There is more incentive than ever to “cling” to your “clunker” – as almost anything that’s old and paid-for is derisively styled by the people trying to shame-push you into a new car payment – and all that goes along for the ride. Including the surveillance/data-monitoring/driver-controlling “technology” (they always use that word to impart a kind of sophisticated mouth feel to electronics that infantilize).
But what about the disincentives?
Yes, there are some. But – for the most part – they are overhyped, like the cases! the cases! were during the “pandemic.” And for similar reasons. The chief one being to scare you into doing what they want you to do. In the case of cars, it’s to get you out of your paid-for “clunker” and into a new car payment. And also into paying more in taxes and insurance. It (everything) is almost always at bottom about money – and extracting more from you for the sake of them.
The Heritage of the South
Best Price: $6.01
Buy New $9.99
(as of 05:01 UTC - Details)
But what about those Big Repair Bills? The ones those who want to get you into paying regular bills – every month, for however many years they get you to agree to pay them – use to scare you into agreeing to pay on the regular . . . as opposed to the occasional? It is quite something that some people feel less uneasy about being chained to regular/serial payments for years than accepting the chance they might have to pay for a repair every now and then.
But then, many of the people who’ve bought into this paradigm don’t have the money available to pay for the occasional repair every now and then. Probably on account of their having agreed to make so many regular/serial payments instead.
But what about those Big Repair Bills? The ones those who want to get you into paying regular bills – every month, for however many years they get you to agree to pay them – use to scare you into agreeing to pay on the regular . . . as opposed to the occasional? It is quite something that some people feel less uneasy about being chained to regular/serial payments for years than accepting the chance they might have to pay for a repair every now and then.
But then, many of the people who’ve bought into this paradigm don’t have the money available to pay for the occasional repair every now and then. Probably on account of their having agreed to make so many regular/serial payments instead.
5-Minute Core Exercise...
Best Price: $19.60
Buy New $17.99
(as of 02:17 UTC - Details)
But – as they say – do the math. And some thinking to go along with it. If you sign up to pay $400 each month for a new car – a very modest monthly payment these days, but just for the sake of discussion – that means you have to come up with $400 every month to make those payments. This means you have $400 less each month available to pay for anything else. Not including what you are probably paying more for to insure the new car.
You have bought “peace of mind” – against the worry that you may have to pay for an unexpected repair. The new car car being new and warranted, so that if a repair is needed, it will be covered by the warranty – as if the latter didn’t cost you something.
On the other hand, if you did not have to pay $400 each month, then each month that passes without having to pay for a repair is $400 more you have available in the event the car you have – your “old clunker” – needs a repair. If you don’t spend that money on something else (another common mistake that backs people into the corner wherein the new car loan seems more “affordable” than paying for an unexpected repair that can’t be financed except by putting it on a credit card at usurious interest) then after just one year, you will have nearly $5,000 in cash available to pay for any repairs that come up unexpectedly.
