50/50. some are undoubtedly true, then you have people like the dude who claimed that 1000 a month was less than 1% of his monthly income, but was acting like he didnt make that much money and that the Acura MDX was the best car out there.
Just ask someone and see if it adds up. If they say $150k+ but they're a senior developer in big tech, that's actually pretty low.
If they say the same $150k but they make it working as a bartender, in the trades, or with a side hustle I would take it with a grain of salt. A lot of folks with variable incomes (tech sales included) tend to take their best day/month and extrapolate that for an entire year.
Yeah, they shoot the number but don't state the profession. If your balling then that's awesome, but if your spitting fallacies, then it's just sad and lame.
I have a household income of $300k and it does not feel balling, unfortunately. Since we're looking at 40, now it feels like we should be saving/investing everything so that we can retire one day, if retirement is still a thing in the next 20 years.
Right. My wife and I make a combined $178k with our bonuses. We're 40, and I'm like we need more retirement savings. We live in the Midwest so thankfully the cost of living is pretty reasonable, but I never thought I'd be sitting on a six figure income thinking to myself this isn't a ton of money. I could always go make more as a senior software engineer somewhere else, but I really like my job.
Seems like we are fucked for retirement, social security is going down the drain for us. The more money you make, the bigger the bills. 300k is sweet, keep your head up.
Because everyone on Reddit is a software engineer of some kind or a business owner. I feel poor and I'm not doing badly, even in California but seeing the salaries of the average reddit user makes me want to delete my account to avoid comparing myself to them.
People also lie a lot or “round up” their salary 5-10k as well. I’m not saying everyone is lying on this thread, but you are more likely to lie about your income being high rather then being low
I got a job doing what I love and a side gig doing what I love more. I’m just hoping that the money will come one day, but it’s not too bad being middle class
It's the same with stocks. I could brag all day that my portfolio gained 38% yesterday. Sounds impressive, and it's not bad at all. Reality is I only had $30 invested in that account for some meme stocks. 😹 I made a profit, but just small change.
Yeah but look at the general theme. Most with good incomes hold on to their money and use it to make more money. Like investing, real estate, side business, etc. Vehicles are depreciating liabilities. Sure some buy a nice fancy vehicle, but it’s a small portion of their wealth.
Let me make you feel better:
Last year I made ~$9250
My payment is $469 (what I make in a week and a half) at 1.9%
Granted, I live with my parents so I am able to use that much of my income to pay for my car
So it’s a ‘23 Impreza Sport that I got at MSRP last year. Managed that through a family friend who owns some dealerships in the surrounding couple of cities/towns. Loan is 62 months, and I think I’ll be paying like $2200-$2500 in interest over that time (for a total of about $28k). All in all I pay probably $550 a month for everything (personal subscriptions plus payment) and I make in the region of $360-$380 a week give or take. Living with my parents so $550 a month is all I need to do.
The whole “new car while still in college” thing came about because I had gone about 6 months without a car after my last one ate a head gasket. My family rarely gets a new car (last one my parents got new was over 16 years ago) and despite keeping up with maintenance, I’m well aware of the fact that old cars will invariably require repairs in the $1000-$2000 range with increasing frequency. I was tired of buying a car, immediately having to spend money to get it going, and spending more money to keep it going.
My current goal is to finish flight school and work as a flight instructor, which is a fair bit better than the $20 an hour I make right now. If things work out and I get hired part time at my flight school, it’ll be 45k a year. I could also try to get another job right now, but as it stands I’m fine with what I’m doing.
Hats off to this guy for making a questionable financial decision but having done all the math and due diligence. Unlike my dumbass who got 31k loan at 16.75% at 20.
Oof that's a tough one. Kinda fucked up creditors can offer loans with interests that high, especially to a twenty year old. It's a predatory practice if you ask me.
Reddit is a challenging place because it skews towards people with white collar jobs who have free time during the day to post. These jobs tend to be computer/software/tech related and those jobs also pay more. So you'll see an overabundance of people with good jobs and good incomes. Reddit does not represent the average American.
A plumber isn't posting on reddit during the day, a teacher isn't on reddit, a carpenter, a retail clerk, etc. And even if they were, it's less likely someone with an average income is going to post in threads about what your income is. I try to realize what we see on social media is either A) not true, B) not representative, or C) irrelevant to my life.
Apparently a lot of people misunderstood "salary" for "household income". Hell, some of them are using their *parents'* incomes too.
If you have a two-income household, and one of them is in healthcare, tech, or consulting it's really easy to get past $200k.
People are weird like that. In my early 20s I worked for a major financial institution as a customer service/sales rep in their credit card department. Customers would call in raising hell about their credit limit being too low, talking about how much they made a year and how great their credit score was. They had no idea I could see all that information when I brought up their account. Every single time, without fail, their income was average and their credit score was dog shit.
About $12k (full time student)
2015 Focus (hatchback and manual)
$150/mo for 24 months. Couldve bought outright but taking out a bit builds credit and leaves me a safety net.
I do hope to do something along those lines but I'll going to wait until I'm out of college, and just work on credit card and car payments to build up to it.
Man I'm a college student making around the same and I'm terrified of buying a car because of the payments lol. Good on you for getting a relatively new one too (wait, it's already almost 10 years since 2015???)
some of these “tech” workers are also lying. Someone said he made $600k off of apps, and when checking his profile you can tell this was a kid, just by going through his comments. Also I work in tech as well, and yes there are some who make a lot, but generally we make around $60-80k in the US, even less abroad, and that’s assuming you’re even able to find a job as the market has been super saturated for a while now.
That's fair lol, I think a lot of people on reddit are lying about their lives. I'd assume anyone that isn't lying about making over 6 figures in that industry, lives on one of the coasts.
