Why I don't think it's a good idea for kids to have to buy their own cars...

[Windogg]

When I have kids I gonna buy them a nice car. Why? Pretty much what Elemental007 has said. In high school I pretty much had no life because I want to school 5 days a week from 8AM - 3:30PM. Then had activities from 4:00PM to 6PM and then worked for the family until about 9PM (voluntarily). Then I did my school work. On weekends I worked the same hours as my parnets from about 7AM - 7PM. On Sundays I would work a reduced shift from 12PM - 4PM.

During the summers I worked since age 12. When I turned 16, I got two jobs (70 hours+) to save up enough for the car and to try and "pull my own weight" within the family. My parents tried to discourage me from doing all that because they say I would miss my childhood. There were times when they told security to kick me out of the office if I showed up. It was a big plave and I usually found a way to sneak in. But guess what? I did miss my entire childhood. Basically all the memories I had of high school was working. Not the life I want for my kids.

Windogg

 

[mechBgon]

The title of this thread is Why I don't think it's a good idea for kids to have to buy their own cars... . It seems to be based on the assumption that kids need a car in the first place.

I got by fine without a car until I was 22. When I truly needed a car (for example, when moving to attend college), I would get the help of someone who had one. The rest of the time, I walked or rode my bicycle. I made the 145-mile round trip on my bicycle from Spokane to Washington State University in every month except February and December, whenever I wanted to come home to visit for the weekend. There were times I made the round trip in one day, and that's not the farthest I've gone in one day, either. So far my record is 185 miles... Think about the difference between convenience and necessity.

Think about the quote, by Einstein I believe: "The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest." Where is the money coming from to buy that '97 Prelude or whatever? What is the long-term cost to your parents? How much money would that $12,000 have made them on an investment, by the time they need to find a retirement home, when their health insurance premiums have risen to $400 a month or more?

The argument about saftey makes me skeptical. Saftey starts with responsible, defensive, lawful driving. If you're prepared to drive in that fashion, you're going to be quite safe in something like a late-80's Chevy Caprice Classic sedan. Add some good touring tires, have the brakes and suspension checked out, and you're still at about $3000 with a cheap-to-insure, V8-powered, roomy car that's probably lived a sheltered life. I'm not going to go into a whole cost-of-ownership analysis, but the sooner it's paid off, the sooner you can reduce the insurance premiums.

Heh, that advice will probably go over like a lead balloon with the teenagers here... LOL Just trying to make you think a bit.

 

[Handle]

I'm not trying to start a flame war here, but there is a disturbing trend that I'm noticing:

People are saying: "I do not respect a person if they do not pay for their own car."

Whoa! I'd hate to have friends whose respect for me is based upon whether I pay for my own vehicle. With standards like that, who do you respect? The perfect person? Or do you respect people with faults as long as that fault isn't not paying for their car.

It seems as if a good majority of the people posting here seem extremely adamant that kids should pay for their own cars. Now IF somebody's parents wish to pay for their vehicle, many of you say you would respect that person less. But honestly, these kids of rich lawyers or doctors... do you really expect that their parents would not pay for their car. It's easy to say that if you were that rich lawyer or doctor, you would make your kid work their own way. But until you're in that situation, it's hard to say that you would act like that.

I'm sorry, but I can't believe that a civilized board like this has sooooo many people that would base their respect for someone on whether or not they pay for their own car. I mean, do you go up to your friends and say &quot;<friend> I do not respect you because you don't pay for your own car.&quot; Talk about a high-and-mighty attitude.

I personally believe that people are venting in this thread and are exaggerating their opinions. I don't honestly think you people base your respect for people on whether they buy and maintain their own car, but that you are just trying to say that you feel it is appropriate for them to do so.

Oh, and to avoid any ad hominem attacks: As I've stated, I do NOT have a car that is paid for by my parents.

 

[mpg]

I didn't have time to read the whole thread but i have school tomarrow. I got a 98' civic if you don't already know, I payed the down payment and i'm helping my parents for insurance/finacing. Parents wanted me to have a safe/dependable car, they wouldn't let me a get a POS. I'm going to be working part-time like 2 days a week to help out, maybe more days just for extra money for myself. I LOVE this car can't ask for anything else. Although I think I should've got a POS, it would be good for the long run. I hope to keep this car for 10 years and fix her up.

