A caveat on the whole spending-too-much-on-vehicles thing is for the people who have a passion/interest in cars that go beyond just using them as transportation. To me, cars are marvels. They're fun, they can be beautiful, the engineering is incredible...they're my thing. Some people are travellers, some people like big houses, some people like fancy clothes, some people like art, some people collect stuff, some people spend tons of money on grooming, some people treat themselves to fancy meals, etc. etc.
We've always run a pretty tight ship as far as budgeting goes, but I've rarely been without a cool car. They bring me a lot of joy, so I do allocate funds in my budget to ensure I get to drive something that puts a smile on my face or lets me experience something automotive that I haven't before.
Getting easier now that I'm older (47), but back when we didn't have much money I definitely sacrificed travel, nice clothes, etc. to be in a car that made me feel good and proud.
If you're not a car guy, though, overspending on a vehicle seems super dumb to me, too. Lots of great vehicles will get you safely from A to B that don't cost an arm and a leg.
Also, I get that having the ability to allocate money toward a car is a luxury and privilege in and of itself. I understand there are people who aren't choosing between different cars, but are stressing about the fact that carrots aren't on sale when they get to Safeway.
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