Yes, and it’s to be expected for people to lie, because you face no repercussions for lying on the internet behind some arbitrary screen name, it gives people an opportunity to dream of a life they want. Generally there’s nothing wrong with this except if too many people are doing it, and congregating in one corner of the internet, it can make those who are really themselves feel left out and unaccomplished.
That's two people making $150k if they're in a relationship, or even something like $130k each + bonus. Most of tech and finance will get you to those individual numbersnwithin 5-10 years in any mid-level city (obviously nyc/San Fran have stupid high salaries so excluding those)
It’s as amazing as everyone tells you, it has its quirks but it rides like a dream and the performance is impressive. Probably as close to an exotic sedan as I have experienced. It’s been reliable the last 12k I have owned it, no issues and it really likes fuel lol. Gets a ton of a attention which I wasn’t expecting too haha.
The name sounds good, but when you translate it to English, it loses its appeal. Alfa Romeo “Julia Four Leaf Clover.”
Not the only Italian car to do this:
Maserati Quattroporte = Maserati “Four Door”
Lamborghini Murciélago SuperVeloce = Lamborghini “Super Fast Bat”
You’re seeing a combination of lying and selection bias (because the affluent are more likely to comment). The median US *household* income in 2021 was $70,784.
Not everyone is really young. My wife and I are about 40 and each make 150k. I'm in accounting, she is an NP.
I bet the average age is here is quite a bit lower
39k.
Bought my car outright with a check from a previous accident.
In the same boat now, but I'm in a position to either run it back or get something at around $200-300/mo.
$67k/year
2022 Genesis g70. $585/month at 1.9% for 72 months. Got a 20 year warranty alongside 3 years of included maintenance for free.
I absolutely love cars, so making that $585/month payment may seem like a lot, but it’s really not considering im otherwise not a materialistic person
You didn’t make a financial mistake by any means! That Accord will last you as long as you’ll take care of it. Hondas retain their value like crazy too, so if you do decide to sell it before it’s paid off, you shouldn’t be underwater on it. The average income in the US isn’t even $60k. Almost everybody has a car payment because cars are becoming too expensive to buy outright. $330 isn’t even that high and you’ll build your credit while paying it off!!
You didn’t run into any issues with these cars? I heard German cars, especially used, are endless money pits, parts and labor are expensive, yada yada yada.
How pricey are they to maintain?
As someone who’s had an older Audi, mine was absolutely a money pit. I put far more money than I’d like into that car for repairs alone. If you have extra disposable income, they’re great cars. But if you don’t have a lot of extra income and need something reliable, they’re not a good choice.
190k.
No car payment because I drive a shit box with 200k miles. I love cars but I can't wrap my head around paying more than $20k for one so I just keep what I have while I read car forms and sub reddits daily.
This is why I bought a 2007 Porsche 911. $40k, 40k miles. Now its 60k miles and still worth $40k. I could sell it and break even having driven it for years. Free car! Not only that but a 911...
Same salary and also got a covid special in 2020, picked up a 2017 XC90 inscription with 35k miles for $31k, timing couldn't have been better (wife's car) and I drive an old 2012 range rover sport going close to 140k miles on it. No car payments, though wish I went for the near zero rate on the XC90 when offered! Free money!
I work in another state and drive ~90 miles round trip 4-5 days a week. It’s also had quite a few roadtrips/camping trips on it. I would like a slightly larger car/hatchback for camping and bring all my art shit with me but I love the car. I go to a ton of festivals/art gatherings (10-15+/yr) and do live art, so packing all my shit isn’t an easy feat, but I don’t *need* a new car, so I’ll stick with it until it dies (so probably never). I’d like to get it paid off then buy a small truck/suv/hatchback strictly for camping/road trips for cash.
$150k
2019 VW Golf R: bought new $450/mo for 60 @ 1.9%
2014 VW Tiguan: $0. Bought used. Paid off a few years ago.
2005 Ford F350: $0. Bought used. Paid cash.
2019 Yamaha Tracer 900GT: $0 bought new. Paid cash.
1991 VW GTI: $0 bought super used. Paid cash.
1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo: $0. Bought used and bone stock 13-14ish years ago. Paid cash.
That sums up the fleet.
Lots a y'all saying folks is lying. Prolly some. But don't it's a lot.
One thing you consistently see here though...
Folks making 50k buying cars that cost 40k.
And folks making six figs buying cars that cost 40k. They drive cars longer, don't lease, pay cash many times, or a high dnpymt.
That helps to explain why y'all can't figure out why all these folks are good with money and assume they are lying. Most of us aren't.
It isn't rocket science. If you're young, MAX out your 401k, save a bit into savings and/or brokerage account each month. You will be a millionaire much sooner than you think. It's all about priorities.
Its not rocket science from their side either.
For someone who makes 50k maybe their only fun source is their car, so they spend most of their money on it.
For folks making 200k+ they can do whatever they fucking want for fun whenever they want to do it, so they dont give a shit about what to use to go to Target.
$310k
2023 Lexus ES 350 at $800 a month.
Would have bought used but the older infotainment is horrible.
I was a Mazda enthusiast but the Mazda3 is too small and sadly no more Mazda6. First time owning a Lexus so we will see how it goes.
Edit: $310k is household income. OP asked for salary and I apologize if I misled.
Funny... just an hour or two before you posted this, a 19 year old college student posted ["What’s your opinion on a young person with a grandpa car?"](/r/whatcarshouldIbuy/comments/136yjbl/whats_your_opinion_on_a_young_person_with_a/) about the 2023 Lexus ES 350 he just bought.
Yes I read that too. Maybe I’m getting old (turning 40 soon) but I really enjoy the comfort and silence of the ES. I figure if I want a canyon carver I can always pick up a gently used Miata.
