I'm a recent Master's grad with 30k in savings and a full time job offer at 84k in Michigan. Own LLC with a few side projects. I've been living with parents and driving a shitty but reliable 2001 ford ranger for my entire college career.
Finally graduated, what should I buy? pic related.
Keep the Ford Ranger and invest your money instead of blowing it on a depreciating status symbol.
Thanks Nucky.
Buy something less shitty but still used. Don't go fu- actually do what you want. Go ahead buy it.
I hate these handholding threads all over Veeky Forums, are you not a man? Can you not make a simple decision without the help of anonymous men on the internet? Fuck off mate.
Buy what makes you happy. Nothing wrong with treating yourself if you can afford it without a loan. Only poorfag pennypinchers will disagree.
da fuck u getting all hateful for nigga? I'm just trying to start a discussion.
Buy ethereum,
>not a cts v
pleb plz go
Do you think only a 84k salary can afford a ctsv?
Not with that attitude
The smart decision is to get a Honda or Toyota with a few miles.
But if you need to look "affluent" for your job maybe a Lexus?
Everything German has ridiculous maintenance.
IDK about Cadillac I never owned one.
An issue to consider. In a corporate environment, it is critical above everything else to fit in.
You want to come in to the office when everyone else does. You want to dress close to what everyone else is wearing. And - you want to drive what everyone else is driving too. Corporations may say they prize initiative and creativity, but really the bigger they are the more they value conformity.
Along with not driving a car that's *beneath* your coworkers' level, that also means not driving *above* what your cow-orkers are driving. They will find out what you drive and then they will evaluate that and respond accordingly. You want them to conclude "He's one of us". You really really want this.
So, I wouldn't buy anything right away. Wait and see what your workmates are driving into the parking lot in the morning. If your truck blends in adequately, STOP - don't spend the money. Drive your truck until it starts making you late for work because it's malfunctioning.
If it is beneath what your coworkers are driving, do get rid of it by all means and buy something that does fit in to what everyone else is driving.
If you want a sports car or something flashy, you'll need to get that on the DL and never take it into work.
This is gay and fake. I was working in downtown LA for corporate offices of different fortune 500 companies for 5 years making $85/hour. The fucking parking alone used to cost $35/day, I shit you not. I think 3 times out of those 5 years did I ever walk with a coworker to the parking lot and that was to hit up a bar that wasn't local enough to walk to. One of my coworkers, who made more than me, drove a 10 year old subaru. My boss, who made $300k a year, drove an old studebaker just because he liked them. I was asked one time by another coworker what car I own and I told him an old Scion XA. You know what he said to me? "Damn that's fucking smart man. Those get good MPG." Status symbols are memes and real business professionals don't give a shit about them. Only plebs try to keep up with the Joneses.
>buying and not leasing
Top kek. Enjoy the used car market collapse in 5 years when automated cars are fucking everywhere and Uber costs $9.99/month for unlimited rides.
>So, I wouldn't buy anything right away. Wait and see what your workmates are driving into the parking lot in the morning. If your truck blends in adequately, STOP - don't spend the money. Drive your truck until it starts making you late for work because it's malfunctioning.
>Basing financial decisions on what other people think of you.
Holy fuck kill yourself.
Sounds like you'll be working in Detroit/Dearborn
You're going to get shot
This probably qualifies as the douchiest post in Veeky Forums for 2016.
might be right, I start work with GM but drive a Ford.
Don't fall for this meme either. A buddy of mine got a job at volkswagon recently and was convinced by his boss to buy a newer one. Guess what? He finds out a year later they fucked up the emissions on his model and he can't even pass a smog test kek. His car eventally was recalled.
How I'd play it (since you're a recent grad and they'll forgive you somewhat) is to be contrite and express a willingness to get right with GM and ask if they have an employee discount to help you get right, so to speak.
I do remember people who worked at GM talking about the company lot, how the guys who didn't drive a GM car had to park at the back...
What? That was solid advice, not some flowery bullshit like "just be yourself bro, it will all work out". Posts like that are the reason I bother with this place, it's one of the few places you can sometimes find actual honesty instead of a constant circle jerk of bullshit.
ha that part about parking is very true.
>downtown LA
>real business professionals don't give a shit about them
Cool meme, pal. Plenty of F500 companies are pleb as fuck. In finance, real estate, and entertainment.. cars are huge. Random jerkoff middle manager of a toilet paper company, who cares.
even IF the used car market collapses, you'll have saved money over leasing.
>you'll have saved money over leasing.
Cool meme bro.
