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Going to live in my deuce in Oklahoma....

markmontana

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Mesquite, NV/Layton, UT
words from my parents mouth "We dont want your vehicles in our driveway or infront of our house, dont you have friends in another state?"

My parents are not around to help. They only care for themselves. And since they know cars are my passion, thats where they attack me. I dont understand who could abandon thier own children. My dad makes more than 12 times what I make (owns his own lawfirm), and my mom is an architectual engineer and makes close to what I do. They have everything they could ever want, huge house, remote properties, boat, cars, a **** movie theater...

I asked for some help four months ago when I saw this problem coming. They told me they were saving thier money to buy another vacation home. They told me they helped me already... (when I got out of the navy, they gave me $100 and bought me a mexican food dinner... then told me I was a failure for not going to college)
If my kids talked about us that way- I'd cut them off, too.
 

Hoefler

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White Bear Lake,MN
You have lots of choices with camping in the Duece being one of them. I would go for it. Try not to sink to much into your "camper" and have an adventure.
Pete
 

VenomInjected

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WI
Frankly.... living within ones means .... CANNOT have a temporary event in life give a permanent solution..... All this camping thing sounds like more of an adventure wish then an actual solution.

How to fix your money issues. Remove debt.... Sell Vette, Sell sonic, sell duece.... Get a nice used reliable car (sorry...can't be a fun one... get a fusion or impala etc... PAY IN CASH IN FULL... NO LOANS) Get a good job... get a small apartment.... SUCK IT UP.. your time is now over..... and you took that responsibility with a child....

I'm only 27..... but TOYS (which are what you own really) are NOT purchased in my world unless they are paid for in full cash...after I have 6-9 months of living expenses in savings...and fully funding a 401k.

The vette is a toy..... say goodbye.... sonic is simply a new car which... from a financial standpoint.... is a terrible investment... get even a 1-2 yr old car and you still save a boatload of money with all the warranty $ecurity benefits....(no financial surprises).

Sell the vette, sell the sonic... maybe even sell the duece.... Get ahead of yourself and when theres $20-30,000 sitting in savings... either upgrade your living situation (IE buy a house etc.).... THEN and only then.. start looking at 'toys' again...

Harsh reality? yes..... Solution to the actual Problem... you bet ya..... are you willing to make said sacrafices to loose your 'youth and toys yet?' I'm not quite sure.

Sorry for the harshness but all around me in my generation I see guys my age going down the toilet as they cant make the transition from toys and youth to actual mature respon$ibilitie$...

Life's throwing you a fork in the road FYI...Best of Luck to the path you take
 

F18hornetM

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Ocean City, Md
I had no idea so many of you guys have lived out of a car. Makes me feel really blessed .
My neighbor just lost his house after 15 yrs, still had all his toys though. I dont want to judge that, however pretty sure I'd have sold all the toys even the furniture to keep the house. Got a second job, which until recently have spent most of my life doing. Guess everyone has different priorities.
Remember life is half choice and half chance, make the best of your choices, you can't do anything about the chance part.
I think I read you make 60k a year, there are people who live on half that very comfortably.
I wish you the best in the path you choose.
 

Hoefler

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White Bear Lake,MN
I lived in a Fiat 128 back in 1981. Spent a winter in it. Showered at a buddies place and a community college when the opportunity presented itself. Lived off of 35 cent loaves of bread at the tech school I went to-one loaf a day was it-put ketchup on it to spice it up. Was able to move out of car and into a shared duplex in a bad part of Mpls for 50 bucks a month split 3 ways. One of the other renters was my little brother, the other a close buddy. All of us worked and put ourselves through school-its all good.
Today, I am a founder of a successful mfg company, my little brother a great developer. My buddy went on to be the CSM at The JFK Special Forces school at Bragg. He retired an CSM E9 and finished his Special Forces career in Kabul.
Tough times builds great people. And tough times are a relative-living in a car is not real tough-being hungry all the time is.
Pete
 

VenomInjected

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being hungry all the time is.
Pete
Can you imagine said situation with a corvette, sonic, and deuce sitting in the garage........making good money.... and still being hungry.....