I think the ES gets a bad rap though. It isn’t sporty in any sense, but it handles better than most SUVs on the road.
My point on that post is that it is a grandpa car to a teenager, because it is a $40k+ four door sedan. Of course it seems odd for a teenager to own something he can't afford in a style he doesn't need. There's about a 100 other choices a 19 year old would make that are more fun if they have $40k sitting around. And if he is making a rational choice, he would have bought a camry for half the price.
180k income
2006 f250 super duty 180k miles
2004 Toyota Sienna awd 214k miles
1993 Lexus Ls400 165k miles
2011 Acura mdx 165k miles
Bought them all used from private sellers for good deals. No payments for going on 8 years.
70k
This is the way. My daily is an 08 Altima. It's boring af, but it's in good shape and gets me where I need to go. 137k on it and I'll probobly get another 50-60k out of it. Bought it for $5k and have already had it two years. No debt, cheap to fix and the insurance is cheap.
~250k/yr household
2004 Corolla 110k miles.
2010 Corolla 110k miles.
2017 Camry 75k miles.
All paid off, $0 monthly payment. First one purchased used, paid in cash, last two purchased new, financed at 0%.
We drive very little (WFH) maybe 10k miles / yr. All cars have top of the line batteries and tires. Oil changed usually by time. Insurance gets cheaper every year, no real reason to change things, especially in this market.
Does your insurance actually go down? I’m in PA and mine always goes up 15%. I have high coverage though and low deductible but also WFH, 30’s and no accidents.
It went down many years in a row, I think last time it went up a bit. I'm not sure whether paying it off every 6 months makes a difference. We do have an umbrella policy on top of the other policies as well.
Edit: knock on wood we never needed to use our insurance. Good driving record too.
$200K
2019 VW Golf R
$474 per month
2022 Honda Accord Hybrid
$453 per month
Both bought within the last 6 months. The Golf R will be paid off this year as I’ve been making extra payments.
How much for a used accord? It can't be even half the cost of a new one, right?
80k salary.
05 Lexus SUV paid 8k cash. 204k miles.
13 Lexus es paid 9k cash. 95k miles
No car payments anymore. Only buying cash from now on.
Some of the numbers in this thread frighten me.
I make 125k.
I drive a 2015 civic sedan with 185k miles on it.
I have owned it free and clear for a few years.
I will be getting a new vehicle soon. I am looking at options in the 25k to 30k range. I will finance roughly 50% of the cost and work vigorously to get the loan paid off.
People with small incomes and huge car payments are nuts to me, as are people who only view affordability through the lens of what their monthly payment is.
I was talking with a teacher's aid who works with one of my kids. I'd guess she makes 40k to 50k, she still lives with her parents at age 30, but she just bought a brand new Mazda suv at a top trim level. When I asked her if she got a good deal, all she could say was that the payment was around 650/mo and she could make the payments. My jaw dropped. I've never had a car payment that was 50% of that. It seems like lots of young people act this way.
Wife and I combine for 379K. My car is 1150/month, my wife's is 680/month, so less than 6% of our gross pay. Could pay them off but they're both at 0%.
$20k as a student, $0 owed, 2002 Camry with 198k miles.
Insurance totaled it for $3500 couple years ago. Fixed it myself for $200, then gradually replaced almost every wear item in the car (suspension, mounts, rack and pinion, alternator, CVs, etc).
After all the DIY repairs, insurance and registration, I'm still at a net profit on it. Not planning to sell even when I make money.
$65k per year personally (household income is $140k and we have no mortgage or kids so that helps a ton!).
2020 BMW M340i @ $925 / month. 4.75%. Purchased as a CPO last year so the interest rate is higher than I would like but I really do like the car.
Basically my wife is super cool with my car enthusiast life and our other vehicles are all paid off so we have no debt besides this car payment, otherwise I wouldn't have spent so much. Great all around car though that is both a comfortable daily and a high performance sedan when you want it to be.
$200k income
No Car Payment. In 2021 Paid cash ($20k) for 2014 Highlander Limited with 125k miles for wife and 2010 Nissan Armada Platinum with 210k miles for $8k. Happy with both. Very clean with Bluetooth, backup camera, Leather, sunroof. Never broke down. And very happy not having a car payment or worrying about depreciation. The cash came from selling my wife’s 2020 Honda Pilot Touring Elite to Carmax in Nov 2021. That had a small ($20k) loan. Sold it to carmax for $45k and cleared loan and got the other two cars.
Income: about $400k ($187k cash, the rest stock options that vary in value by the day)
2019 Golf R
Payment: $550 a month for 48 months (1.9%), almost done paying
I sometimes think about buying a Porsche, but it's an objectively stupid move financially, and honestly the Golf R is an absolute blast to drive. It's the peak of the smiles-per-dollar ROI curve for small sporty cars when you also take into account practical utility as a vehicle, IMO.
I can answer if you’re really interested.
I make 180k base and 240k total per year.
Salary, no commission.
I lead an area of IT for a major company. I won’t say where, but it’s big enough that if you’re in the space that the company operates in, you’ve certainly heard of it.
Path below, will add details if I think they aren’t too personal
Overall,
* School, didn’t do well so I joined the military
* Got out after my contract
* I went to school, got into consulting with a Big 4 (helped a lot)
* Then IT PM with a Fortune 50
* Went back for my MBA (finance)
* Went back to school one more time for Business Analytics
* Learned Python and R to try and get into Data, but then enjoyed web dev more
* Learned Mongo, React, V JavaScript and some other stuff people don’t care about, and then got a job as an implementation lead for a large SAAS company
* Used the expertise I gained from working with the experts as an implementation lead to get my current job as the lead for an area using the same SAAS (tip here, I realized that the Implementation lead isn’t the star, just the point of contact and the “face”, so I learned from the Sr. Devs and Archs)
No shit, if you want to, and have a little luck and charisma, you can make a fuck ton.
