New Car? The Costs Start Here
In this month's personal-finance column for KWHS, Zina Kumok talks gas prices, maintenance, insurance and why the cash you need for your car definitely doesn't end with the purchase. …Read More
Personal-finance columnist Zina Kumok returns with her latest money reflections about one of life’s greatest purchases — your first car.
Many 16-year-olds have two important goals: Get a driver’s license and buy a car. And like Uncle Ben tells Spider-Man in the 2002 movie, with great power comes great responsibility.
The financial responsibilities involved in owning a car far exceed the initial purchase. Whether or not you’re getting help from your parents, owning a car is a great legal responsibility that could affect the rest of your life.
Policies and Prices at the Pump
I recently sold an old car to a guy whose suspended license had just been lifted after 10 years. A decade earlier, he couldn’t afford to pay for the damages he caused during an accident involving another driver. It took him years to pay off the debt and to get his license reinstated. The only car he could now afford? My husband’s old beater that was barely running.
Cars are a definitely a convenience, but as this guy discovered they can also become a liability. Check out these various ways you should prepare for car ownership before you park that new ride in the driveway.
Car insurance rates are the highest for teen drivers, especially boys. The average 18-year-old male pays more than $450 a month for car insurance. How can you lower that rate? Getting good grades helps, for one. My parents always received a discount from State Farm Insurance for every semester that I earned a B average or higher.
Choosing the same insurance company that your parents use for coverage is another way to get discounts. Often companies will reward people who have multiple policies under the same account. You can still pay for the policy yourself, if that’s the agreement you have with your family, and at the same time you can benefit from customer-loyalty incentives. I’ve had State Farm ever since I could drive and even now, I still get my parent’s 20-plus years discount, even though I have my own policy.
When I was in high school a few years back, gas prices jumped crazy high. Suddenly my friends and I had to think carefully about how we hung out. Could we carpool? Could we meet in the middle? Could we catch a ride from our folks?
Apps like GasBuddy can help you locate the cheapest gas prices. Once you start to track what neighborhoods have the best deals, you can make sure to fill up if you’re there. My neighborhood in Indianapolis has such cheap gas that friends who visit me always make sure to fill up when we hang out.
GasBuddy also has a way to track how much each trip costs. That way you can budget how much you expect to spend each month. Will you be driving to school by yourself? Can you carpool with someone and save gas?
$500 in the Bank
Even if you get a new car, you’ll still need to pay for upkeep and maintenance. The longer you drive a car, the more likely significant repairs will be necessary. Before you buy a car, save up $500 in case something happens. That will cover you for any big repairs or even a few smaller ones. Tires go flat and windshield wiper blades get dull. Also, keeping up with scheduled oil changes should extend the life of your car; expect to pay upwards of $25 per change. If you have family friends or relatives who work as mechanics, have them educate you about basic repairs that you can do yourself. The more you teach yourself, the more money you can save and the more you’ll learn about your own vehicle.
Once you add up the monthly costs of car insurance, gas and repairs, you realize that getting a car is so much more than buying your first set of wheels. Can you afford to buy and maintain it? If you buy it, can you afford to drive it everywhere you want to go? What happens if the engine shuts down? Taking some time to ask yourself these types of questions will better prepare you for the financial responsibilities of owning a car.
Oh … and if you’re about to go to college, can you bring your car with you? How much will parking cost? Does your campus allow you to bring a vehicle as a freshman? Otherwise, consider bumming rides off your friends, using public transportation or switching from four wheels to two — your bike is always an option.
Related Links
- ValuePenguin: Student Car Insurance
- Gasbuddy
- U.S. Dept. of Energy: Fuel Economy
- AutoSpies: Toyota Already Planning for a Future When Society Rejects Car Ownership
- Insurance Information Institute
- K@W: Beyond the Gas Pump
Conversation Starters
Gasoline can be costly and prices unpredictable. As a car owner, how can you stay on top of these fluctuations and prepare yourself for spikes and dips at the tank? How might this influence the type of car you buy? Check out the fuel efficiency article linked below. What are some tips for saving on gas?
What is car insurance? Check out the link to the Insurance Information Institute in Related Links and research why you need insurance and how it helps you. Discuss some of the things you learn with your classmates.