All things relative.... if you have a corvette, new car, and a deuce in the driveway yet your going hungry and head over heel$....that's a management problem... not a poor stroke of luck....


Again... no harsh treatment meant .... but he simply doesn't want to give up his toys thinking that a temporary fix (camping adventure) will change a permanent problem (more debt and spending then income).....

Give up the toys...and change your mindset on how you spend in your life... you'd be surprised on how quick it can happen and how good the rewards feel when you do get a 'toy' back (although they are ALOT fewer and farther inbetween)


Gotta love the guy who owns a new mercedes but eats romen...

I'll take the 8 yr old pickup truck paid for and the steak please...
 

Rubenk

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NW AR
I dont think the camping trip is the best idea really.

For 300/mo you should be able to find a room for rent, even a basement with private access. Sure you may not like people(neither do I) but that is certainly smarter than sleeping in you deuce for 4 months. Not to mention all the money you would have to tie up in supplies to make the situation comfortable.

I live in an apartment, park my deuce and "toy" truck 4 hours away with family and only visit when I can afford it. But I have a good job and all my bills are paid, so that is worth it to me.

Best of luck, and make sure that whatever you choose allows you to keep that job.
 

merlot566jka

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ID or TX or OK
Well folks, I have had a different opportunity (chance) that has arrived.

Yesterday I went to look at the lot I had planned to rent. It was pretty cool, but it was really far from my work (34mi). After leaving the place, I stopped on the side of the road and called my daughter. She said "daddy, people don't live in trucks. You're silly"
It hit me like a ton of bricks. Wtf am I doing? My four year old knows better than this.

I went home and looked around for a place that was cheap... Found a few room shares and studios that fit the current budget. Not satisfied, I sent a text to virtually everyone in the area that I knew. I got a hand full of responses, most negative on knowledge of a place. But one, an old friend I went to church with when I was 12, said she has a 4 bedroom house and two friends live with her. She said they would love to put me up for as long as I need for no cost at all. I was floored. I haven't barely talked to her in years, and she was willing to help me out in ways I couldn't even imagine. She asked that I help around the house when I am able. She invited me over to come help move furniture last night and to meet the other roommates. They were very receptive and happy to have me there.
I came home last night and evaluated things for a bit. Most of you guys are right about the finances. What I should do is get rid of all of my toys and save money. Yes, I am being less than mature by keeping all of my toys.
But I am upside down on my toys. Do I take the loss?
Who ever referred to a vehicle as any sort of investment? I know I am going to lose money on any vehicle I buy, new, old whatever. These weren't purposes as monetary investments. They were for purpose and pleasure.
I can try to argue and justify why I need the new vehicle, but arguments for having a deuce and corvette... Well those would be outlandish claims.
Asking me to get rid of these vehicles is like asking a drug addict to stop using, an alcoholic to stop drinking, or a kid to stop watching cartoons. It's been my life, and I don't know how to convince myself that I need to change this. Even being faced with homelessness, I still won't give them up.
Add to that, I fear that if I make the decision to axe the corvette, deuce and sonic, I will not be able to sell them immediately or within a decent amount of time...and any plans based on selling would fail.

The internal struggle is a battle of want vs should do.
 

VenomInjected

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WI
I fear that if I make the decision to axe the corvette, deuce and sonic, I will not be able to sell them immediately or within a decent amount of time...and any plans based on selling would fail.

The internal struggle is a battle of want vs should do.

Price them at ACTUAL market value vs. what they intrinsically mean to you... and they'll sell... Pricing them with sentimental value attached and the value becomes to high....

And I apologize for the bluntness of most of my comments.... but in reality.... its toys or the well-being of your child.... sad as that is.... it should really only be a somber...yet frankly....a simple decision.