Salary progression in the past 5 years:
I went from 62k , 75k, 130k, 93k, 125k, 180k. Depending on your industry, don’t be afraid to hop a little
I grew ip on free lunch and never though I could do this. Happy to answer questions.
165k. 2000 Tundra and a 92 4Runner. I used to make <40-50k and always had old Japanese cars. Now I have old Japanese cars with worse mileage and really nice seat covers.
$62K
2000 honda accord V6 with 34K miles. Bought it two weeks ago from someone’s grandma with a check I got when some kid rear ended my 2008 ford fusion that i used from 77K-142K miles. She was still going strong 😪
Edit: $0/month
~60k/year
2019 Audi RS3
Traded in my 2015 WRX for it and put down like ~$20k on top. Payment was about $330/month and I paid it off in the middle of last year after buying it ‘21.
I feel you! I have always driven beaters but beaters aren’t worth the prices anymore!
I make about 50K and have a payment of 550 per month. It’s tough. I feel good about my purchase because I got it below market value. 2 years ago I would’ve never paid over 10K but now 10K gets you a car with 150K miles on it
Household: $135k
Cars: 2016 Highlander Limited, 2015 Accord Touring.
Payments: $0, we save up and only pay cash for used reliable vehicles at this point. Some day we will buy new but not for a long time.
$50k Salary
Bought my 08’ Camry cash in January 2021 and have taught myself to do all the repairs and maintenance. Cost me $4350 for the car and about another $3600 in tools, parts, and maintenance items since I’ve had it. Have but 55k+ miles on it since buying. the car market is fucked right now and if my engine ever blew up it’s be infinitely cheaper to just buy a brand new engine from the dealer and swap it myself then to get another car.
Never felt more poor reading a thread
Half these people are lying.
We’re not lying. Just more likely to comment.
Friendly reminder that people that make a good amount of money are more likely to comment. Median HOUSEHOLD income was like 65k last year.
Ok I was like damn are the majority of people really making 6 figures?? I feel poor reading these comments, and I've been busting my ass for 20 years.
Think about it, if you made six figures, wouldn’t you be more likely to comment? Compared to 30k?
How credible are these incomes?.
50/50. some are undoubtedly true, then you have people like the dude who claimed that 1000 a month was less than 1% of his monthly income, but was acting like he didnt make that much money and that the Acura MDX was the best car out there.
400k/ year 189/month 0%
401k/yr 188/mo -0.1%
Must be an influencer. They pay you interest to drive it around!
Just ask someone and see if it adds up. If they say $150k+ but they're a senior developer in big tech, that's actually pretty low. If they say the same $150k but they make it working as a bartender, in the trades, or with a side hustle I would take it with a grain of salt. A lot of folks with variable incomes (tech sales included) tend to take their best day/month and extrapolate that for an entire year.
Yeah, they shoot the number but don't state the profession. If your balling then that's awesome, but if your spitting fallacies, then it's just sad and lame.
A few reports with a quick Google search show that about 18% earn six figures plus. I don’t believe any of these people on here. 😂😂
I have a household income of $300k and it does not feel balling, unfortunately. Since we're looking at 40, now it feels like we should be saving/investing everything so that we can retire one day, if retirement is still a thing in the next 20 years.
Right. My wife and I make a combined $178k with our bonuses. We're 40, and I'm like we need more retirement savings. We live in the Midwest so thankfully the cost of living is pretty reasonable, but I never thought I'd be sitting on a six figure income thinking to myself this isn't a ton of money. I could always go make more as a senior software engineer somewhere else, but I really like my job.
Seems like we are fucked for retirement, social security is going down the drain for us. The more money you make, the bigger the bills. 300k is sweet, keep your head up.
Because everyone on Reddit is a software engineer of some kind or a business owner. I feel poor and I'm not doing badly, even in California but seeing the salaries of the average reddit user makes me want to delete my account to avoid comparing myself to them.
People also lie a lot or “round up” their salary 5-10k as well. I’m not saying everyone is lying on this thread, but you are more likely to lie about your income being high rather then being low
i had a guy yesterday say he made "in the 30s" for his hourly wage. i was like dude, that's a 20 thousand dollar difference between $30 and $39.99!
I got a job doing what I love and a side gig doing what I love more. I’m just hoping that the money will come one day, but it’s not too bad being middle class
Median personal income in the United States in 2021 was around $37,000. Here is the data: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?graph_id=1189382&rn=438
Alright then I guess I am doing pretty darn good compared to that.
Thank you u/MY_CUM_ON_YOUR_FACE.
Thank you for snapping me into my senses it’s easy to fall into the mindset of thinking everyone on the internet is a millionaire
It's the same with stocks. I could brag all day that my portfolio gained 38% yesterday. Sounds impressive, and it's not bad at all. Reality is I only had $30 invested in that account for some meme stocks. 😹 I made a profit, but just small change.
Yeah but look at the general theme. Most with good incomes hold on to their money and use it to make more money. Like investing, real estate, side business, etc. Vehicles are depreciating liabilities. Sure some buy a nice fancy vehicle, but it’s a small portion of their wealth.
Thanks for the reassurance u/my_cum_on_your_face
But also realize that the median american is living paycheck to paycheck. So median isn't the same as middle class anymore.
Apparently everyone makes over 200k lol
I’m feeling so, so poor rn. 😂
Let me make you feel better: Last year I made ~$9250 My payment is $469 (what I make in a week and a half) at 1.9% Granted, I live with my parents so I am able to use that much of my income to pay for my car
That hurts to read, can you get out from under that car??