I don't really like to walk to school 2 miles everyday, nor getting up early to hich a ride from dad. So it was either sleeping in and skipping school, getting to school tired, getting to school late. I'll be going to school everyday now of course. Woman like guys with cars also . I'm defiantly cherishing my car and will buy a really nice one when I save my money later on in life.

 

[DesignDawg]

<< To get into a college you need grades, GPA, class rank, and SAT scores. >>

Not NEAR as much as your think... Not for a state university. I've just reviewed the admissions policies and standards at UT Austin.....VERY standard for a state University. One thing you will realize when you are in college for a while: At a public university, if you apply, you get in. Sure, not EVERYONE gets in.... But pretty much. It's the way all public universities are. Honestly. Yeah, it mentions that if you're in the top 10% of your class, you get in automatically. Well, OK.... But I can tell you this.... If a high school underachiever (as I was) applies, and has stats like &quot;2.78 GPA, 29 ACT, top 17% of class&quot; applies, he's gonna be automatically accepted as well. They just don't CALL IT &quot;automatic.&quot; He may not get the biggest scholarship (he'd probably still get SOMETHING), but he'd get in. Count on it. You'll see dumbass redneck losers from your high school there. When you do, and you wonder &quot;how the hell did they get in here&quot; and &quot;Why did I work so hard to get in if they're letting people like that in here?&quot; you'll remember what I said.

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[TrevorK]

Wow, there seems to be a lot of hate towards those of us who's parents pay for the car and insurance! My parents bought my 91 Tempo, then bought me a 90 Laser (I couldn't find a nice car, and wanted one, so the Tempo was a temporary car). Now I have a 90 Talon and my Laser.

I agree 100% with Windogg. My parents told me, while I go to highschool, it's $50/month for insurance. Then, when I go to college I don't pay insurance until I graduate. I pay all the gas, and anything I want done to my cars though.

Even with that little bit of insurance, I found myself constantly working at a sh!tty job, and I did miss out on my high-school years. While my friends would go to parties, I would run to work because someone wanted the night off. Now, that I work with a bunch of high-school kids at my part-time job, I realize what I missed out on, and god do I wish I could have those days back. You're only a kid once, and my parents realized this, so they gave me a break on my cars while I go to school. Of course, I didn't take advantage of this since I worked all the time, and now I feel like I missed out on a HUGE chunk of my life. I mean, you're only a kid once and now that I'm almost graduating and stepping into &quot;responsibility&quot; I feel cheated that I skipped a step, a step that makes you into the man (Or woman) that you become in life. I missed the parties, the social interactions, the chicks. Now that I'm almost 20 and graduating, I've fallen behind everyone else. I kind of feel like a kid who jumps into Kindergarten without taking pre-school =]

My friend, did the same thing I did (Better job though) and had to pay for EVERYTHING himself. Where is he today? He has a car (Which he's offered to me for $500) and about $400 to his name (Not to mention the $1000 he owes me). He's constantly fighting to keep his bills paid (He lives at home, works full-time, no school). My parents realized that this could be me, and told me (And my brother) what they would do for us. They are by no means loaded (1 income, 40 000 a year. 70000 mortgage), but they still realized what an advantage we would have without having to work as hard.

Even though I have about $19000 in investments/cash, and my two cars, I still feel depressed thinking about what I missed by working so hard (Which doesn't sound like much compared to you guys who are my age, 19).

In the long run is it better? Well, now I have hard-work ethic (Even though I didn't have to). I used to work 70 hours/week and goto night school for 10 hours. But lets face it. I lack social skills buy working all the time, I lack a certain part of a normal personality. Now I lye awake at night, wondering WHY I work hard, just because people think I should? Or because of status symbols that society has set? But enough with my depression, that's a totally different thread.

But to sum it up, if you have no respect for me because my parents bought my car, pay my insurance, then you ARE messed up. Some of us DO work hard even though things are given to us.

Trevor

 

[beer]

DesignDawg -

UT Austin is where I want to go. It's all SAT/GPA/Rank since there are 55,000 students there. However I am under the assumption that financial aide there is impossible to get as it is nonexistant; is this true?

 

[tim0thy]

First of all, no teen 'deserves' a car. I don't care what they say. I have pitched into the family since I was 18. I've graduted college and I'm in the workforce and I don't even have a driver's license. How'd you like that? Yes, part of that reason is because I live in a big city. There will be a day when I get my license and a car and what not, but I will NEVER EVER expect my parents to pay for any part of it.

