Should I sell my baby??

[mdavis]

Just looking for some opinions, heres a lil background.

So I'm moving to New Orleans from southern Indiana, in august. when i get down there I will be given a company truck (with gas card and insurance). which is only supposed to be used for 'company related purposes' -ha! I also own a motorcylce (paid for). I've had my MS3 for about 4 months and owe just about 9g's on her. I dont really need three vehicles, but i dont really need the money either (single male in mid 20's with good job).

Would you do the finacial responsible thing and sell your MS3 if you were in my current situation? Or keep your baby?

[evilmonkeyMSP]

if you're not in a bind, why give it up?

[mdavis]

from what i hear parking can be a bitch in NOLA, i'll have to mutliply that hassle by 2.5X

having an extra $10,000 just sitting around is never a bad thing

I am so torn!!

[mazpro]

If you are financially stable, take it with you. if you have that much of a problem with parking then sell it, but I don't see selling a car because you can't find parking a good enough reason.

[Moultese]

Keep it I say. You are only suppose to use the company truck for company reltated purposes. The responsible thing it to follow your work code and only use the truck for it's intended purposes.

[djthom]

PM sent!
hahaha

[mazdaspeedster3]

LOL... I will store it for you!

[kickniteasy]

I'd take it with you and see what the situation is down there. My buddy has a "work related only" truck and they actually put a tracker in it to make sure he only uses it for work related things. That's what they told him anyway, whether they did or not is irrelevant, he's not going to risk his job to find out. Especially with gas being the way it is I imagine they'd keep you on a short leash with that truck if they're paying gas/insurance. Plus, heaven forbid you get in an accident or something using it for something not work related that could get you in hot water. If you're not having trouble affording it I'd just keep what you've got.

[mdavis]

LOL... I will store it for you!

and she'll mysteriously obtain a few extra thousand miles just sitting?

[mdavis]

i guess i could have figured as much...bunch of mazdaspeed enthusiasts telling me to keep my car! imagine that

Who wants to pick up a girl on a date in a white construction truck anyways?

[imac]

Who wants to pick up a girl on a date in a white construction truck anyways?

im always up for a challenge.

[mazdaspeedster3]

Ms3 Ftw

[Kain]

I was on a business trip in NOLA back in April, and compared to here (Washington DC), parking is nothing to worry about, even in the business districts. Seriously, parking is a silly-ass reason to sell a relatively new car. Hell, I don't even drive to work and I wouldn't consider selling my car (and trust me, parking comes at a premium here).

[fkmp5]

from what i hear parking can be a bitch in NOLA, i'll have to mutliply that hassle by 2.5X

having an extra $10,000 just sitting around is never a bad thing

I am so torn!!

the only problem with the $10,000 sitting around as a car is that it's depreciating. Having that $10,000 sitting around in an interest-bearing account or other investment might be wiser.

with that said, I also drive a company car daily, but keep the protege5 for the fun on the weekends!!

[Sacrilicious]

sell the car and pick up the girl on your motorcycle...;)

[phillyb]

keep it don't sell

[sl0wthe0ry]

holy crap you must have a real nice job. four months into the car and you only owe $9,000?

[mdavis]

holy crap you must have a real nice job. four months into the car and you only owe $9,000?

(yes)

[camrycev6]

I just read the subject line, and I have to tell you that you can get good prices for them in Mexico and Canada (if you know the right people). As long as the baby is healthy, you should be able to get $50,000 or more....
.
.
.
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...oh... you meant a "baby" as in car... Ah....

Never mind.

[MikeHTally]

and she'll mysteriously obtain a few extra thousand miles just sitting?
Well, gotta keep the fluids stirred up and make sure the tires don't flat-spot.

[dandydaniel]

Keep the car for weekend fun, especially since you're able to pay off roughly $18,000 (with interest i'm assuming) within 4 months.

[dokx]

I have two questions.

1. If you make that much money at work, wouldn't it make sense to tough it out for a few more months and pay the car off? You could then start saving the money that you would be spending on a car payment, and use that to be "financially responsible".

2. Did you buy the car for transportation, or for fun?

I have a feeling the second question will lead you to the correct answer.