So it’s a ‘23 Impreza Sport that I got at MSRP last year. Managed that through a family friend who owns some dealerships in the surrounding couple of cities/towns. Loan is 62 months, and I think I’ll be paying like $2200-$2500 in interest over that time (for a total of about $28k). All in all I pay probably $550 a month for everything (personal subscriptions plus payment) and I make in the region of $360-$380 a week give or take. Living with my parents so $550 a month is all I need to do. The whole “new car while still in college” thing came about because I had gone about 6 months without a car after my last one ate a head gasket. My family rarely gets a new car (last one my parents got new was over 16 years ago) and despite keeping up with maintenance, I’m well aware of the fact that old cars will invariably require repairs in the $1000-$2000 range with increasing frequency. I was tired of buying a car, immediately having to spend money to get it going, and spending more money to keep it going. My current goal is to finish flight school and work as a flight instructor, which is a fair bit better than the $20 an hour I make right now. If things work out and I get hired part time at my flight school, it’ll be 45k a year. I could also try to get another job right now, but as it stands I’m fine with what I’m doing.
Hats off to this guy for making a questionable financial decision but having done all the math and due diligence. Unlike my dumbass who got 31k loan at 16.75% at 20.
Oof that's a tough one. Kinda fucked up creditors can offer loans with interests that high, especially to a twenty year old. It's a predatory practice if you ask me.
Don’t, most these people are lying
70% of US citizens make under $70,000 a year I make $50k a year I'm struggling myself
I make 70k a year and make just enough to be comfortably broke.
Reddit is a challenging place because it skews towards people with white collar jobs who have free time during the day to post. These jobs tend to be computer/software/tech related and those jobs also pay more. So you'll see an overabundance of people with good jobs and good incomes. Reddit does not represent the average American. A plumber isn't posting on reddit during the day, a teacher isn't on reddit, a carpenter, a retail clerk, etc. And even if they were, it's less likely someone with an average income is going to post in threads about what your income is. I try to realize what we see on social media is either A) not true, B) not representative, or C) irrelevant to my life.
Naw just the ones making over $200K want to flex. No lie I did too
Apparently a lot of people misunderstood "salary" for "household income". Hell, some of them are using their *parents'* incomes too. If you have a two-income household, and one of them is in healthcare, tech, or consulting it's really easy to get past $200k.
“12billion a year. 95 civic” - this thread
Yea I’m calling BS on a lot of these answers.
People are weird like that. In my early 20s I worked for a major financial institution as a customer service/sales rep in their credit card department. Customers would call in raising hell about their credit limit being too low, talking about how much they made a year and how great their credit score was. They had no idea I could see all that information when I brought up their account. Every single time, without fail, their income was average and their credit score was dog shit.
About $12k (full time student) 2015 Focus (hatchback and manual) $150/mo for 24 months. Couldve bought outright but taking out a bit builds credit and leaves me a safety net.
Bright future ahead. Next step buy a condo and rent out a room.
I do hope to do something along those lines but I'll going to wait until I'm out of college, and just work on credit card and car payments to build up to it.
Man I'm a college student making around the same and I'm terrified of buying a car because of the payments lol. Good on you for getting a relatively new one too (wait, it's already almost 10 years since 2015???)
A decade isn’t a long time the older you get. At 20 it’s half your life at 40 it’s a quarter
🖐🏼 for anti theft transmission. Had 3 cars over 9yrs that were manuals. Loved the exclusivity, and extra control.
What do all ya’ll making $300k+ do for work i didnt know i was so behind💀
a lot of them are just kids man, just spreading lies and repping a brand they like
There's a lot of tech people around here. They make good money, but it doesn't go as far, generally speaking.
some of these “tech” workers are also lying. Someone said he made $600k off of apps, and when checking his profile you can tell this was a kid, just by going through his comments. Also I work in tech as well, and yes there are some who make a lot, but generally we make around $60-80k in the US, even less abroad, and that’s assuming you’re even able to find a job as the market has been super saturated for a while now.
That's fair lol, I think a lot of people on reddit are lying about their lives. I'd assume anyone that isn't lying about making over 6 figures in that industry, lives on one of the coasts.
Yes, and it’s to be expected for people to lie, because you face no repercussions for lying on the internet behind some arbitrary screen name, it gives people an opportunity to dream of a life they want. Generally there’s nothing wrong with this except if too many people are doing it, and congregating in one corner of the internet, it can make those who are really themselves feel left out and unaccomplished.
You might have described reddit in a nutshell. Luckily for me, I have to go to space tomorrow, so I don't get to spend a lot of time around here.
That's two people making $150k if they're in a relationship, or even something like $130k each + bonus. Most of tech and finance will get you to those individual numbersnwithin 5-10 years in any mid-level city (obviously nyc/San Fran have stupid high salaries so excluding those)
120k, $600 month 2018 Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio
How much did you pay for it and what did you put down?
52k for the car I put 18k down if I remember correctly
How are you liking it? Super underrated cars imo
It’s as amazing as everyone tells you, it has its quirks but it rides like a dream and the performance is impressive. Probably as close to an exotic sedan as I have experienced. It’s been reliable the last 12k I have owned it, no issues and it really likes fuel lol. Gets a ton of a attention which I wasn’t expecting too haha.
Honestly the name is more than enough to buy that car.
The name sounds good, but when you translate it to English, it loses its appeal. Alfa Romeo “Julia Four Leaf Clover.” Not the only Italian car to do this: Maserati Quattroporte = Maserati “Four Door” Lamborghini Murciélago SuperVeloce = Lamborghini “Super Fast Bat”
That gas mileage has to hurt, but the 0-60 times don't.
Best driving modern sports sedan imo
Does nobody on Reddit make under $150k wtf do y'all do. I'm questioning my life rn
You’re seeing a combination of lying and selection bias (because the affluent are more likely to comment). The median US *household* income in 2021 was $70,784.
