There is no place like home... so I take mine with me... everywhere!
The funny thing is, I bought an old beat up car after I came to America in 2009 so I could drive it around to shop for a motorhome. As a result, many RV salesmen IGNORED me because they foolishly judged me by my beat up old car. Some made up excuses not to even show me their motorhomes, refusing to unlock them for inspection. How am I going to choose a motorhome when no one will show me one? I figured everyone was so wealthy, they didn't need a commission from the sale.
One day someone clued me in . They said "No one is going to take you seriously in that beat up old car."
How strange. A person judged by their car.
I had just spent nearly 25 years living around the Caribbean islands. Beat up old cars and jeeps were the norm. No one judged me by my car or lack of. I didn't even own a car for many years, because hitchhiking was easy and safe and/or buses and taxis were affordable and readily available. Yet I was viewed as successful in my career and endeavors. The car or lack of, wasn't even factored in. Different culture I guess.
Of course I had no idea my move to America would be so earth shattering for my health and psych. Somehow I survived though I had some super close calls! Financially things were quickly derailed as I chased around with the medical community. Finally I got away from them. I didn't want my final days to be spent with a social life consisting only of cold handed (and often cold-hearted) medical personnel.
I bought the motorhome against the advice of many. I also sold my car, again, against the advice of many. My monthly budget had rapidly shrunk so bye-bye car. I don't regret this decision.
Think about it...
I am guessing that most of you reading this own one car (maybe more!). Now add up everything you have spent on that car in the past 5 years. Cost, payments, interest, insurance, taxes, gases, repairs, parking, tickets, supplies and so on.
I bet it's staggering.
If you had that chunk of change suddenly land in your lap, you could probably afford to go rambling around in a little old motorhome.
Life is goof!
Have the world of shopping... delivered to your camp site.
Do you find it helpful (and accurate) to think in terms of the total ownership cost of a car PER MILE? According to the AAA, it works out to more than 60 cents per mile.
ReplyDeleteWhen I mention that to people, they scoff at the number. Maybe it is a little high for many people's choice of car. But I am guessing that most people never even tried to calculate the cost PER MILE of owning, insuring, replacing, maintaining, and registering a car.
Personally I latch onto 50 cents per mile. It helps to be able to do the arithmetic in my head. If I am considering taking an unnecessary trip to town, 40 miles round trip, I am now in the habit of thinking $20, regardless of whether I literally saw the $20 fly out of my wallet.
I couldn't live without a car. Too many places I have to make my way to. I have always been very happy with my current car. It is on year 5 and I still have only paid for gas and insurance. There is definitely a cost to convenience though.
ReplyDeleteThere you go again, dilly-dallying about nonsense while Harley misses out another year in the "ugliest dog contest"
ReplyDelete-snouts