My kid drives

[M GO BLUE!!!]

... and her mother wants me to contribute to the "car fund."

When did it become a parent's responsibility to provide wheels to a 16-year-old who doesn't even have a job?

My response: I will be happy to contribute. If she gets a job and saves for a car I will provide matching funds for toward the purchase of an American car, as long as she keeps her grades up.

If she doesn't have a job, how will she pay for gas, insurance, repairs?

Hell, I don't even have a car!

(I'm in grumble, grumble, bitch mode.)

[SackAttack]

... and her mother wants me to contribute to the "car fund."

When did it become a parent's responsibility to provide wheels to a 16-year-old who doesn't even have a job?

My response: I will be happy to contribute. If she gets a job and saves for a car I will provide matching funds for toward the purchase of an American car, as long as she keeps her grades up.

If she doesn't have a job, how will she pay for gas, insurance, repairs?

Hell, I don't even have a car!

(I'm in grumble, grumble, bitch mode.)

Hmm.

Maybe find a beater, something that runs, and is inexpensive (like $500 or something), get her that to start with as a 'down payment' of sorts on your response. She learns something (hopefully) about maintenance on the car, which is a useful skill to have.

Make her responsible for all gas, insurance, repairs etc. on that car. If she decides that's good enough, well, that's on her. Otherwise, she (hopefully) gains a useful skill in learning auto maintenance, and if she wants something spendier, she's got incentive to get a job and save the money instead of, say, spending it at the mall, as well as incentive to bust some ass on the schoolbooks.

Possibly a win-win-win if you play the cards right.

[gstelmack]

Hmm.

Maybe find a beater, something that runs, and is inexpensive (like $500 or something), get her that to start with as a 'down payment' of sorts on your response. She learns something (hopefully) about maintenance on the car, which is a useful skill to have.

Make her responsible for all gas, insurance, repairs etc. on that car. If she decides that's good enough, well, that's on her. Otherwise, she (hopefully) gains a useful skill in learning auto maintenance, and if she wants something spendier, she's got incentive to get a job and save the money instead of, say, spending it at the mall, as well as incentive to bust some ass on the schoolbooks.

Possibly a win-win-win if you play the cards right.

That's basically what my parents did. Although instead of buying a $500 clunker, I got their old VW Rabbit diesel and they bought a new one ;) But I had to get a job to handle gas and insurance. Buying a car for a kid with no job is just reinforcing bad habits.

[Eaglesfan27]

My mom made me have a job to pay for gas, repairs, and help with insurance. Once I did that, she bought me an old small car that cost 300 dollars for a birthday gift. It lasted me 2 years, and I loved it even though it had horrible acceleration and couldn't get above 55 without struggling.

[RomaGoth]

... and her mother wants me to contribute to the "car fund."

When did it become a parent's responsibility to provide wheels to a 16-year-old who doesn't even have a job?

My response: I will be happy to contribute. If she gets a job and saves for a car I will provide matching funds for toward the purchase of an American car, as long as she keeps her grades up.

If she doesn't have a job, how will she pay for gas, insurance, repairs?

Hell, I don't even have a car!

(I'm in grumble, grumble, bitch mode.)

Yeah, my kids won't get a car without some sort of job first. They need to have an income to pay for the gas, insurance, maintenance, etc..

I feel your pain.

[sterlingice]

I didn't get a car until after college. My parents said they would pay for half of the car if I paid for the other half, gas, and insurance. So, I didn't have a car ;)

SI

[Telle]

I didn't have my own car until I was in college.. when I had a job and could thus pay the payments and other expenses by myself (my father did help out with the down payment). My brothers both had cars in high school but they also had jobs then.

[PilotMan]

Hate me now, and call me spoiled. I had '72 VW Bug (it was 17 at least when we got it). I didn't pay for it. I didn't pay insurance. I didn't pay for gas. I didn't have a job until I graduated. I was an only child of a single parent who was heavy into extracurriculars though, and having my own ride was almost a necessity. I had good grades and worked hard in school. Chances are, I won't take nearly the hard line with my own kids that you will, although, I can't see letting all my boys have all the perks I enjoyed either.