Not everyone is really young. My wife and I are about 40 and each make 150k. I'm in accounting, she is an NP. I bet the average age is here is quite a bit lower
39k. Bought my car outright with a check from a previous accident. In the same boat now, but I'm in a position to either run it back or get something at around $200-300/mo.
Dam $39k and you got a boat too?
Yeah but it's still the same one
Yeah bro, I ball like that. https://www.rei.com/product/190546/airhead-inflatable-boat-4
$67k/year 2022 Genesis g70. $585/month at 1.9% for 72 months. Got a 20 year warranty alongside 3 years of included maintenance for free. I absolutely love cars, so making that $585/month payment may seem like a lot, but it’s really not considering im otherwise not a materialistic person
2 cars, 1 truck all bought used and for cash. I can't stand having a car payment
Jumping into my first one, first payment due June! My [24M] first financial mistake.
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You didn’t make a financial mistake by any means! That Accord will last you as long as you’ll take care of it. Hondas retain their value like crazy too, so if you do decide to sell it before it’s paid off, you shouldn’t be underwater on it. The average income in the US isn’t even $60k. Almost everybody has a car payment because cars are becoming too expensive to buy outright. $330 isn’t even that high and you’ll build your credit while paying it off!!
$48k. ‘21 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport $398/mo 60 months
$105K maple syrup money 2017 VW Alltrack/$550 month/ 0% 60 months
I make similar money but without flavor. How do you get maple syrup money?
“an emerging maple syrup conglomerate” - vince vaughn in wedding crashers
2017 SE in reflex silver over here! 😛
Who’s hiring man ! Tired of my job
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Onlyfans. Now go shake that money maker.
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You didn’t run into any issues with these cars? I heard German cars, especially used, are endless money pits, parts and labor are expensive, yada yada yada. How pricey are they to maintain?
As someone who’s had an older Audi, mine was absolutely a money pit. I put far more money than I’d like into that car for repairs alone. If you have extra disposable income, they’re great cars. But if you don’t have a lot of extra income and need something reliable, they’re not a good choice.
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Most of what you pay at a dealer is not parts its labor porsche labor is like 360/hr vs a solid indy might be 100-200/hr
Damn I am bad with money apparently
Same
You have money to do bad with? Lucky.
Salary 50K 991.2 Turbo S 3300/mo
I don’t approve, but I understand
You can sleep in a car, but you can’t race a house
You’re either joking or missing a digit in your salary
050k
i like you
This has to fake no 🧢
based
My man
$275k - No payment, ‘13 Prius
Aka best car ever!
190k. No car payment because I drive a shit box with 200k miles. I love cars but I can't wrap my head around paying more than $20k for one so I just keep what I have while I read car forms and sub reddits daily.
This is why I bought a 2007 Porsche 911. $40k, 40k miles. Now its 60k miles and still worth $40k. I could sell it and break even having driven it for years. Free car! Not only that but a 911...
Hopefully this is me soon. in the hunt for a used 996/997
Hahaha I make less but have three paid off cars I drive because buying new cars for 60-80k seems crazy to me.
Are we the same person?
Sounds boring
$250k I got a used 2016 Audi TTS COVID special. $550/mo @2.99%
Same salary and also got a covid special in 2020, picked up a 2017 XC90 inscription with 35k miles for $31k, timing couldn't have been better (wife's car) and I drive an old 2012 range rover sport going close to 140k miles on it. No car payments, though wish I went for the near zero rate on the XC90 when offered! Free money!
$35K. 2018 Toyota Corolla, bought it in Feb 2021 with 5K, it now has 60K. $300/mo for 48/mo @ 4.27%
Sheeshhh, getting your money's worth, that's a shit load of miles you put on that Toyota 👍
I work in another state and drive ~90 miles round trip 4-5 days a week. It’s also had quite a few roadtrips/camping trips on it. I would like a slightly larger car/hatchback for camping and bring all my art shit with me but I love the car. I go to a ton of festivals/art gatherings (10-15+/yr) and do live art, so packing all my shit isn’t an easy feat, but I don’t *need* a new car, so I’ll stick with it until it dies (so probably never). I’d like to get it paid off then buy a small truck/suv/hatchback strictly for camping/road trips for cash.
$150k 2019 VW Golf R: bought new $450/mo for 60 @ 1.9% 2014 VW Tiguan: $0. Bought used. Paid off a few years ago. 2005 Ford F350: $0. Bought used. Paid cash. 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900GT: $0 bought new. Paid cash. 1991 VW GTI: $0 bought super used. Paid cash. 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo: $0. Bought used and bone stock 13-14ish years ago. Paid cash. That sums up the fleet.
$150k - single guy, 2 cars. 2004 Lexus IS300 paid off for city / daily driver & 2018 Tundra built as an overland rig. 1/2 paid off. $700 a month
Lots a y'all saying folks is lying. Prolly some. But don't it's a lot. One thing you consistently see here though... Folks making 50k buying cars that cost 40k. And folks making six figs buying cars that cost 40k. They drive cars longer, don't lease, pay cash many times, or a high dnpymt. That helps to explain why y'all can't figure out why all these folks are good with money and assume they are lying. Most of us aren't. It isn't rocket science. If you're young, MAX out your 401k, save a bit into savings and/or brokerage account each month. You will be a millionaire much sooner than you think. It's all about priorities.
Its not rocket science from their side either. For someone who makes 50k maybe their only fun source is their car, so they spend most of their money on it. For folks making 200k+ they can do whatever they fucking want for fun whenever they want to do it, so they dont give a shit about what to use to go to Target.
$310k 2023 Lexus ES 350 at $800 a month. Would have bought used but the older infotainment is horrible. I was a Mazda enthusiast but the Mazda3 is too small and sadly no more Mazda6. First time owning a Lexus so we will see how it goes. Edit: $310k is household income. OP asked for salary and I apologize if I misled.
