With supply chain issues still affecting automotive manufacturers the supply is restricted, while demand is still high from people with the funds or credit to buy a new car.Even the used car market can be something else.
I personally feel most comfortable with a reliable car and investing into regular maintenance. Then driving that bitch until the wheels fall off. As long as it stays presentable. I have to meet clients in my personable vehicle, so it needs to give the impression of being well looked after, That is a self respect thing. and not the topic.
My older sibling doesnt drive, so I won't include him. His wife is an art teacher and drives a VW sedan. Has to have a million miles on it. She is not at all a car person. AT ALL. but she knows the importance of how to recognize a competent and trustworthy mechanic when there's one standing in front of her. She's a pretty good judge of character. she did a good job. lol dunno how she wound up marrying my brother. lol. My younger bro has a visible job managing the people who manage people who sell large ticket tech items in the medical field. They let him use cadillac SUV and they refresh it for him every 12-24 months. Anyway. no doubt youre getting all kinds of advice on what to buy. Regular maintenance is going to be your friend. People will say honda this, toyota that. suburu this chevy that. this year that year whateve. It dont mean a thing if you maintain it. Tires, brakes, tuneups, oil changes, washes/waxes, batteries. fluids. blah blah blah. it adds up mos def. its an ongoing investment, but its invest that pays off on the daily. next time a coworker calls in AGAIN because their vehicle is doing this or that. look at your bosses face.
Some people like new cars some people dont. some people like cutting edge fashion some people dont. some people follow politics some people dont. If somebody likes what they feel a new car says about them. Then they should buy it if they can afford it. If somebody had the confidence to wear the highest cutting edge fashion, why shouldnt they. I dont know. Not my business.
its certainly harder to get ahead these days, with people assuming enormous dept to get the diploma of their choosing. and inflation and uncertainty in the world. Global warming and stuff. I wish I could cut away my ties to a loved one. it would letting go of an emotional and financial problem. They are entrenched in an extensive pattern of high level criminality and just by the simple fact we're romantically involved from time to time, I'm not on the radar of local law informant. Possible even federal at this point. (DEA or FBI. if not both. last spring local PD had my house staked out for almost a week on the chance she would stop by. Since this was where she was located when they had papers on her. Anyway a lot of her contemporaries have expensive things to wear and drive and just to have. These people would actually be quite comfortable if they spent time on r/frugal but they wont. At this point I've given up trying to tell if they purchased a big ticket item, had someone steal it for them, or what. I dont understand their cash flow. Literally have thousands of dollars pilled up like nothing here and there. then 2 days later its all gone and and only baubles to show for it. I don't have the stomach for criminality or the conscience that can accommodate it. Fortunately I get to reap the rewards of it, with out ever having to encounter anyone that is on the receiving end of it. As a very infrequent recreational drug user, I enjoy the free drugs of my choosing, Money just for being reliable and polite. Take her kid to school on the other week for two days because the regular person had to travel. $400 just to drive a 15yo to school two days in a row. Public school of course. My problem isnt not having their money to spend. its now I've come to rely on it. Its weird I went from a friend of a friend to private uber driver, to uber driver and friend, then to uber driver, friend, I would say boyfriend, but She does have several. She and I have sex reguarly, but it feels transactional somehow. Its weird for me. I dont understand it. on one hand we spend most of our respective free time with each other. She kicks me what dope i want whenever, We're physically intimate regularly, We share very personal things with each other we dont easily share with others. That part of our relationship took a while to develop. I make sure her valuables are secure, mostly jewelry, she is a social butterfly and doesnt want people kicking down her doors in middle of night. Being a felon with her child living in the house, there is no chance she's going to have gun about. Its understood that people think who valuable are locked up in safety deposit box at the bank. Turns out she has enough jewelry in the basement to buy my house and maybe my neighbor to the left and to the right.
Doing drugs and having them is illegal to I suppose. but thats rare for me.