[sooner333]

My parents were lucky enough to have a third car when I was to the age of 16. So, essentially I got the use of the third car (a GMC Yukon...I was safe in that tank). Obviously, if they needed it, they would have priority over me getting to use it. I didn't have to pay insurance, but I did pay $10 per tank of gas (this was when gas was between $.90 and $1.25 here). My sister had the same deal (same car), but her gas deal was that they would get a $100 Wal-Mart card and she would pay $30 each time.

[MizzouRah]

My daughter wants a yellow mustang... haha.. fat chance! I told her there's a nice truck named "old blue" waiting for her when she's 16. Either that, or there's always the school bus and/or your feet.

[fantom1979]

My response: I will be happy to contribute. If she gets a job and saves for a car I will provide matching funds for toward the purchase of an American car, as long as she keeps her grades up.


This seems like a solid plan to me

[Lathum]

I had a job and had to buy my own car. My parents paid the insurance as long as I got good grades.

The thing about buying a clunker is I would be nervous about my daughter being broken down on some back road somewhere. I realize we live in an era of cell phones, but still, I think I would rather kick in the money to make sure my kid wasn't going to be stranded somewhere.

[flere-imsaho]

I rode the bus until I graduated from high school and didn't own a car until I was almost 30. My parents felt (in high school) that it was enough for me to borrow a car and work with other people's schedules so I could get to my various extracurricular activities, and they were right.

[DanGarion]

My response: I will be happy to contribute. If she gets a job and saves for a car I will provide matching funds for toward the purchase of an American car, as long as she keeps her grades up.


So you don't want someone reliable and safe? I keed I keed.

[RainMaker]

The matching funds seems fair. My parents did that with me when I was a kid.

[Marc Vaughan]

A lot depends on where you're located to a certain extent imho.

Back home you don't need a car - 'Shank's pony' (ie. your feet) can take you most places and public transport is fine for the rest.

Here in Florida however its near impossible to get around without transport (trust me I didn't drive for the first 3 months over here and while cycling got me about it wasn't pleasant in the heat).

My daughters just got her driving permit and I've told her that I'll help her get her first car (nothing flashy, but it'll be safe and non-sporty (ie. SLOW) being my main things) but that its her responsibility to cover the gas and the difference in insurance having her on mine (no idea what it'll be - but its almost bound to be cheaper for her that way I'm expecting).

PS - I'm a great believer in ALL kids having a part-time job while they're at school, it gives hem a better understanding of the value of money and also is an important step towards independance on their part.
I love my kids, but I also love them enough to hope they have independant lives of their own and aren't still living with me when they're 35 ...

[Marc Vaughan]

Hate me now, and call me spoiled. I had '72 VW Bug (it was 17 at least when we got it).

Can I ask if the 'Bug' was an automatic? - reason being I know my daughter likes them and I LOVE the fact that those cars were fairly indestructable in a minor prang ... if I could find an old automatic bug in decent nick that'd be fairly high on my choice list for her.

Other options which I'm considering are old Volvo's (also indestructable) and in the unlikely event I come across one a 2CV*.

*2CV's are old Citroen cars which are downright 'odd/eccentric' - BUT they have the fantastic mitigating factor of having a top speed around 50mph (there's no need for my daughter to go near the Interstate in her normal travelling and imho SLOW = good initially with vehicles).

[Toddzilla]

My folks told me that if I bought the car, they'd cover insurance.

[Marc Vaughan]

My response: I will be happy to contribute. If she gets a job and saves for a car I will provide matching funds for toward the purchase of an American car, as long as she keeps her grades up.

Out of interest what do you consider an 'American' car in the global age? - a lot of 'foreign brands' are more built in America for the American market than some of the traditional American brands now ...

(its a bit like the 'Mini' a traditionally English car now being owned and created mainly in Germany, there's no such thing as an English car any more - the brand might still be quissentially English but the car isn't ...)