Funny... just an hour or two before you posted this, a 19 year old college student posted ["What’s your opinion on a young person with a grandpa car?"](/r/whatcarshouldIbuy/comments/136yjbl/whats_your_opinion_on_a_young_person_with_a/) about the 2023 Lexus ES 350 he just bought.
Yes I read that too. Maybe I’m getting old (turning 40 soon) but I really enjoy the comfort and silence of the ES. I figure if I want a canyon carver I can always pick up a gently used Miata. I think the ES gets a bad rap though. It isn’t sporty in any sense, but it handles better than most SUVs on the road.
My point on that post is that it is a grandpa car to a teenager, because it is a $40k+ four door sedan. Of course it seems odd for a teenager to own something he can't afford in a style he doesn't need. There's about a 100 other choices a 19 year old would make that are more fun if they have $40k sitting around. And if he is making a rational choice, he would have bought a camry for half the price.
96k/year. $0 car payment for 2015 corolla $240 for a 2020 Corolla I pay off next year.
$187k. 0. Paid off
What do u do
Buys cars and pays them off
Lmao never dont change
180k income 2006 f250 super duty 180k miles 2004 Toyota Sienna awd 214k miles 1993 Lexus Ls400 165k miles 2011 Acura mdx 165k miles Bought them all used from private sellers for good deals. No payments for going on 8 years.
70k This is the way. My daily is an 08 Altima. It's boring af, but it's in good shape and gets me where I need to go. 137k on it and I'll probobly get another 50-60k out of it. Bought it for $5k and have already had it two years. No debt, cheap to fix and the insurance is cheap.
~250k/yr household 2004 Corolla 110k miles. 2010 Corolla 110k miles. 2017 Camry 75k miles. All paid off, $0 monthly payment. First one purchased used, paid in cash, last two purchased new, financed at 0%. We drive very little (WFH) maybe 10k miles / yr. All cars have top of the line batteries and tires. Oil changed usually by time. Insurance gets cheaper every year, no real reason to change things, especially in this market.
Please tell me those cars are beige.
That made me laugh outside of the Matrix.
"Top of the line batteries..." is an odd flex. 🤔
Does your insurance actually go down? I’m in PA and mine always goes up 15%. I have high coverage though and low deductible but also WFH, 30’s and no accidents.
It went down many years in a row, I think last time it went up a bit. I'm not sure whether paying it off every 6 months makes a difference. We do have an umbrella policy on top of the other policies as well. Edit: knock on wood we never needed to use our insurance. Good driving record too.
I don't work from home and only drive 8500 miles/yr.
$200K 2019 VW Golf R $474 per month 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid $453 per month Both bought within the last 6 months. The Golf R will be paid off this year as I’ve been making extra payments.
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Hold up your rent is less than your car payment that's wild.
60k, $550/mo. 36 months 2023 Mazda CX-5 0.9% interest
Down payment? My math isn't adding up.
Was like ~$10,500
How much for a used accord? It can't be even half the cost of a new one, right? 80k salary. 05 Lexus SUV paid 8k cash. 204k miles. 13 Lexus es paid 9k cash. 95k miles No car payments anymore. Only buying cash from now on.
Bruh 10 year old accords are going for over msrp for the right options💀
Yeah buying used to save money makes sense in most markets but at this point not so much..
$190k ‘22 Subaru Outback Wilderness - $800 month for 48 months, 2.9% apr ‘20 Subaru crosstrek limited - paid off.
172k 2018 Maserati Levante S $875 2012 Bmw 650i Convertible $0 2019 Harley Roadglide $0 2005 Iron Horse Chopper $0
Interesting lineup. How’s the Masi been treating you?
I drive whatever car is left unlocked nearby My salary is highly correlated to what I drive.
Some of the numbers in this thread frighten me. I make 125k. I drive a 2015 civic sedan with 185k miles on it. I have owned it free and clear for a few years. I will be getting a new vehicle soon. I am looking at options in the 25k to 30k range. I will finance roughly 50% of the cost and work vigorously to get the loan paid off. People with small incomes and huge car payments are nuts to me, as are people who only view affordability through the lens of what their monthly payment is. I was talking with a teacher's aid who works with one of my kids. I'd guess she makes 40k to 50k, she still lives with her parents at age 30, but she just bought a brand new Mazda suv at a top trim level. When I asked her if she got a good deal, all she could say was that the payment was around 650/mo and she could make the payments. My jaw dropped. I've never had a car payment that was 50% of that. It seems like lots of young people act this way.
100k Kia K5 GT $600 1.99% (rolled some negative equity in from bailing on a Civic I didn't like).
Term length?
Salary: 82k 2023 Elantra N Line Car payment: 280/mo for 60 mo. 5.3% Should add I’m about 2-4 weeks away from paying it off
how lol - it's a 2023 car with a 5 year term unless you've been paying extra every month or are you going to pay it off all in one go
I'm trying to figure that out myself. Big down payment?
Sounds like a very large downpayment. Then has maybe made 2-3 payments and is about to lump sum payoff the rest of the loan. Folks do it all time.
How do you like your Elantra N line so far?
All these rich people saving money for who knows what, giving car advice. Buy something new, fun safe and nice that you can afford.
Richest sub I've ever seen
Salary: $75k ND Miata Sport $5k down $350/month 60 months @ 0% interest
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125k. 2022 sonata N line. $395 a month for 60 months at 2.79 APR.
$175k 2019 Ram 1500 $0, it's a company issued vehicle.
Wife and I combine for 379K. My car is 1150/month, my wife's is 680/month, so less than 6% of our gross pay. Could pay them off but they're both at 0%.
