Reply #4: My girlfriend and I each bought newer cars in the past two years [View All]

[NickB79]

Mine was a brand-new Scion xA, her's a used Malibu. Between us, we pay $500/mo in car payments so that's $6000/yr right there (but that's because we pay much more than the minimum required payments to get them paid off faster), and car insurance is $2400/yr because, since they're not paid off yet, we have to put full coverage on them as required by our car loans. Both get good gas mileage (mine 40 mpg, her's 30 mpg highway), so we only fill up every 2 weeks s or so, and we don't drive excessively. No maintainance issues so far. So yea, between two newer cars, we're paying out the ass for them. We'd take the bus if there was bus service in this suburban craphole, or walk if half the stores were within walking range or even had sidewalks! Unfortunately our jobs and her college are here, so there's no moving anytime soon. We're just looking forward to 2 years from now when our cars are paid off and she's done with school so we can move closer to my job (hopefully within walking distance), she can get a job in her field, and we can get more basic car insurance.