dream
How To Make This The Year You Take Your Dream Trip
New Year’s resolutions are the holiday tradition that comes with the most eye rolls. I mean, who hasn’t promised themselves to eat healthier, get to the gym more, or cut down on social media starting January 1st – and then failed at it by Feb 1st. But, if part of your list this year, includes
The post How To Make This The Year You Take Your Dream Trip appeared first on MintLife Blog.
Try One of these 41 Weird Ways to Make Money This Year
As we start a new year and consider how to bring in extra cash, itâs time once more to look at weird ways to make money. Some of the following ideas might be worth trying if youâre looking for another source of income. Others, well, letâs just say they make for interesting reading. So for […]
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
My plan for purchasing a new car
It’s funny. Fifteen years ago, daily personal finance was a chore for me. I didn’t understand how to go day to day making smart choices that were aligned with my values. I wasn’t even sure what my values were!
Today, things are much easier. Sure, there are challenges. Sometimes I make poor choices. But mostly, what I spend aligns with what I want out of life. (With the caveat, of course, that who I am and what I want shifts over time.)
I’m glad I’ve developed good habits. Right now, it’s keeping me from making a rash decision. For most of 2019, Kim and I have both been fighting the new-car itch. The old J.D. would have succumbed by now. This year’s model still does dumb things like spending hours building custom cars on the Mini website, but so far I’m not scratching that new-car itch.
Instead, I’ve come up with a plan, a path to a car purchase. And Kim has come up with a plan of her own too.
My Plan for Purchasing a New Car
“Look at this,” I told Kim a couple of weeks ago. I carried my laptop over to show her my latest Mini design: a super-powered orange convertible that makes no sense for our lives.
Kim shook her head. “You’ve got to stop going to the Mini website,” she said. “And you especially have to stop using that build-your-own-car tool. That’s dangerous.” She’s right.
Earlier this week, as Tally and I strolled through the hills and picked blackberries, I did some serious thinking about if/when I should get a new car. I think I’ve gained some clarity.
Sure, if I cashed out some of my investments, I could justify making this purchase today. But, as I learned last year, this sort of action carries a huge tax consequence. If I sold investments to buy the car, I’d effectively be paying a 15% premium to make the purchase. I’m not willing to do this.
Plus, it’s hard for me to rationalize paying so much for a new car. It’s crazy how expensive vehicles are these days. (Do I sound like an old man yet?)
Speaking of being an old man: The one thing that even allows me to consider a new new car is that I’m getting older. I’m fifty. It’s highly probable that if I purchased a new vehicle, it’d be the last new-vehicle purchase of my life. (I tend to keep my cars a long time. I can see that at 67 or 70, I’d buy another used car because a new Mini would last me until then.)
While the dog sniffed the roadside for rabbits, I formulated an actual plan for buying a new car. I decided that there are three conditions that would lead me to make this purchase. From least likely to most likely, those conditions are:
- Interest rates on auto loans drop low enough for me to justify making payments. As I said, I don’t want to cash out my investments to buy a car. My monthly income has reached a level where I could conceivably use part of it to pay for a car, but I don’t want to pay a lot of interest if I do. Right now, the U.S. national average for a 60-month loan is 4.21%. That’s too high. 0.0% would be low enough, obviously. But at what level would I be willing to take out a loan? I’m not sure. I think 2% may be too high, but 1% is okay.
- My current Mini Cooper dies. My car has had a couple of major repairs since 2016, but mostly it runs fine. There’s no rush to replace it. But if it were totaled in an accident (heaven forbid!) or if something else major were to go wrong, well then I’d consider moving on to a new car.
- I save enough to pay cash for all (or most) of a new vehicle. GRS is starting to make more money. Not a lot — not like in the olden days — but some. I plan to set this aside in a car fund. Meanwhile, whenever I get lump sums, I’ll stick that money in the car fund too. (I’m negotiating a project that might give me roughly $15,000 â if it ever happens.)
If any one of these three comes to fruition, I’ll do pull the trigger. I’ll buy a new car. (Unless, of course, I manage to shake this new-car itch for good. But that’s unlikely.) In the meantime, I’ll make do with the two vehicles I already own: my 2004 Mini Cooper and my 1993 Toyota truck. I like them both and they run well. They’re good enough, you know?
3 Often Overlooked Questions About Your Future Neighbourhood
Buying a house in the right neighbourhood is just as important, if not more important, than buying the right house. With all the emotion involved in buying a home, there are some very serious questions that often go unasked. Future public/private development occurring in the area Imagine this: you find your dream home in the […]
The post 3 Often Overlooked Questions About Your Future Neighbourhood appeared first on Zoocasa Blog.
What Is a Graduate Fellowship? Tips for Applying
The high cost of graduate school can make the dream of getting a masterâs or a doctorate feel like a financial impossibility for many people. One way to help with tuition is by applying for a graduate fellowship, a merit-based award given by the university youâre attending or from an outside organization. As with other […]
The post What Is a Graduate Fellowship? Tips for Applying appeared first on SoFi.
New Age Lead Generation for Real Estate Investors
Show Summary I’m excited to have my buddy and business partner Jason Lewis, here with me today. We have a big announcement to share with you, it’s how we have come together…
Guide To Land Loans: What Are They, Types of Land Loans & More
Buying land and building your ideal home sounds like a dream, but there are several key things to investigate if you want to know how to get a land loan. Unlike construction loans, land loans are an option if you want to own the land and build it at a later date. However, land loans… View Article
The post Guide To Land Loans: What Are They, Types of Land Loans & More first appeared on Total Mortgage.
10 Island Homes That Will Warm You Up This Winter
Frigid weather kicking off 2018? No problem! Let these island getaways fuel your fire.
967: Beat Zillow to the Punch with the Lead-Gen Trifecta – Laurie Derickson and Kalene Zaabadick
Wouldnât it be great if you could get high-quality leads without paying outrageous fees to companies like Zillow? Todayâs guests, Laurie Derickson and Kalene Zaabadick, found the perfect system for exactly that! Listen and learn how they start conversations with buyers and sellers before sites like Zillow send them to other agents. Laurie and Kalene also share key steps to take before getting licensed, their secret system for staying top of mind effortlessly, and more.
Visit hibandigital.com/toolbox
Claim Real Estate Discounts, Free Trials, and More
Visit hibandigital.com/resources
Sponsors
Rebus University – Get Over $10,000 in Real Estate Training for as Little as $97
Visit futureofrealestatetraining.com
PadHawk – Find Your Market’s Best Leads for FREE with a 7-Day Trial
Visit padhawk.com
Roddy’s FLS – Discover Unbeatable Real Estate Deals with a FREE Foreclosure List
Visit 4closure.info