Bunnygirl is the last person on this site that should be talking about financial responsibility and priorities.

As far as the car part, like I said earlier, I really think the SRT-4, WRX, or Cobalt SS is the way to go. They all have strong engines, fall into your price range, take well to mods, and handle better than I think you realize. They also shouldn't be as expensive to own as the Evo, RX-8, and STI.

 

I guess you don't read what you type, either. You said you got HURT and were sent home. You didn't say you were sent home to go to school. I have a government job as one of my jobs I work, which gives me fairly high-level security clearance and have been through several "training" courses. It doesn't mean a whole lot in the real world, particularly looking for a part-time job. I also happen to work for a large hospital group. Your "medical supply" mentioned above, at my hospital, means you're the person that pushes the cart down the hallway to drop off supplies at the predetermined location for the department requesting supplies. This job pays $8.50-$11.50 maximum, the high-end being for multiple years of experience (more than five). Since Oregon has a relatively high minimum wage ($7.50), you would think this job would have higher pay, then.

Maybe it's like my job for a company I just quit. It required schooling to obtain this position. It promised high pay and flexibile hours. It was paying me $25 an hour for quite a while (well over two years). They restructured and cut my pay down to $9.24 an hour. Then they did another round of pay cuts again, which made my pay $7.50 an hour only because they couldn't pay me the $6.16 an hour they wanted to. Mind you, this was a job also with six years experience and I was the #2 and then #1 producing employee out of over 13,000. Face it, most jobs just don't pay that great without college degrees and/or technical certificates. Even then, the pay isn't that great for a lot of things.

Going around saying "I'm in the Army" doesn't count for much with a lot of employers, particularly as pertains to your paycheck. You may get a job but don't count on it meaning decent pay.

I understand all about your "PT" test. I had to pass the same test plus extras for my particular government position. I was also a high-level competitive gymnast for many, many years (training 30 hours a week throughout the year and 40-plus in the summer). Clearly, I know nothing about being in shape and hard work-outs and fitness requirements.

You are 20 so you will have expensive car insurance no matter what. You will have an expensive gas bill with this car. You will not have a small payment with this car either. You will exceed your $550 a month you set aside.

Since you have a "meal plan" this means someone else pays for you to eat. You make no mention of rent or housing expenses, so this means some is paying for you to be sheltered with electricity and heat. You are in college so that involves all kinds of expenses, unless someone pays for that for you, too.

Life experience (which you are lacking in at 20) dictates that you are not being very realistic in your financial goals at this time, particularly given that you think "Army training" means good money. You may be trained to do one particular type of thing but that certainly does not mean there is a part-time job in such a position that is there to fit your schedule. Even if there is, that doesn't mean you will "easily snag" one with your financial goal.

This, I know from experience after dealing with the realities of corporate restructuring completely interfering with my set budget and goals. I had to wait three to four months to find open positions in my field that had decent pay. I was fortunate enough to get them. I now make the equivalent of $32.40 an hour with a full-time and part-time job, not including the money I make with my government position. This enables me to pay down, off, and ahead on bills and plan for the future in case something bad happens. You can't do that if you have every last cent invested into one thing. You don't make purchase decisions based on what you hope to have. They should be made on what you consistently have had.

If you really want the car, you will buy it anyway. You will struggle with payments and may have to give up something, be it car, school, et ceterea. It's beyond me why someone with a part-time job income wants to make such a large purchase.

 

People in metal houses with wheels shouldn't throw stones! Err wait... maybe that doesn't work so well with the metaphor.

 

you forgot with aluminum foil halos!!!!!

 

Is that to keep the tornadoes away and prevent alien abductions?

 

hey guy, imo go with a 4x4, or at least awd truck. but, it doesn't sound like u r worried about snow. if u dont get much snow/ice and want a car and like the stock 8, make it happen. i did two years ago and have no buyers remorce. the car is def not for everyone, but if the ext styling is to your liking, the rest of the car is a dream. like any car, there will be probs with the 8 like int cosm damage or engine light or harness, electr probs, but they are all warrantied for at least another couple years on most 8s and i dont mind getting the manuf to replace probs with my car at there expense and my gain. anyway, the only prob w/ my car is that is is not as quick as i'd like it at lower rpms. i solved this prob by pushing the car harder, and found out that the 8 drives, shifts smoother, and rides way better when u push it and have fun. i'm just saying if ur into the car get it. the probs like power can be solved with mods, like any car. there are plenty of mods available to get for the 8 that will make it haul *** bc the car is so light. little things go a long way on this car. done ranting bro, but if u think u want the 8, go drive it and u'll prob buy it. i heard the ng 04s were the nicest...

 

Interesting stat. I just calculated that my rx payment + insurace comes out to 21% of my net pay, so that doesn't even figure in maintenence (which isn't much really w/ warranty) or gas ($$$).

So I'm just over the reasonable amount. That being said... It *feels* like WAAAY too much of my money is going to my car. Do I regret it? Not too much, I'm a car guy and I love my 8. But I prioritize my car much higher than most would. I drive a nice car, so I scale back on things that aren't as important to me, eg. I don't get designer clothes or spend a bunch of money on (other) toys.

Whats my point? Even though I love my car and I'm close to the "rule of thumb" I still get a twinge of guilt every once in a while when I think about how much money I **** away every month. I could be putting into a house/savings/retirement or paying down my other debts faster (cc/student loan).

Also, I was driving a crap honda my parents got me during college. I graduated, got a good job, and bam got the 8. Now I'm 24 and I'm doing ok. But I still have some credit card debt and I'm only slightly above living paycheck to paycheck. If I had some patience and suffered by with that honda until now, I'd have no CC debt, been able to get an 8, w/ a lower interest rate loan (payment would probably be < 400/mo instead of 579 as it is now) and have a good amount of disposable income.

Moral of the story - a little patience goes a long way.

 

My house has no wheels as it is on a foundation, like a normal house. There were never wheels attached to it except when it was actually on a trailer that moved it to its current location. Still, the wheels were not on the house, just the thing it was sitting on. No funny antennae stuck on the house, either. It's also not any form of metal. Guess you are confusing "manufactured home" with "trailer."

 

I'm not confusing anything, it's just more fun the way I tell it.