Game Transportation: Bus Every Week or Rental Car Every Two Weeks?

[nicksaiz65]

Hey, guys. Here’s another thread in this “car series” that I’ve been making.

So quick recap, my car is busted. I refuse to have my parents co-sign with me on a car loan to get another one. Fvck that.

So I’m saving up for a used car, as I’ve mentioned in other threads. My income after taxes is $3,800 a month coming from software engineering and $600-800 coming from my side hustle. I also have to pay rent and debts every month. I live in a small town currently so I need to travel to Nashville to seriously game.

I’ll also be moving away to a bigger city in a year. To be very financially comfortable, I think I need to put away $1-2K from my paycheck every month. Preferably closer to 2K.

So my question is, does it make more sense to take the bus up to Nashville and back to game every single Friday? Or should I book a rental car every two weeks and go up and meet women every other Friday && Saturday?

No matter which way you slice it, looks like I’ll be out meeting women 4x a month until I get back on my feet. That’s still enough for me to do damage.

The Complete Costs Are, including parking, drinks, gas, insurance, etc.:
Bus Plan: ~$500 a month
Rental Car Plan: ~$730 a month

Looking at these costs, I’m almost leaning towards the rental car plan until I can get my own car. I can’t just stop going out to meet women… I think it’s worth an extra $230 a month to be comfortable and not have to wait on the stupid bus lol. I’ve gone up to Nashville this way and even pulled after, but it’s such a frigging pain. They’re late half the time too. And even though I can study at the station, it’s very annoying to have to sit at the bus station for half of my Saturday.

Plus, if I have a rental, I can go to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or the mall to buy new clothes if I want. This is why I love having the side hustle too. Even though I feel pretty burnt out doing both that and the engineering, it completely eats up the cost of the rental cars until I can get back on my feet, and I’m still spending less than I make. That’s incredible. I think the side hustle is absolutely necessary to succeed at this plan.

If life wants to start lifing and smack me with some dumbass fee, I’ll just save $1K instead of $2K that month. (Tbh that’s more than I saved before, I was balling out the first year after I got my SWE job.) And then once I have my own car, the side hustle becomes the wall against life lifing.

Sorry, I’m rambling. But it’s very important that I have a good grasp of this situation so that I can be successful.

Wanted to get some opinions on which scenario I should choose while I continue to stack my cash and go out to game.

 

[RazorRambo24]

I would definitely just get a car for a few grand.. Something like a Toyota Camry or Honda CRV. It will probably have around 120k miles but will last at minimum another 6 years if maintained well.

Do you not have any money saved in the bank currently? You should always keep at least 10k in the bank for emergencies.

 

[nicksaiz65]

Ngl it hurts me to respond to stuff like this man. I don't know your circumstances but sht man not having a car is wild to me. I don't know if where you live is devoid of people selling used cars.. but man, I don't think I there's anyone out there who in your situation would not simply get a used car for a few grand that probably has 120k miles on it but will last another 6 years at least. like a Toyota Camry, Honda CRV, or something....

Do you not have any money saved in the bank? Not judging just wondering.

Yeah, it is a wild situation. The reason I’m in this position to begin with is because I had an incident that basically drained my savings/emergency fund. After that, I got in a car wreck and destroyed my car. Basically, life lifed me super hard and got me lol.

So, I’m basically starting from scratch. I’m able to get around with the rental cars until I have enough to get the used car like you mentioned.

It’ll take me a few months, but until then while I’m saving for one to buy outright, I thought this situation was worth discussing. I’m gonna go crazy if I just stay in the house.

 

[RazorRambo24]

Yeah, it is a wild situation. The reason I’m in this position to begin with is because I had an incident that basically drained my savings/emergency fund. After that, I got in a car wreck and destroyed my car. Basically, life lifed me super hard and got me lol.

So, I’m basically starting from scratch. I’m able to get around with the rental cars until I have enough to get the used car like you mentioned.

It’ll take me a few months, but until then while I’m saving for one to buy outright, I thought this situation was worth discussing. I’m gonna go crazy if I just stay in the house.

