I Regret Not Buying A New Car
We don’t discuss financial regret enough
I regret not spending more money on housing.
I regret not spending more money on the car I drive.
I regret not spending more money on the clothes I wear.
I regret not spending more money on the luxuries life offers.
How often do you hear these words come out of people’s mouths?
Okay, maybe you know some hyper-thrifty people who spent most of their lives saving and never spending any of their money, but for the most part, people don’t have the problem of not spending enough.
More people have the problem of spending too much.
My Car Is Heading Towards Two Decades
There is a difference between FOMO/emotional regret versus financial regret.
I might’ve missed out on thousands of “you got a nice car” stares and compliments in the past several years since I haven’t upgraded my vehicle, but never have I ever experienced financial regret.
Recently, I took my car to the dealership. They told me my car could use a new car’s worth (thousands of dollars) of service repairs.
I could buy a new car by the time I get all the repairs done. I would probably feel better, drive better, and look better.
But I took my car to another dealership, and they told me I only needed one repair (at least for now). That’s all I needed to hear to keep the dream alive. And I celebrated.
Why? I rather keep my car for now. I like it, and it gets the job done. When I’m tired of it, I’ll upgrade.
But I’m not going to buy a new car because that’s the thing to do when you drive past a certain amount of miles and for a certain amount of years.
Most people would save thousands over their lifetime if they stopped upgrading their damn car so frequently.
Many people can’t stand the thought of having something for more than a few years; it’s unusual not to be addicted to the upgrade lifestyle, hence why a new iPhone comes out yearly.
Apple knows people want to stay on trend and not miss out on the latest and “greatest” new features.
Have you ever financially regretted NOT buying a new iPhone, computer, car, house, pair of shoes, new clothes, etc.? We’re not discussing FOMO or emotional regret but focusing on financial regret.
Think about how much you have in your savings, bank accounts, emergency funds, investments, retirement funds, etc.
Now think about how many purchases you’ve made throughout the years — many of them you likely won’t recall because many were mindless and meaningless outside of your necessities.
Are you happy with how much money you’ve spent over the years compared to your net worth today?
How many times has an unnecessary purchase improved your financial situation?
You most likely can’t count too many times.
Don’t wake up in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more decades (or tomorrow) and regret not investing in your financial future; this is the one regret most people unfortunately have.
The nice cars, homes, clothes, luxuries, technology, etc. will always be here; they’re not going anywhere.
But the time to invest in your financial future is right now.
Don’t delay. That meaningless purchase can wait. Your future can’t.
Thank you for reading | destinyh.com
This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any significant financial decisions.
Loved the headline made me stop and read. You make sense! I still have my 2001 Buick century (just turned 100K ). Author Ron Blue wrote about that years ago, The amount of money lost with turning over cars is huge. It is rare to read deep wisdom from a young person. We have much financial wisdom in common. I would like to talk/email soon about sharing ideas and how we can be mutually beneficial. All the best. Joe Zingone
I regret not going broke investing :)