[Noop]

I had a beater in highschool I didn't have to pay for gas or insurance though my parents paid for that. I had good grades but I think it was mostly they felt sorry for me. Now my current car I pay myself without the help of mom and dad.

[DanGarion]

Can I ask if the 'Bug' was an automatic? - reason being I know my daughter likes them and I LOVE the fact that those cars were fairly indestructable in a minor prang ... if I could find an old automatic bug in decent nick that'd be fairly high on my choice list for her.

Other options which I'm considering are old Volvo's (also indestructable) and in the unlikely event I come across one a 2CV*.

*2CV's are old Citroen cars which are downright 'odd/eccentric' - BUT they have the fantastic mitigating factor of having a top speed around 50mph (there's no need for my daughter to go near the Interstate in her normal travelling and imho SLOW = good initially with vehicles).
If I remember correctly there was a push button auto on some bugs in the US, but I haven't seen many lately...

[DanGarion]

(its a bit like the 'Mini' a traditionally English car now being owned and created mainly in Germany, there's no such thing as an English car any more - the brand might still be quissentially English but the car isn't ...)

But honestly did the Brits really make any good cars... especially besides the Mini... I've watched enough Top Gear to know most of the Brits cars were hideous...

[Marc Vaughan]

But honestly did the Brits really make any good cars... especially besides the Mini... I've watched enough Top Gear to know most of the Brits cars were hideous...

We never made that many great ones BUT ... the mini's were great imho, also we did 'posh' quite well with Jag's, Rolls Royce, Land Rover etc.

(but to be frank I wouldn't swap my Aspen for any of em :D)

PS - About the only 'true' English vehicle still mass-produced are the new Triumph motorbikes I believe (in that the company is English owned and still designed and largely produced in England), although in 'typical' fashion as they've become more successful they've outsourced a fair bit of their production ... to Thailand believe it or not.

[spleen1015]

I didn't get any help from my parents for anything. I'm cool with hooking my kids up with their first car.

[RainMaker]

Whatever you end up doing, make sure it is your name on the title.

[PilotMan]

No Marc, mine was a stick, but it was easy to learn and a blast to drive. I always said that could beat any car to 20 Mph, just about to the other side of the intersection.

[Wolfpack]

I'll probably end up as the most-hated guy in the thread. My folks bought me a new car straight up when I was 16 (granted it was an Escort). However, I ended up driving it into the ground over the next 15 years and it saw us through two moves and several trips to and from Michigan and handled the snow and ice up there pretty well.

Oddly enough, I still haven't ever made a car payment since I ended up inheriting my sister's old Pathfinder about five years ago and then bought a 1998 Explorer from my wife's uncle a couple of years ago. Yes, my gas mileage sucks, but I think I make up for it with the cheaper insurance and no payments to make. We've occasionally thought about buying a new car, but we've got other financial obligations pressing so it hasn't been a priority.

[RomaGoth]

I'll probably end up as the most-hated guy in the thread. My folks bought me a new car straight up when I was 16 (granted it was an Escort). However, I ended up driving it into the ground over the next 15 years and it saw us through two moves and several trips to and from Michigan and handled the snow and ice up there pretty well.

Oddly enough, I still haven't ever made a car payment since I ended up inheriting my sister's old Pathfinder about five years ago and then bought a 1998 Explorer from my wife's uncle a couple of years ago. Yes, my gas mileage sucks, but I think I make up for it with the cheaper insurance and no payments to make. We've occasionally thought about buying a new car, but we've got other financial obligations pressing so it hasn't been a priority.

I'm impressed that an Escort lasted you 15 years. :eek:

[M GO BLUE!!!]

LOLOLOL!

Oh, I'm laughing... :)

Just heard thru the grapevine (sister saw on my kid's facebook) that my daughter is now the proud owner of a Kia Soul.

I looked it up. This might be the ugliest POS on the planet! So her mother bought her a car, is paying insurance, gas & parking at school, as the kid has no job.

I actually am hoping that this thing spends a lot of time in the shop. :)