Ay man I feel where you're coming from. I'm not the best at giving advice in this situation in all honesty. I would just say pull out a notebook and write down the certain scenarios and do the math.. Try to figure out a 3rd or 4th situation as well and throw it in there.. and perhaps re-evaluate your costs that you put down.. might be missing something in your plans.

But yeah the used car is def the way to go once you can purchase one.

 

[Kotaix]

You can get bangers off of craigslist for $600-$800 all day, it might be a better option to buy cash than to throw away money on a rental.

This is assuming you're mechanically competent and you to do your research on what to look for with particular models of used cars.

 

[nicksaiz65]

Ay man I feel where you're coming from. I'm not the best at giving advice in this situation in all honesty. I would just say pull out a notebook and write down the certain scenarios and do the math.. Try to figure out a 3rd or 4th situation as well and throw it in there.. and perhaps re-evaluate your costs that you put down.. might be missing something in your plans.

But yeah the used car is def the way to go once you can purchase one.

Definitely, man. Based on the math I’ve run, the rental car every 2 weeks seems to be the better option.

It shouldn’t take more than a few months of doing this to secure a new used car. I fvck with the brands you mentioned because I’m essentially going to drive it to hell and back lol.

That being said, I’m partially at fault for this situation too. I was balling tf out the second I got my engineering job instead of focusing on building a big enough fund to protect from life.

But hey, lesson learned. I’m not moving to a bigger city until I have $10K in the bank. I should be able to do that in a year with my side hustle.

And even then, once I move, I’m going to spend the first few months building that fund up to $15K before continuing my debt snowball. Just to be extra safe.

 

[BillyPilgrim]

If you can hang on to your sanity Nick save you cash as prices are starting to go down, this will give you time to find a car you like. Use the rental to get the car.

If you really, really want a cheap car that's decent get a 4th generation Taurus (1999-2006). They run well enough and you can find one around 2k or less with around 150K miles. They can go well over 200K miles. You can always resell it and upgrade to a better car and save $ in the meantime.

 

[nicksaiz65]

You can get bangers off of craigslist for $600-$800 all day, it might be a better option to buy cash than to throw away money on a rental.

This is assuming you're mechanically competent and you to do your research on what to look for with particular models of used cars.

Unfortunately I know nothing about fixing cars.

I had no idea you could get a beater for that cheap though.

If I could find a beater for say, $2K, I could have that money in 1-2 months.

 

[nicksaiz65]

If you can hang on to your sanity Nick save you cash as prices are starting to go down, this will give you time to find a car you like. Use the rental to get the car.

If you really, really want a cheap car that's decent get a 4th generation Taurus (1999-2006). They run well enough and you can find one around 2k or less with around 150K miles. They can go well over 200K miles. You can always resell it and upgrade to a better car and save $ in the meantime.

Oh wow, these are pretty damn cheap. I see a few near me. Another option to add to the car log.

I don’t give a sh*t about trying to keep up with the Joneses, I’m just trying to get a car that runs tbh. I’ve been able to get laid just fine even without a car at all lol.

 

[RazorRambo24]

Unfortunately I know nothing about fixing cars.

I had no idea you could get a beater for that cheap though.

If I could find a beater for say, $2K, I could have that money in 1-2 months.

Yeah haha yea man its incredible how cheap people give away old cars.. Especially those who been tryin to get rid of them yet are not that tech saavy or don't spend time to post them online.

A while back I bought a 95 Camry for about $900 or so from a mechanic special. Camry's are notorious to run forever and have almost no problems -- just gotta do maintenance on them. Its the most reliable car in the history of automobiles if I'm not mistaken.

To be honest though man, fixing most cars is easy as sh.t - It just takes the right tools and time. Japanese cars are some of the easiest to work on. and alot of "fixes" just require replacing bad parts in all honesty.. Once you get a nice little whip (car), I suggest learning how to do at least these things: Brake Pads/Full brake job, Oil Change, Battery Replacement, Replacing Spark Plugs, Air Filter -- thats really all you need to know lol besides how to change a spare which is fairly easy.

