Why I Love My Beater Car
As a teen, I always wondered what sort of car I would wind up with. For a while, I hoped for something at least slightly fast and sporty. I don't think I could have predicted that I would soon be getting around in a 1990 Honda Accord with over 200k miles in it. Yes, I own a beater, by any definition of the word.
Yes, a beater is what I have. It works most of the time, but I never know when something is going to break. I blow coolant hoses left and right, requiring seemingly simple yet annoying repairs to get working again. My car rattles, leaks, and generally behaves poorly.
If this is the case, why I am so glad to own this car? The reason can be summed up in a word: cheap. This car gets me around everywhere I need for next to nothing. It's even survived a few long road trips (though those were slightly scary experiences at times). To sum up, it works.
Yes, my car does everything it needs, at a very low cost to me. I paid $1500 in cash for the car back when I was 16, and have been driving it for 6 years now. Even with repairs, thats just a couple hundred a year for all my transportation needs.
That's not the whole picture, of course. I have to pay insurance, which in my case is extremely cheap. I have the minimum amount of insurance required by law, which is quite inexpensive overall. This saves me even more money month after month.
Compare this to a new car. A newer car would cost me in payments, higher insurance, and more. Of course, I would probably spend less in repairs, but any way I look at it, I am saving a small fortune over the years by driving the beater around.
Of course, this isn't going to work for everyone. Some people need better, more reliable cars. However, most people don't realize how much money goes into their cars, money that I save by driving a clunker. Think about it yourself, and you might just save yourself a bundle.