#automated savings

I can see why kids are skipping car ownership & just using Uber. Lemme see, this Summer:

Car payments: $464

New battery: $130

New headlight: $20

Gas: $190

Oil: $30

Registration: $37

Rear brakes: $284

State inspection: $100

6 months insurance: $314

_______________________

Total: $1,569

I wonder why I never go anywhere or buy anything & am still spending $400 a month? It’s all going to my car. Mercifully I made my last car payment, so once I get caught up on the brakes, I’m good.

One trick I learned is to break down annual expenses monthly. I know I’m gonna get hit with registration & inspection every summer so $137 / 12 = $11.42. Set up an automated monthly transfer to savings for that. The distinction I’ve made now is tires & brakes aren’t exactly a surprise expense either; I gotta replace em every couple years, so I’ll add another $25 a month to savings to cover those when they come up (usually at an inspection). I should probably also be getting my brake pads checked every 10k miles so I don’t end up grinding down the rotors & getting my tires rotated so the wear is more even.

So to own a car or just Uber? Unfort. I’m addicted to the freedom of ownership. I’ve always use the ‘drum set test’: can I fit the equivalent of a drum set in my vehicle & drive 100 miles to a gig that night? If the answer is no, you’ve limited your music career. Yeah there’s always car rental, but I’ve found that’s a seasonal business. There are amazing deals to be found off-season, but you’re gonna get hammered in Summer when you won’t find a rental for less than $70 a day.

So if you’re living in a city, don’t need to haul anything for your art & spend less than $300 a month on Uber, yeah you’re probably saving by outsourcing your car ownership.