Frankly... if you 'wanted to keep one' keep the deuce as it has the least monetary value of the 3...thus contributes less to getting your head above water...sell the vette and sonic....... go get a $6000 4Dr sedan (think of the monthly insurance savings alone here) and work your arse off...save..shut up ... straight as an arrow and live for your daughter and your future for awhile vs. your current spark plug piston pleasures.

If you clean off your debt you can have a corvette (that model generation is a dime a dozen) in under a year or two.... but frankly... if your not willing to give them up... your not... but then I'd probably pass on asking for more advice....(as its wasted energy for the rest of us then)

I work hard to play hard.... but I remember the order in which I say those two verbs and which one comes first.
 

F18hornetM

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Thats great news. Just take good care of those who are helping you, do all you can to show appreciation and help them in anyway you can. They are doing a lot for you seems to me. I'm glad you talked with your daughter.
Good luck.
 

rickf

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You are headed in the right direction and you are realizing what the issues and problems are. Including not wanting to rid yourself of the vehicles. I would be VERY careful of that living arrangement bacause nothing in life is free. You move in with three women and you are in for a world of hurt! You may be paying more child support whether they are yours or not! Seen that happen many times and had it happen to me. I was one of the first to be exonerated by a paternity test. Still lost a lot of money. and no I never touched her. Think real hard about this arrangement! Another key thing, Stop blaming your parents, most of us are parents and probably about your parents age or older. It will be hard to get support when you act like that because we have seen it all before. We can lead but we cannot make you follow.

Rick
 

merlot566jka

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ID or TX or OK
Rick,
I don't blame my parents for my problems... I created my problems. I am just mad that they could help me and they won't. Maybe I should just take it as their way of saying "you're on your own", which I should have known from the beginning.

And about living with the girls, I don't think these are the type to do things like that. 2 of them have masters degrees and the third is working on hers. They are educated and have good jobs and are respectable people. I assume now that I won't have any sort of conflicts of that nature while I am there.

Also, I know nothing is free and I have and will offer everything I can to repay her and her roommates.
 
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rickf

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Paragraph one...........BINGO.

Paragraph two............You may have just fallen into the best deal of your life, do not abuse it. Do NOT talk about your parents while there. I suggest you just put your parents out of your mind altogether and just move on. Prove to them you can do this and do it with dignity. Still, GET RID OF THE VETTE! You may not get what you owe but that will be a **** of a lot less that you will owe! The Sonic, I am up in the air on that one, It is a dependable car that gets good mileage and is under warranty so you might want to keep it for work but if you are still struggling then dump it and buy a beater. The deuce you will not get a lot for it but I will bet you will get more than you paid for it, maybe a lot more depending on when you got it. Your call.

Rick
 

Kohburn

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owe 34k on a 31k car. there are a lot of new or almost new reliable cars out there for half that. if you still want a new car then trade that in and take the hit to get something cheaper.

to me a new car is usually 5 years old and costs under 10k - most i've ever spent on a car was 11K
 

MtnDuece

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I am 31 and I know what it feels to fall short on finances .life is full of curve balls catch em or let em fly. by don't let ur current situation define u as a person . I do want to thank u for your service to this great country . Over the last 3years my wife has been in school full time I've liquidated all my toys camaro z28 350sbc. Jacked up Toyota pu guns dirt bikes . "drew the line at the duece" the point of this is life is what u make it I put my family before myself every day and do it proudly i know this is nothing new to you .obsticles are what make strong people rise above
 

Rubenk

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I'm not in the camp of ditch the vehicles.

If you can afford to hang on to them, then do so. You will lose money by selling now and buying one in equal condition when you are back on your feet. Therefore you somewhat save money by keeping them. However insurance has to be factored in there as well.

Look at what you have put into each vehicle total and then see what fair market value is for them. If you are losing your ass by selling them, then I say keep them, IF possible. However if your new generous roommate see you sitting there with a new car, corvette, and a deuce, they may not take kindly to you being there rent free.
 
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