[mo08ms3]

Not to mention, what if using the work truck for non-busines purposes may get you in trouble with that sweet job of yours. You lose that good paying job and you might have a different outlook! Keep it!

[mdavis]

2. Did you buy the car for transportation, or for fun?

I have a feeling the second question will lead you to the correct answer.


I guess I bought it for both, but if I wanted a car strictly for transportation I would have got a slow 3, not a speed 3.

[Sacrilicious]

ok, so the way i see it is that assuming your work doesn't mind your using the truck for normal tasks like going to the grocery store, etc., your "fun" is completely covered with the bike, so why have the car? i mean, i love my car, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that it's anywhere NEAR as fun as a bike! ;)

so, if you can get away with using the truck for all your practical needs, just sell the car, because all it's doing is depreciating in value. that is the financially responsible thing to do: it's a dead cost.

[caspeed]

If you would blow the cash then keep the car it is fun. However, if your 401k or Roth IRA isn't fully funded then I would sell the car and fund them. If they're funded you might open an investment account with a mutual fund company. Fidelity and Vanguard are two good ones.

Mike

[dandydaniel]

If you would blow the cash then keep the car it is fun. However, if your 401k or Roth IRA isn't fully funded then I would sell the car and fund them. If they're funded you might open an investment account with a mutual fund company. Fidelity and Vanguard are two good ones.

Mike

Fidelity FTW!

[dokx]

I guess I bought it for both, but if I wanted a car strictly for transportation I would have got a slow 3, not a speed 3.

Yeah, I hear you. I recently bought my ms3 after getting a raise. I threw some money for a downpayment and traded in my last car, so the raise pretty much covers the car payment. I just think of it like this...I'm not putting any more money out this month than I was last month, so it's really just a big toy to play with on the way back and forth to work. If I couldn't drive it back and forth to work though (about 25 miles each way, M-F), I would probably get rid of it. I guess to each their own...If your life decisions are anything like mine, it will just sort of work itself out as you get closer to the new job. Good luck in your ventures.

[dokx]

ok, so the way i see it is that assuming your work doesn't mind your using the truck for normal tasks like going to the grocery store, etc., your "fun" is completely covered with the bike, so why have the car? i mean, i love my car, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that it's anywhere NEAR as fun as a bike! ;)

so, if you can get away with using the truck for all your practical needs, just sell the car, because all it's doing is depreciating in value. that is the financially responsible thing to do: it's a dead cost.

In terms of being as fun as a bike, I'm not so sure. I don't have any problems with motorcycles, but I definitely wouldn't want to own one. I have this fascination with having something besides air between myself and the ground. Sheet metal is nice, but airbags just sweeten the deal. :D

I have a bunch of friends with bikes; one of them a co-worker who recently sold his car. His car was a piece of crap, but he was hating life today when he went to meet his wife for lunch (it was raining).

Maybe it's just because I'm getting a little older but my idea of a "fun" vehicle these days is one that will keep me dry, carry my kids around, handle an 8 or 9 hour road trip, and still stomp 90% of the daily driven vehicles I come across.

[tiagotiago]

Mm, you might want to make yourself the following questions: Do you owe 9000 + interests or is that taking them into account? If you paid it off now (with you selling the speed) would you pay less, considering you'd be saving the interest rate? In what would you invest the savings? What interest rate would you be getting out of it? I really don't think you should publish the answers of these questions here(or at least I wouldn't), but think about it.

I agree that if the car they're giving you is really strickly for business, you might end up in trouble using it in off hours. But if you do decide in selling the speed, I think it would be best to sell it ASAP, to keep that depreciation from eating your money up.

[Nismothecat]

I'd take it with you and see what the situation is down there. My buddy has a "work related only" truck and they actually put a tracker in it to make sure he only uses it for work related things. That's what they told him anyway, whether they did or not is irrelevant, he's not going to risk his job to find out. Especially with gas being the way it is I imagine they'd keep you on a short leash with that truck if they're paying gas/insurance. Plus, heaven forbid you get in an accident or something using it for something not work related that could get you in hot water. If you're not having trouble affording it I'd just keep what you've got.



good possibility it does have gps tracking. we just put that on all our trucks at work.

[Young Roids]

keep it.