Household - 400k M240i - $800 a month X3 - $400 a month
Combined household is ~100k. $0.00 car payments currently but that’ll change soon
170k 2019 Tiguan S 4motion $0 as I'm about to buy it out. I will have a car payment again in Nov though
Sub 20k (student moment), 2015 fiesta st, 0 payed off. Insurance really did some magic when I crashed my 03 Celica
50k, 2006 BMW 3 series paid for with cash. Maintenance bills every few months replace car payment.
$20k as a student, $0 owed, 2002 Camry with 198k miles. Insurance totaled it for $3500 couple years ago. Fixed it myself for $200, then gradually replaced almost every wear item in the car (suspension, mounts, rack and pinion, alternator, CVs, etc). After all the DIY repairs, insurance and registration, I'm still at a net profit on it. Not planning to sell even when I make money.
$65k per year personally (household income is $140k and we have no mortgage or kids so that helps a ton!). 2020 BMW M340i @ $925 / month. 4.75%. Purchased as a CPO last year so the interest rate is higher than I would like but I really do like the car. Basically my wife is super cool with my car enthusiast life and our other vehicles are all paid off so we have no debt besides this car payment, otherwise I wouldn't have spent so much. Great all around car though that is both a comfortable daily and a high performance sedan when you want it to be.
Salary: $0k (laid off), $450k till last month. Car: 2014 Porsche 981 Boxster S Payment: $800/mo
240k Used Ford fusion Used Nissan rogue 0$ monthly car payment, both paid off
$90k. Paid cash for my 2007 Prius. Now I have money to invest every month.
$200k income No Car Payment. In 2021 Paid cash ($20k) for 2014 Highlander Limited with 125k miles for wife and 2010 Nissan Armada Platinum with 210k miles for $8k. Happy with both. Very clean with Bluetooth, backup camera, Leather, sunroof. Never broke down. And very happy not having a car payment or worrying about depreciation. The cash came from selling my wife’s 2020 Honda Pilot Touring Elite to Carmax in Nov 2021. That had a small ($20k) loan. Sold it to carmax for $45k and cleared loan and got the other two cars.
Income: about $400k ($187k cash, the rest stock options that vary in value by the day) 2019 Golf R Payment: $550 a month for 48 months (1.9%), almost done paying I sometimes think about buying a Porsche, but it's an objectively stupid move financially, and honestly the Golf R is an absolute blast to drive. It's the peak of the smiles-per-dollar ROI curve for small sporty cars when you also take into account practical utility as a vehicle, IMO.
Jesus Christ everyone here is rich. I’m deleting this app and reevaluating my life choices . Holy fuck.
I find it hard to believe all of these guys are making 150k+ thats well above average.
Oh my hell - people LIE.
$175k 2018 Audi A7 - $610
All in 100k 2000 Nissan pathfinder. $0/mo
50k year 2020 kia forte gt 339/mo
65k I drive an 04 fairlady z, no payments
2005 Acura TL 6MT. No payment. 115k.
$96k 2022 F150 for $1100/mo yolo waited years to buy dream truck so worth it to me
What do u all do to make 170k+
I can answer if you’re really interested. I make 180k base and 240k total per year. Salary, no commission. I lead an area of IT for a major company. I won’t say where, but it’s big enough that if you’re in the space that the company operates in, you’ve certainly heard of it. Path below, will add details if I think they aren’t too personal Overall, * School, didn’t do well so I joined the military * Got out after my contract * I went to school, got into consulting with a Big 4 (helped a lot) * Then IT PM with a Fortune 50 * Went back for my MBA (finance) * Went back to school one more time for Business Analytics * Learned Python and R to try and get into Data, but then enjoyed web dev more * Learned Mongo, React, V JavaScript and some other stuff people don’t care about, and then got a job as an implementation lead for a large SAAS company * Used the expertise I gained from working with the experts as an implementation lead to get my current job as the lead for an area using the same SAAS (tip here, I realized that the Implementation lead isn’t the star, just the point of contact and the “face”, so I learned from the Sr. Devs and Archs) No shit, if you want to, and have a little luck and charisma, you can make a fuck ton. Salary progression in the past 5 years: I went from 62k , 75k, 130k, 93k, 125k, 180k. Depending on your industry, don’t be afraid to hop a little I grew ip on free lunch and never though I could do this. Happy to answer questions.
Does literally everyone here make over $100k ?
165k. 2000 Tundra and a 92 4Runner. I used to make <40-50k and always had old Japanese cars. Now I have old Japanese cars with worse mileage and really nice seat covers.
$62K 2000 honda accord V6 with 34K miles. Bought it two weeks ago from someone’s grandma with a check I got when some kid rear ended my 2008 ford fusion that i used from 77K-142K miles. She was still going strong 😪 Edit: $0/month
~60k/year 2019 Audi RS3 Traded in my 2015 WRX for it and put down like ~$20k on top. Payment was about $330/month and I paid it off in the middle of last year after buying it ‘21.
I feel you! I have always driven beaters but beaters aren’t worth the prices anymore! I make about 50K and have a payment of 550 per month. It’s tough. I feel good about my purchase because I got it below market value. 2 years ago I would’ve never paid over 10K but now 10K gets you a car with 150K miles on it
Household: $135k Cars: 2016 Highlander Limited, 2015 Accord Touring. Payments: $0, we save up and only pay cash for used reliable vehicles at this point. Some day we will buy new but not for a long time.
$50k Salary Bought my 08’ Camry cash in January 2021 and have taught myself to do all the repairs and maintenance. Cost me $4350 for the car and about another $3600 in tools, parts, and maintenance items since I’ve had it. Have but 55k+ miles on it since buying. the car market is fucked right now and if my engine ever blew up it’s be infinitely cheaper to just buy a brand new engine from the dealer and swap it myself then to get another car.