You might be 16. Tough. I think your parents are being extremely fair to you. You can be sure that when I am a parent, while I'll help my son and daughter through once in a while, they better at least try to provide for themselves by the time they are 18. I won't say I supported myself since I was 18, but I paid for my entire college education and pay 1/2 the bills out there (yes, that includes grocery and what not shopping).

You're talking to a kid where he never got anything till he worked for it himself. Just like Windogg, I lost a good part of my childhood (if not all of it), but it was that, who makes me the person I am today.

Parents have a responsibility for their children. To give them love, to provide them with the clothes on their back (even if it's POS clothes you get, and shiet sneakers ok), food on the table, and a roof on top of your head.

If you really know all that AS/400 stuff, you shouldn't have much problems landing a job. I would be impressed if someone your age knew all that. Blowing steam saying you know this and that since you were 14, do something with it, else that's all it is... steam.

tim

 

[Whisper]

We also do have to remember that the kids whose parents buy them a car don't exactly ask to be born into well-off families. Some of us are born middle class, some lower, and some upper...we can't help that, and that in NO way should be held against us. I know that if my mom offered to buy me a brand new car, there's now way in hell I'd turn her down...I'd of course feel obligated to pay her in some way for it because of the ideals I've grown up with, but I would not flat out tell her, &quot;No thanks mom, I'll save up on my own and buy it in a few years.&quot;

Lose respect for me if you will, but if the parent is well off enough to buy their kid the car, then hold it against the parent (if anyone at all)...not the child.

As for GPA...it definitely does not matter in life, but it does make a difference in college. It can be a decent (sometimes) indicator of how well you'll do in school simply because it's SUPPOSED (heh...heh heh...) to give an idea of how much effort and time you put into your work. Now in today's high schools I'll admit that's a bit of a stretch, but that's the basic idea behind it.

The only advice I'd give is to become less dependant on gaining pleasing numbers, and more interested in learning simply for the sake of learning. This is the only time in your life where people will actually expect you to do nothing but soak in information...take advantage of it while you can. Don't do it for the grade, the potential pay check, the expectations of your parents, etc. Do it for yourself...that's the only way you'll ever learn to really enjoy anything in this world.

 

[beer]

Windogg -

My dad told me that too. I've worked every day for the past three summers; I've also worked every break for at least 3 or 4 days. My mom discouraged it at first; now she nags me daily on when she'll be receiving her monthly check, and if I can't pay it I'm not working hard enough.

But you are driving an X5 as a man in his twenties. That gives me hope that someday I can become that.

 

[beer]

<< if you really know all that AS/400 stuff, you shouldn't have much problems landing a job. >>



With what time? Between school, lacrosse, weightlifting, studying? Unfortunately my open hours do not coincide with most net admin jobs (9-5) and those that work evening shifts are not four hours, they are eight full hours that I do not have.

 

[tim0thy]

work an internship. during college, i worked 40+ hours while taking 6 classes for a wall street firm. where do you reside anyways? there are always employers looking for good talented people, and some will comprimise.

 

[beer]

Big difference between hiring college students and hiring high school juniors. Most internships with &quot;big&quot; companies don't start till the Junior year, at least when it comes to tech/semiconductor companies

 

[tim0thy]

like i said again, companies are willing to comprimise for those that are talented enough.

anyhow, you also wrote that you worked for 3 summers and all your breaks. what happened to all the money there? i'm just curious.

 

[beer]

How do you think I paid for the computers that I did my learned stuff on? No way would mommy buy me that. Of that money, about $1800 got invested, a considerable deal (probably $4,000) went to three computer that I built from it (my first Dell, and then my Celeron box...then my mom didn't want me to reboot when she was online since it knocked her off and being that we had PNA and not Ethernet [my dad didnt want to knock down walls]I was basically forced to build a 3rd machine and make the Celeron box a server). I know I could have boughten a cheapo slow Pentium but the server was useful for me, too, so I decided to just build my 3rd box, although before I actually wanted to. I've paid over $2500 to my parents for various expenses. That doesn't leave much left after you consider one weekly casual dinner with friends (Chiles, etc.) and other food costs. I've also done some work in my room, a 25&quot; TV and cheap Samsung DVD player. Assuming some deals fall into place I'm adding some audio too. But I haven't put any money into my car or anything...