The Auto Spies article under the Related Links tab suggests that car ownership will soon become a thing of the past as more young people move to urban areas. What are the implications of this? What does this mean for our future as automobile consumers?
The cost of insurance can be different from one person to another. For example, if you are a youngster ready to hit the highway after just passing your test, or you have had more than a prang or two, you will pay more.
Well I have read alot of tips in this article: http://bitl.li/XVdWO by Nina Hoe, for example the price of an auto insurance policy depends on many factors including age, gender, driving record, credit score and address and in states where the economy is healthy, people are more likely to purchase new cars. Since new car owners are more likely to purchase physical damage coverages, these states will have a higher average expenditure.
I happened to start to read this article, due to the reason of me just recently getting my license and starting to pay monthly for a new car. Paying for a new car, is a strange thing at such a young age, but it starts you for great responsibility. Being able to pay for a car at a young age and being able to afford it will do you wonders! This will be a new step for you at life, and definitely will get you for the future. It is also nice to have a new car because you wont have to worry about damages that might happen with older cars. Having a license is a privilege, it is not a right, people need to understand that. Having a car is a responsibility that needs to be taken care of appropriately and with being mature.
there will be many kind of cost include fixed cost and variable cost.the fixed cost is thecost of buying a car ,the variable cost is the cost of repairing , buying oil and so on to support the vehicle can continue to move or ensure the safety of drivers.
My answer to the second question:I think the age would be the most important element,because if I have not enough experience to drive a car , I would not willing to buy a very expensive car .the reason for this action is the repairing question will be very high and I may not able to afford it.
Buying new car is very big responsibility. The cost of having car includes insurance, gas, maintenance, registration fee. Also, new car prices are increased due to inflation and supply chain problems. If I have access to public transportation system, I don’t prefer to buy car.
To own a new car, it would cost x amount of dollars to physically purchase a care. That is a fixed cost; you buy the car at a specific price and you do not have to keep buying the same car over and over every time you use it. Then, there are variable costs, which are repairs and gas.
As a consumer, you have to be more responsible with your car. It can get you out of paying unnecessary fees. All decisions should be made based on how much you will end up having to spend in the future.
Buying a car is a big responsibility as it comes with many fees. Prices fluctuate due to inflation but in general owning a car is always very costly
Many variable costs will come with purchasing a car. These include gas, repairs, mods, etc. The fixed cost is the purchase of the vehicle itself. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with the ownership of a car. Extras fees will follow under many different circumstances; they are inevitable.
The fixed cost of buying a car is the retail price. The variable costs are fuel, mods, air fresheners, upgraded technology, and repairs.
Owning a car (being a consumer) comes with a lot of responsibility. It is your job to limit the amount of additional fees that come with owning a car.
As a car owner, you can stay on top of these fluctuations by having money saved that’s just for gas. This might influence the type of car you buy whether it’s a gas or electric car. There are pros and cons to buying an electric car. If you were to buy a Tesla, a popular electric car, you would reduce carbon emissions and save money on gas, but the car itself is more of an investment due to it being more expensive.
Gasoline prices can be unpredictable, making it essential for car owners to stay informed about fluctuations. Regularly monitoring local gas prices, driving conservatively, and maintaining the vehicle can help prepare for spikes and dips at the pump. Fuel efficiency becomes a crucial factor when choosing a car, as opting for a more fuel-efficient vehicle can lead to long-term cost savings and reduced environmental impact.
To own a car it would cost you the initial market price for your selected model plus fees and over $500 in the bank to maintain the car.
A variable cost would be gas money as it can be high or low depending on how much you have driven. Fixed costs would include car insurance, and oil changes as they do not change and are on a regular basis.
The type of car you buy may change based on gasoline prices because if gasoline prices continue to rise, it is more likely that having a hybrid or fully electric car would be beneficial. Furthermore, it supports environmental sustainability. Some tips for saving on gas may be biking, walking, or taking the bus to you destinations. In addition, you could carpool with friends so you all save on gas collectively.
