we're more who wouldn't take a loan to get a car ...

DH and I couldn't afford a car for the first 4 years we were living together!! We were pretty nifty with our train tickets and rollerblades, and could still get most places we needed to go ...

But when we started fostering teenagers, we really needed a car (for 3am calls to attend the police station, hospital, to collect kids from gatherings which had gone awry, etc...) so we bought a noisy but reliable old mazda. It was kind of ugly, pretty ancient, but it drove well, and we could afford it ...

When we got some more savings behind us (another 4 years later!) we traded it in for a pittance (after lengthy negotiations by yours truly) and managed to score a much more reasonable (but still second hand) 2001 Ford Falcon - the best part being that it takes gas, which saves us about $30 a week in fuel.

But we're not "car" people, and we basically only use cars as a means to an end - so I can't imagine spending $20K or $30K - let alone $60K or $100K on a car! Even without all that interest.

I completely understand why some people do - in the same way that I understand why some people spend $180 every six weeks to get their hair coloured etc - but I'm pretty happy with my natural colour, so I'll keep my $180 in my pocket ... and spend it on books or something ...

(whereas my friends think I'm nuts for buying lots of books, when you can borrow most of them from the library for free ... driving there in your shiny red 2010 MX 5 or whatever ...)



strokes for folks, says I.