Alot of it is real easy, just need a good socket wrench and full socket set, a good breaker bar for stubborn bolts and nuts, an impact driver, some extenders and adapters for the socket wrenches, a basic wrench set, a brake piston compressor (though you can rent this and the breaker bar at Autozone for free , just need to put down a deposit which will fully refund when you return it), some other misc tools like oil filter wrench, pliers, etc and of course a hydraulic jack and jack stands which are easy to come by and once you have them, they will last forever if its a good quality steel.

 

[BillyPilgrim]

Yeah haha yea man its incredible how cheap people give away old cars.. Especially those who been tryin to get rid of them yet are not that tech saavy or don't spend time to post them online.

A while back I bought a 95 Camry for about $900 or so from a mechanic special. Camry's are notorious to run forever and have almost no problems -- just gotta do maintenance on them. Its the most reliable car in the history of automobiles if I'm not mistaken.

To be honest though man, fixing most cars is easy as sh.t - It just takes the right tools and time. Japanese cars are some of the easiest to work on. and alot of "fixes" just require replacing bad parts in all honesty.. Once you get a nice little whip (car), I suggest learning how to do at least these things: Brake Pads/Full brake job, Oil Change, Battery Replacement, Replacing Spark Plugs, Air Filter -- thats really all you need to know lol besides how to change a spare which is fairly easy.

Alot of it is real easy, just need a good socket wrench and full socket set, a good breaker bar for stubborn bolts and nuts, an impact driver, some extenders and adapters for the socket wrenches, a basic wrench set, a brake piston compressor (though you can rent this and the breaker bar at Autozone for free , just need to put down a deposit which will fully refund when you return it), some other misc tools like oil filter wrench, pliers, etc and of course a hydraulic jack and jack stands which are easy to come by and once you have them, they will last forever if its a good quality steel.

That's the easy part. The hard part is wading through all of the BS online trying to get info efficiently that's relevant to your specific situation. When you're trying to research something, there is no worse niche in my experience.

 

[RazorRambo24]

That's the easy part. The hard part is wading through all of the BS online trying to get relevant info efficiently.

For sure the first time will be a bit tedious or difficult.. But if you know a good process, its not that hard. I mean you can pay for a Carfax sub or one time paymenta nd get a certain amount of VIN # checks.. it gives you a great amount of information about the history and maintenance of a car, including whether its been in any serious or minor accidents, how often it was driven per year, how many owners, whether it ever failed emissions testing, whether the title is clean or salvaged, whether the car was a privately owned vehicle or a fleet vehicle, etc etc

The rest is knowing how to check cars which is easy if you know basic mechanics and what to look for. If not, gotta take a mechanic friend with you and just go check out cars in person a nd test drive after running the Carfax history

 

[BillyPilgrim]

For sure the first time will be a bit tedious or difficult.. But if you know a good process, its not that hard. I mean you can pay for a Carfax sub or one time paymenta nd get a certain amount of VIN # checks.. it gives you a great amount of information about the history and maintenance of a car, including whether its been in any serious or minor accidents, how often it was driven per year, how many owners, whether it ever failed emissions testing, whether the title is clean or salvaged, whether the car was a privately owned vehicle or a fleet vehicle, etc etc

The rest is knowing how to check cars which is easy if you know basic mechanics and what to look for. If not, gotta take a mechanic friend with you and just go check out cars in person a nd test drive after running the Carfax history

I kinda misspoke, I was referring to situations where you're trying to repair something on your existing car, not trying to buy one. You're right it's not that difficult, the only thing is learning to spot the scammers on Marketplace, etc but it's not all that hard. Researching common problems to a specific car is a good practice along with the carfax as it points you in the right direction to focus on when you inspect & test drive.

Another tip- if you're going through the private market, different cars will have different types/classes of drivers. I got a car recently and went through a dealer due to the private sellers being on the ghetto/non-english speaking side of the car marketplace. To a large degree, you are shopping the seller in addition to the car.

