Nearly everyone is embracing budgeting these days, even multi-millionaires. Bruce Bickel is a wealth adviser who says his clients have asked him for guidance on regulating spending and he's helping parents talk to children about the change without feeling guilty. He said, "They say, 'My teenager isn't driving a BMW; she has to drive a Ford Focus. I tell them not to worry about it. The need is the car. The desire is the BMW."
His comment got me thinking about my first car and the other rides in the high school parking lot and lining the streets of my college town. I got my first car, a 1993 Nissan Altima, in 1999. That car is long gone but it will always have a special place in my heart. What was your first car?
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Orlando Orlandini
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Crave Maternity
1992 Honda Accord in 1999.
1A Ford Escort zx2. Sigh. I loved that car.
I love the way my parents had us get our first cars. First we had to start working during the two summers before we wanted to get a car (40 hrs a week) at my dad's office and every paycheck we got we gave to dad, which he put in a savings account for a down payment.
Then, when we had the down payment, we picked out our car and bought it and then for the following summers we would continue to hand over our paychecks to dad to make payments. My mom always said in high school your edu was your full time job, so we worked all summer to make enough to pay for the car payments throughout the year.
This continued until the loan was paid off in full. I clearly remember the first paycheck that I got (in college!) that I got to keep myself and not give over to dad to make car payments. It taught me a lot about saving, loans, and buying a huge purchase.
21992 PONTIAC FIREBIRD IN 1998, TEAL GREEN, AS BAD AS IT IS I LOVED THAT CAR AND STILL WISH I HAD IT
3A bright red 2001 Dodge Neon in 2002. It was a used rental car that was put up for sale by the Enterprise rental company. I love him, but he uses too much gas. I might have to get rid of him soon...
4Brown 1983 chevy cavelier. I was a terrible driver, so my parents gave me a tank.
5I had a hand-me-down 1991 Ford focus from my uncle. My brother and I shared it until he hit a deer coming home from work one night.
My next car, my dad's old 1996 5-speed subaru impreza lasted a lot longer (through most of college), so that is the car most of my memories are attached to. Like that time my brother and I came home from a ride with our mountain bikes on the roof rack and drove straight into the garage. . .ah, the memories.
6My first car was a 1994 Green Ford Taurus
7Like that time my brother and I came home from a ride with our mountain bikes on the roof rack and drove straight into the garage. . .ah, the memories.
8I bought my first car, a 2005 BMW M3. Didn't even need a co-signer because the guys always saw me working my ass off. I was VERY proud of myself.
Now, I would like a 2000 Volkswagon Beetle. I crave one.
9For Christmas '99 my dad gave me a 1994 Honda Accord. And I'm still driving it. Wow, that was almost 10 years ago...
10^Oh, that was in 2005 as well. My parents had no say, since they didn't have to pay. Thanks to two jobs, investing money, and other side things to do (like writing papers, etc) I managed. I will also never do that again.
11Jeep Cherokee Sport. It was FABULOUS!
1295 Buick Century that had been black but most of the paint fell off
Her name was
Beaster and I miss her dearly!
13I never had a car.
14Leila07! So funny!
152004 jetta-volkswagen in 2003. i miss that car! sooo fast
161983 Toyota Carolla Hatchback when I graduated HS in '89. I realize that my first car is probably older than some of you posting here. Cripes - I'm old!
17I drove a hand-me-down Toyota Corolla that my dad and sister had previously driven, but the first car that was "mine" was a Plymouth Neon.
I loved that car.
18I first drove a 1991 Chevy Corsica, I got it passed down to me when my parents bought their new car.
The first car I bought with my own money was my 2004 Chevy Cavalier.
19A 1987 Oldsmobile (rest in peace, olds) Delta88... a Big Grey Tank. le sigh, I loved the car... too bad I wrapped it around a tree.
201996 Mazda Protege....stick shift.
I loved that car, paid for it in full. I really miss that car.
211992 Acura Integra in 1997. That thing had so many problems.
22My parents couldn't afford to buy me a car, so I had to share with them. I didn't get my own until I could pay for it myself when I got my first job out of college. 2003 Nissan Sentra, it's the same one I still drive now.