She has another boyfriend. at least she acts like hes a bf. He is kind of the big deal in meth game and runs girls at hotels. She'll be at my house and we're in bed watching movie dude calls comes by in literally I new giant silver BMW. Literally screamed DRUG DEALER. she she got in and rode off 3 hours later came back with 2 grand and car he bought for her. some used thing probably cost 6 grand. nothing special. I mean. she dont drive. dont know what he thought she was going to do with it. she thought about giving it to her daughter but she was only 14. we dont know where he got the car . I dont know if bought, stole, found under a rocks. etc. . its got regular plates on it with current tags. They have sex she told me. she says its weird, cant explain it. I think he might have an ED thing she promised not to talk about. She's good about being quiet. Anyway she takes dude's pile of money, stuff a couple hundred in my pocket and has me drive her to the casino. She'll drop a couple hundred. rarely wins. then take her to get something to eat. maybe go shopping. She'll buy me stuff if i ask. I never do. She doesnt shop at places that I want stuff from. If its late we go to her place and we're in for the night. Or we'll go to my place. She likes hers better because she feels in control there i guess. I mean its a nice place. drugs, money, friendship, sex, freebies, open relationship. Its weird for me. its relatively new to me in very recent years.I dont understand why she wants me around as much. we are opposite people. I'm not her type, she's not really mine. We talk about that sometimes. Best we come up with is despite our differences and the frustrations they sometimes bring with them, we enjoy being around each other. I have no idea how to bring her around to meet my family.
Anyway, the point i was trying to make is that not everybody has a need to practice frugality. Even though things are getting pretty tight for many. or at least snug for others. Lot of people can afford to buy or keep leasing. I'm not one of them, even if i could afford it. Actually i'm so off topic I have no idea what I was going to say. it just struck me as odd you seemed suprised people buy new cars. yeah they do. always have. always will. it might be a budget line item for you. but many many people live for cars, there's a large large car culture in the united states and is very important.
Some people have funds ready to go, while others buy on credit, wisely or not. different things work for different people. Some people got to have that car and will move mountains to get it. Not my style, maybe not your style either. Cars dont do it for me. Anyway. Sounds like your of an age where you can start having discrete discussions with friends or peers on their automotive selection. U might find they have income u dont know about. or a lack of liabilities you dont share. Or maybe they're leveraged to the hilt and better pray life doesn't have any expensive surprises in store. Even if I could just but a new car outright and drive away. I wouldnt. I like simple but effective. Give me my well maintained Honda, wash it up and put a shine on that sumbitch and I'd good to go. I get around a lot I do roughly 800 miles a week. sometimes more sometimes less. People just have differerent priorities. figuring out how to get the car they want is theirs and not yours. I'm sure there's stuff u prioritize things that would seem like silly garbage to somebody else.
quit worrying about what other people have what they have. u said yourself you can afford those cars, but buying them wouldnt be frugal to you.
I'm not sure what your question is. You understand budgets works. You understand how those people can afford to buy or lease those cars. You can afford them yourself, you said so yourself. You just dont because you dont think it would be frugal.
Well I think you answered your own question.
I think the question you were trying to ask was how do these people make a purchase thats so non-frugal. Do they know something you don't? No. buying and leasing cars is pretty straightforward. lol anydealership would love the opportunity to explain just how simple and easy it is.
people have different priorities. they don't wholly share your priorities and you dont seem to be able see the allure they do.
I personally wouldnt want to buy a new car. unless I had millions. And even then it would have to be the absolute height of practicality.
Allright, I dont know what Im talking about. basically. I think frugal living is where its at. but I dont look askance for long when I see money set of money tits dropping cash all over the place like she's buying her way into heavan.
Who gives a shit. just worry about yourself. Should keep your hands your handful for awhile from the sound of it.
im not proof reading any that dumb shit. just take it in the spirit its intended. If you don't, Im good either way.