 

[TheEveningChronograph]

Don't go for a rental long-term. You could get away with that living in Europe, where the equivalent for a weekly rental was roughly $70-78 at a time. Instead, I ran through two used Mercedes. Both options of owning or renting panned out to be identical. Currently I'm riding this 2000 Honda SUV until the wheels fall off. Right now the freon just ran out. Easy enough to fix, unlike living in Europe where there was a freon shortage and I couldn't get any for the last Benz I wound up selling off. And over there, buying used off a mechanic wasn't a guarantee that it was not a lemon. It had its moments.

 

[nicksaiz65]

Yeah haha yea man its incredible how cheap people give away old cars.. Especially those who been tryin to get rid of them yet are not that tech saavy or don't spend time to post them online.

A while back I bought a 95 Camry for about $900 or so from a mechanic special. Camry's are notorious to run forever and have almost no problems -- just gotta do maintenance on them. Its the most reliable car in the history of automobiles if I'm not mistaken.

To be honest though man, fixing most cars is easy as sh.t - It just takes the right tools and time. Japanese cars are some of the easiest to work on. and alot of "fixes" just require replacing bad parts in all honesty.. Once you get a nice little whip (car), I suggest learning how to do at least these things: Brake Pads/Full brake job, Oil Change, Battery Replacement, Replacing Spark Plugs, Air Filter -- thats really all you need to know lol besides how to change a spare which is fairly easy.

Alot of it is real easy, just need a good socket wrench and full socket set, a good breaker bar for stubborn bolts and nuts, an impact driver, some extenders and adapters for the socket wrenches, a basic wrench set, a brake piston compressor (though you can rent this and the breaker bar at Autozone for free , just need to put down a deposit which will fully refund when you return it), some other misc tools like oil filter wrench, pliers, etc and of course a hydraulic jack and jack stands which are easy to come by and once you have them, they will last forever if its a good quality steel.

Sounds like Craigslist is actually like a viable option here.

My mind is blown over the fact that you can secure a beater for less than $1K! I assumed that $5K was the absolute minimum.

Honestly, in the back of my mind, I’ve always thought as an adult man I should possess some basic car repair skills. I can start with these, thank ya bro

 

[nicksaiz65]

I kinda misspoke, I was referring to situations where you're trying to repair something on your existing car, not trying to buy one. You're right it's not that difficult, the only thing is learning to spot the scammers on Marketplace, etc but it's not all that hard. Researching common problems to a specific car is a good practice along with the carfax as it points you in the right direction to focus on when you inspect & test drive.

Another tip- if you're going through the private market, different cars will have different types/classes of drivers. I got a car recently and went through a dealer due to the private sellers being on the ghetto/non-english speaking side of the car marketplace. To a large degree, you are shopping the seller in addition to the car.

I do want to learn to do car repairs, but I’d feel like I’d be freaked out the first time I drove after replacing my brakes. Like, what if I fvcked up?

 

[nicksaiz65]

Don't go for a rental long-term. You could get away with that living in Europe, where the equivalent for a weekly rental was roughly $70-78 at a time. Instead, I ran through two used Mercedes. Both options of owning or renting panned out to be identical. Currently I'm riding this 2000 Honda SUV until the wheels fall off. Right now the freon just ran out. Easy enough to fix, unlike living in Europe where there was a freon shortage and I couldn't get any for the last Benz I wound up selling off. And over there, buying used off a mechanic wasn't a guarantee that it was not a lemon. It had its moments.

Do you mean like, booking rentals twice a month? Or are you talking about that scam they call “Rent-To-Own”

 

[TheEveningChronograph]

Do you mean like, booking rentals twice a month? Or are you talking about that scam they call “Rent-To-Own”

No bro, the rental car Ford Mondeo's were 50 quid a week. Stupid cheap. But that went up to 70 a week when I moved back to the east coast.

 

[BillyPilgrim]

I do want to learn to do car repairs, but I’d feel like I’d be freaked out the first time I drove after replacing my brakes. Like, what if I fvcked up?

I have two rules: don't F with the brakes, don't get under a jacked up car (former Cali resident here).

 

[nicksaiz65]

No bro, the rental car Ford Mondeo's were 50 quid a week. Stupid cheap. But that went up to 70 a week when I moved back to the east coast.

It can get expensive. I’m so glad I have my company discount lol