Gasoline prices can be unpredictable, impacting household budgets. Stay informed through apps and monitor economic trends to anticipate changes. Adopt fuel-efficient practices like regular maintenance and eco-friendly driving. When choosing a car, prioritize fuel efficiency or consider alternative transportation modes. Car insurance is essential for financial protection in unforeseen circumstances.
As young people increasingly move to urban areas, traditional car ownership may decline. This shift can affect the automotive industry, influencing manufacturing, sales, and infrastructure development. Understanding these trends is crucial for informed decision-making as car owners.
In this day and age I would totally reconsider buying a gas car and opt for an electric one, saving the environment and more cost efficient. As we urbanize and cities continue to grow, however, there will be a shift towards public transportation.
As the cost of insurance increases, consumers buying car companies’ products may decrease. However, as more and more young people move into urban areas, this may help the case. The supply may go up, also the demand, however this also means that these young people are also at the risk of insurance rates sky rocketing.
Because gasoline prices fluctuate often, when buying a car, I would try to find the best smaller car that is fuel-efficient. I would purchase a smaller car because they need less gasoline compared to larger cars and SUVs. After purchasing said car, I would use the air conditioner as little as possible.
“with great power comes great responsibility”, to me I would say “with a great car comes great financial responsibility and cost”. This article has taught me that the fixed cost of purchasing a car is not enough, as you would have to be capable of paying for the variable cost such as the paying for upkeep and maintenance. Another key takeway from this article is the important to keep sum of saved money, and to make wise financial decisions and shortcuts to reduce costs as possible. If I owned a car I would now try my best to learn how to fix the car myself and to make sure to get as much discounts as possible from insurances and on lowering maintenance cost through knowing how to fix the car myself. As a consumer the decision of purchasing a car is dependent on the cost you are willing and capable to pay. In the end, car’s contain alot of sunken cost and require alot of responsibility financially or else you can go broken and no longer own a car. So as a individual who consumes cars I have learnt that we must take on these responsibilities wisely as a car contains sunken cost and is a huge responsibility for any individual, especially students/teenagers.
owning a car is one of the first major responsibilites that people may face in their teenage years. It requires patience, responsibility and calmness I think its perfect for young adults to prove they are able to take care of their items and vehicles.
Buying a car requires extreme responsibility and knowledge on understanding where you are spending your money, and of course, how you are spending it. Insurance will be different for most individuals, and gas prices, for example, fluctuate every day. If you decide to be more responsible with your money, you will most likely buy an older car to spend less on gas, insurance, and maintenance.
This article has highlighted that the fixed cost of purchasing a car is only part of the overall expense; it’s crucial to also account for variable costs such as upkeep and maintenance. A key takeaway is the importance of saving money and making smart financial decisions to minimize expenses. If I owned a car, I would focus on learning to perform repairs myself and seek discounts on insurance to reduce maintenance costs. Ultimately, the decision to buy a car depends on what you can afford and are willing to spend. Cars come with significant sunk costs and financial responsibilities, which can lead to financial strain if not managed properly. As a consumer, especially for students and teenagers, it’s essential to approach car ownership with careful consideration of these responsibilities.
Gasoline can be costly and prices unpredictable. As a car owner, how can you stay on top of these fluctuations and prepare yourself for spikes and dips at the tank? How might this influence the type of car you buy? Check out the fuel efficiency article linked below. What are some tips for saving on gas?
What is car insurance? Check out the link to the Insurance Information Institute in Related Links and research why you need insurance and how it helps you. Discuss some of the things you learn with your classmates.
The Auto Spies article under the Related Links tab suggests that car ownership will soon become a thing of the past as more young people move to urban areas. What are the implications of this? What does this mean for our future as automobile consumers?
To prepare for such unexpected inconveniences, people can save money to prepare for them. In regards to fuel economy, buyers should target cars with good fuel economy. People buying less cars due to living in urban areas could drastically affect the car market. Dealers could begin to lose very valuable customers.
Fixed costs for a new car include price of car, insurance, license, registration, taxes and depreciation. Whereas variable costs would include gasoline, maintenance and tires.
To own a car, you need to spend the initial market price of your selected model plus fees and bank maintenance fees exceeding $500.
Variable cost is the cost of gasoline, as it can be high or low depending on how many cars you drive. Fixed costs include car insurance and oil changes, as they do not change and are regular.