How much do you pay a month lease + full coverage? I only pay min coverage., no payment
never buy a liability unless you can buy 2 of it. in cash.
don't rush with it, i was earning 100k 2 years ago so i got a c350 amg mercedes and it's the worst decision of my life
i bring in approximately 300k yearly now and i want to upgrade but it feels like the biggest waste ever
hold onto your car until you're in a more stable situation and buy something you will want to keep long term
look into maserati gt's as well btw, aesthetic as fuck
i really doubt your car will fuck with your social status like the guy above stated, my job is super social and people rarely notice my car(people i talk to not strangers who are in the same enviroment as me)
300k doing what?
I was earning 100k at my job, then my father died and I inherited all of his properties. I get approximately 300k yearly from renting them out now. I'm from Europe and living in one of the richest european countries here so 300k isn't as much as it might sound to you.
>wanting to buy GM trash
get a honda faget
Wrong. I was talking specifically about corporate finance. Not to be a dick, but your middle management job does not qualify you for an opinion.
What part of michigan will you be working?
IMO. Not worth it driving a nice ride in Detroit. Trust me.
You'll be worried about it constantly, not to mention all of the locals will rapewash your car at every freaking intersection.
wait until you can afford a nice sportscar like a Porsche 911 or an M6 or even something like a lambo if you end up making enough
in the meantime maybe buy a reliable sedan thats a few years old
>what should I buy?
With 30k? A nice watch with a leather strap and no flashy jewels.
>start work with GM
buy a Z06
maybe they can even get you a good deal
not likely
top of the line sports cars usually cost the company money, in which case they wouldn't give any rebates, even to employees (unless you are top brass, in which case you would more likely be driving a luxury model anyway)
Just buy a E90 BMW and be done with it. Cheap as fuck in your country. Dont buy anything until you've got a few paychecks though.
There are huge cultural differences between corporate environments on the west and east coast.
Jesus Christ, I thought "wagecuck" was a meme until this thread.
Why the fuck would you let your employer dictate what you drive? This isn't the fucking 50s, corporations don't have your back. They'll lay you off without hesitation and you'll feel like a fucking retard if you bought a new car just to impress your boss.
LA doesn't have shit on Chicago or even SF for that matter when it comes to finance. No offense.
Thats not even the point. I worked with CFOs, controllers, VPs and other high level executives of major corporations and banks with highrise offices in both downtown LA and NY. Even though I was making less than $200k/year, the median salary for my coworkers and those I directly reported to was well above $500k and in some instances in the multimillions. We are talking about some of the highest salaries in the world. While the CEOs and CFOs were a little more flashy/well dressed because they are public facing and need to be on TV, you would be surprised how modest and unassuming business executives are for the most part. Again, status symbols are memes. Only insecure plebs still trying to prove themselves care about them. I never once had anyone belittle me for driving an older car. You may use that as a way to judge people in your middle management job in (insert random city) but that just makes you a douche.
>Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. - Eleanor Roosevelt.
>recent Master's grad with 30k in savings
how do you have savings if youre a recent grad? Did you go into education mid career?
>a full time job offer at 84k in Michigan
christ, you do not know what it feels like to be european
If you're in Michigan, I recommend buying an American car people people up there in Michigan get all fussy if you buy Japanese. Fussy I mean as visibly upset and will forever mock you/vandalize your vehicle.
>both downtown LA and NY
>the rest of the country
Wow, it's like things are different in major metropolitan downtown areas, and 99% of the rest of the country. Who knew? Crazy.
People might not outwardly care, and a lot people genuinely don't care, but it's still an overall image that people use to judge you. We, as a bunch of judgmental humans, are definitely not over taking in the whole picture of someone, and assuming they have certain traits or attitudes based on this broader assumption. Black, women, fat, whatever, are often assumed to have less positive traits, and this is reflexive and reactive (we don't even know we're doing it). So what makes you think no one ultimately judges you for your car, even subconsciously? Now, no one is going to nitpick. It's probably beater vs. mid-level vs. status symbol car, and it doesn't get more indepth than that, but a 2001 Ford Ranger is getting to be in the "beater" category. I can't say this for sure, because I don't know how OP has treated it, but you will have negative traits associated with driving a beater sometimes. Will it make a massive career difference? Fuck no, not unless you're in industries that care (and there are some). But it might not make the best first impression and could linger.
Since you're going to Michigan, OP, I say keep it and make it a badass /out/ car and get a nice commuting car that's reasonable but nice. I have a Honda Fit I love to bits and then some.