Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
People simply don't realize how expensive driving is. Were they to itemize and add up all the expenses they might freak out when they realize how much of their workday is devoted to feeding the vehicles, and how much all those little runs around town really cost.  |
They don't want to know. Women & other perennial children.
Everyone knows the cost of a car is the monthly finance note and the weekly gas outlay!!
Brought this up (again) on an RV forum. Knuckle-draggers. The best tool with which to start is still the AAA Motor Club .pdf revised annually on their website about ownership cost. A plug-in-the-numbers sheet in order to find the cents-per-mile of operation for a given annual mileage against expected length of ownership.
$6000 annually is nothing. And $12,000 (big pickup) hardly uncommon. This is at only 10k miles/year (over five years) which I believe to be low annual average miles for Americans.
A three year old car with 45k miles could reasonably, economically, be run to 10/12 model years at 15k annually.
Setting a reasonable FE goal above reported average would seal the deal. (Where safety is paramount, and reliability/longevity of components the goal).
The first time through the process the finance charges are a penalty, but offset by reliability/longevity IF the goal with the second vehicle were to pay cash.
The role of fuel is as predictable expense. Consistency.
I agree that eliminating wasteful use is best practice. But,
I saved it here, thus I can spend it there! will be present.
As it's now down to 105-million Americans who will at life's end leave a surplus versus the 220-million who will consume more than they contribute, good luck with being persuasive.
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