." because I knew it was gonna be some ridiculousness.

I appreciate everyone's input, really I do, but I must be really bad at saying what I mean, because some of these responses are kind of ridiculous in that they have nothing to do with my situation.

I know I can't get a car loan or payment without a job. I'm trying to figure out how much I need to make and for how long to get a decent car loan. Clearly I'm not going to a car dealer tomorrow. In fact in my very first post I asked if anyone would give a loan to a 20 year old. I won't be 20 for two months. I was trying to figure out if, in a few months, when I've had a job for a few months, and therefore steady income, if anyone will give me a decent APR loan for a new car. Also..the APR on a loan for a used car is going to be a heck of a lot higher than on a new car.

I've thought about car insurance of course, but I've already talked to my Mom about adding my car to her insurance policy, and I think that will make it plenty affordable. When she had her CR-V, with me as the primary driver, we paid $120 a month. Not too shabby, IMO. I've had my license 3 years, and haven't had an accident, so I'm not too high a risk to insurance companies, and if I have a reliable car, I'm even less of a risk.

I'm getting a job ASAP. I've been applying to places like crazy. I don't particularly want to work retail or food service, but I'm still applying at those places. Not wanting a certain job doesn't mean I think it's beneath me, or that I won't do it..it just means I don't want to. There are no jobs you (general you) don't want? It sucks now that I don't have access to a car because my job choices are even more limited.

And public transportation..yeah that's a joke. To get to the mall that's maybe 1 1/2 miles from me, it would take over an hour on a bus. And before someone mentions it, yeah, the mall is theoretically within walking distance, but there's no way in hell I'm walking that mile and a half after dark. Nothing to do with laziness, but with safety.

Also, I want to clarify why I'm so set against a junker. I grew up with them. Everyone around me has had junker cars. We do not have good luck with them. They're never worth more than scrap metal. They've always broken down every 5 freaking minutes, and cost more than they're worth to fix, so then you have to find a new junker, and start it all over again. So forgive me if I don't feel like dealing with that, if I don't want to worry about something terrible happening every time I get on the freeway (and whether you think that's a "valid" fear or not doesn't stop me from feeling it), and if I don't feel like putting my cousin's kids or my dog in a car I don't trust.

If I got a new car, I would keep it for a long time. I'm not a "keep it a year and throw it away" kind of person. I'm not totally against USED cars in general, just old cars. But here's the thing. Hondas and Toyotas and Subarus and whatever else..they hold their value. They don't depreciate like most cars. So a one or two year old Honda is going to cost almost as much as a brand new car, and you bet your butt I'd rather have something new. Is that snobby? I guess, but I also think it's smart.. That way I can maintain it the way I want, and don't have to worry about whether the previous owner drove it like a moron (which, I'm sorry, but almost everyone around here does!), and it WILL last years and years with no major issues. PLUS I'll most likely get a lower interest rate on the new one, so it'll be cheaper in the long-run.

BUT I don't need my first car to be new. Nor do I NEED it to be a Honda or Toyota, I guess. Maybe I can find something decent for 4 or 5 thousand dollars and plan on getting a new car in a year or two. But I'll still need to come up with that few thousand dollars..and since I sadly don't have any generous rich relatives, that still involves a loan from a company. Which puts me back exactly where I started.

Life is fun...

For now I guess I'll aggressively attempt to get a job I can walk to, and when I get a car I'll get a better job. Sucks, but I could use the exercise anyway. LOL.

P.S. It feels like we're back to the cultish "I'm a member" crap. What the heck guys...

I guess it comes down to how much you value your ability to get from one place to the other.  I value mine greatly.  Therefore, I drove junkers until I could afford a newer car.  I'd rather have a beater with a heater and be able to get the places I needed to go then not go anywhere.

Also, do not be fooled.  Just because a car is newer and has less miles does NOT mean that you will sink less money into it.  The newest "used" car I've owned is also the one that we sunk the most money into--HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of dollars.  It was a Ford Contour, BTW.

You know what was a total trooper?  My "86 Old's Delta 88.  That engine ran forever (and was still running well when we sold it) and that thing was a beast.  I hit 2 deer and backed into a steel pole with that thing and there weren't even dents in the bumpers. 

Our current cars are an '04 Toyota Corolla that we bought new, a '92 Toyota Tercel that we got for $1000, and a '98 Buick that my stepdad gave us for free--230,000 miles on it and it's still going like a trooper.

Sorry, I just foresee someone in your situation, even after being employed for a couple of months, getting royally screwed if you set out to buy a car with a loan.  When DH blew the engine on his Nissan he still owed $4000 on the car--he had gotten a warrentee but it was up by then.  Also, my dad runs a used car lot and has been in the used car business for well over 20 years, and I'm telling you, those kind of deals rarely (if ever) work out in favor of the consumer.