23My grandma gave me her old 1992 Blue Honda Civic. It over heated, it had all sorts of issues but it was MINE!! LOL.
24My mom's Chevrolet Cavellier... then I moved to the big city with real transit... not sure if/when I'll buy my own car.
25A Ford Festiva. You'd be suprised the number of people you can pack into a Festiva. I loved that car.
26almost everyone says they LOVE their first car!! so cute!!
271987 Honda Accord, stick shift. I loved that car, too. It was a fast car.
28I was spoiled. I got a brand new Toyota Camry. I went to a school where everyone got new BMWs as their new cars. I would have been happy with a hand-me-down, but my mother was so paranoid for my safety that she got me a new one
29No one has said Saturn yet? Guess I'll represent. '96 Saturn in '01. Silver plum. I drove it for 5 years until I totaled it.
30I got my great-uncle's 1990 red Nissan 240SX sports car. It died the first day I drove it home
The A/C barely worked but it was one of the first cars in the 90's to have a Sony CD player which also did not work. I ended up using those cassette tape adapters that connected
to my SONY portable CD player. That car was the best. The doors never locked but it didnt matter. I sold it shortly after to an ex boyfriend. That car gave me some of the best memories in
High School :tear:
31*BTW, I got the car in 2003
32a 2001 cherry red Volkswagen Jetta I got for my sweet 16 back in 2002
I LOVE my car!
33A 1999 Honda Civic that I received from my parents after graduation. It still runs great and my parents use it.
34Er, I got it new in 1999.
35I bought my cousin's '91 Jeep Wrangler in 1999. Best car ever, I cried when my Mom made me sell it... too many break-ins. I have a new Volvo S40 now, and sometimes wish I still had my Jeep, but I wouldn't trade the Volvo Roadside assistance or warranties for anything. Haven't paid a cent for repairs or running the battery dead!
361995 Nissan Altima handed down from my mom. It was a great car. Reliable, but boring as hell! My new car is worlds peppier and I wouldn't go back for all the tea in China.
371985 Pontiac Sunbird in 1993 It was so awesome. The lining on the ceiling was falling down, the seats were ripped, the stop button on the tape player flew off when it was done rewinding, and many more fun things. My friends and I had a blast in that car. It had lots of character!
381997 Pontiac Grand Prix that I saved up my money and paid for myself. I was so proud !!!! I still love Jade to this day !!!!
39I didn't have my own car until I graduated from college and I settled on a 2001 Chevy Prizm, which is basically a GM Toyota Corolla. It was a stick shift and I LOVED that car! Then I got rear-ended by a semi and it got totalled out. The insurance company gave me the blue-book value for it, but I couldn't replace it for that so I had to get a stupid '02 Saturn SL that is totally NOT as good. I want my Prizm back!
401983 Subaru wagon!
411984 buick century
422001 Honda Civic LX
It's the first car that was officially mine. My first two cars were my brother's. I borrowed them and made the payments while he was in Iraq both times.
I still have the Honda. Got it in 2004 and it still runs great! I'll have that car until it refuses to take me anywhere. AND! I just made the last payment!! So, it's now completely mine!
43'89 Chevy Blazer. Still running
44I was 18 in 1958 & bought a 1946 Ford business coupe with a bad rear end for $10.00. Replaced the rear with one from a junkyard for $15.00. The body & interior was perfect. How I wish I still had it!!!
451995 Cadillac Deville Concours... bought her with 50k on the clock and 3 years later she has 117K hard earned miles! its wonderful to say my first car was a Cadillac!
46At 17 (1957), my first car was a 1952 Ford 2 door sedan with a flat-head V8. It had 44K on the clock and I don't think the oil had ever been changed! Rebuilt the engine, and it ran great. Original color was a nasty green - painted it white - much better. Added dual exhausts, '55 Olds taillight lenses and fender skirts, some pinstripes - YEAH!
471958 Triumph TR-3A, British Racing Green. I was 17.
481983 Ford Escort, in late 1989. Called it Blitzen.
49My first car was a red 1979 Fiat spider convertable with brown leather seats with plaid tartin down the middle of them. I was the funnest car to take to the beach....but one springbreak it died and I ended up leaving it there and finding another way home. I still see Fiat's on the road every once in a while and I miss mine.
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