 

[beer]

Tim -

I don't have the time right now to do more than a basic mall-ish retail job. Come summer I am possibly going to work as a net admin asst in several local companies.

 

[tim0thy]

<< Of that money, about $1800 got invested >>



did those investments turn sour? I would think 1800 is a good starting payment on any car.



<< I don't have the time right now to do more than a basic mall-ish retail job. Come summer I am possibly going to work as a net admin asst in several local companies. >>



then you're all right. summer is only a couple of months away.

 

[BarbeQueGuy]

D-Dawg
Thank you for bringing some reality to this thread. I would like to see the same people respond to this thread in a few years when they get to experience life in the REAL world.

 

[Soybomb]

I agree with DD too that gpa isn't going to make a big difference in college. Actually I knew I'd go to a community college (its so much cheaper) after highschool, then to a state university. I don't remember what my gpa was from highschool, I took honors classes (no AP stuff in my neck of the woods) and went to the community college. Now when I go to the university next year they don't care what my highschool gpa was, and not really what my college one is either. If its over 2.1 you're all but guarenteed to get in. Southern Illinois University doens't have as good of a reputation as say Uni of Illinois for Comp Sci, but when I go to apply for my job its not going to make a big difference in this field. Grades and even college have very little meaning in this field from all I've seen.

Anyway I would like to hear why these kids have to have cars anyway. Its a luxury item, if you're not willing to work for it then you don't need it. I will probably wind up buying my kids something, but it would be nothing more than the equiv of a $3k car today. If thats not good enough they can walk.

 

[tim0thy]

The only thing GPA is good for in HS is to get into college.

Only thing GPA is good for in college is to get a higher paying FIRST job after college.

I had an average GPA and I'm right up there now in pay and past a lot of others that I've went to school with in both HS and College.

 

[khaosspawn]

<< I agree with DD too that gpa isn't going to make a big difference in college >>



--- Warning this part slightly off topic ---
I agree with Soybomb. When you've got into college it doesn't count for jack. Employers care about 1 thing. Proving to them that you can get the job done properly. And yes they will hire young and make comprimises.

Unfortunately very few will make the comprimises while people are in HS. Elemental007, you have AS/400 experience, what sort of experience was it? From your statements so far it seems programming. Do you still have project documentation, any of the design and analysis work that was done? If you can prove that you have a sound understanding of solutions design then you are going to be in BIG demand. If you have financial experience then even more so.

Well said DDawg. I know plenty of IT professionals who've never touched computing while studying (many of them did &quot;Arts&quot; degrees). They are now (age ~30) make very large amounts of money designing systems because they have been exposed to so many diverse activities and experiences that they have a much richer pool to draw upon.

Sure they'll never code better but they are brilliant at what they do. To those of you out there who wouldn't mind some career advise think about a 6-12mth job overseas. Just the fact that you have international experience on your resume will put you ahead of the crowd.

Even if you never intend to work overseas only put fully internationalised contact details (eg. 0011 1 408 555 5555), and if they ask why, say you've been applying to international firms. This will impress whether you are doing it or not. It helps to research some firms and the country as well in case they ask you in interviews.

What it finally boils down to is the interview game. You can very successfully bluff your way through and get the job (you must know everything you've just said in the interview come one month though else you are in deep $h!t ).
--- End Off Topic ---

In regards to parents buying cars for their childern. There is nothing wrong with this (no my parents never bought me a car). However this said those that experience more hardships and come out positively will succeed in life far more than &quot;daddy's&quot; boy/girl.

Reasons?

For starters they learn to budget. To think about rainy day situations. To sleep deep each night after working for 18 hours. To handle frustration and workplace politics. To handle deadlines. How and where to pay bills. Where to find the best bargains. Bargaining. People skills. Appreciation for money.

I could go on and on but I'm sure you get the idea. Working, studying from an early age teaches far more than AS/400 skills (don't mean anything by that Elemental007). Until you've experienced a day that many of these people have to go through you will probably never realise it.

 

[thedarkwolf]

I don't know where you guys are going to college but around here we have a saying &quot;If you can count to 8 you can go to state&quot; .

 

[khaosspawn]

College in Australia is pretty easy to get into. Plus the goverment subsidises a lot of it so you pay about 4000 a year (plus student fees).