Financial advice for a 22 year old recent graduate, time to pull the trigger on my dream truck?

20's should be the time where you put in the most work and build a foundation for future wealth.

I just turned 36, and while I work out 5 times a week and eat right. My energy levels have certainly declined. I don't have the energy to put in the work like I used to.

 

Mr. Cova,

Allow me to clarify my statement if you will.

My (early) 20's were my most exciting, since I made the break with being a child to being an adult, but I differentiate that with "living it up", since I was gainfully employed. I managed to experience life while at the same time living within my means, i.e, being an adult. To me, that was "exciting"

My later 20's were a little more serious, but still exciting.

The year I turned 30, I got married to a wonderful woman, and bought a nice house in the suburbs- no single young adult should be allowed to live in the suburbs, since it is really boring, lol.

Still married with a beautiful family.

Still living within my means, so yeah, a little boring, lol.

Not independently wealthy or a financial guru, but I am happy with my life.

So I can't share my financial genius experience, only my life experience.

And we all a guided by our own individual instincts, so really everyone should follow them and hopefully be happy, since that is what is important.

And lastly, thank you for your service, since that is light years ahead if anything I have ever done.

Cheers!

 

Do this.

 

That’s awesome man!! Cant beat that, I think everyone dreams of having just that.

I wasn’t commenting about you specifically but I appreciate your clarification.

 

Think it is more of "be a little more reckless" in your 20's....30's don't have to be boring...the type of excitement changes. "Usually" by the time you hit your 30's most quit snorting coke out of some random girl's ass crack...and go climb mountains instead. Ya know, what I mean? Of course I know guys in their 40's and 50's still acting like they are in their 20's. Though me thinks it more of a mid-life crisis than anything.

My ex-wife is a tri-athlete/ultra marathon runner...most of the people in the group we hung around were in their 30's and 40's. What I realized hanging around those people is they are mostly ex-addicts of some sort....they still need to get their high...but now they run their fucking brains out instead of it going up their nose, in their veins or trying to pickle their livers. Life is still exciting just a different type of excitement.


With that said...what I do find odd in this thread and life in general. It is expected for us to go to school, get a good job, get married, buy a house, and have kids...be obedient tax payers, raising future obedient tax payers...

 

I'm no expert, but I do buy into the 1/3 of income rule. If you make 68k a year your car should be no more than 23k. That still seems insane to me on a 68k/year salary though, personally I'd be looking more in the 10k range for a vehicle.

And don't buy a house at 22... it's a ton of work and responsibility. Enjoy life a bit.

 

If I were in my early 20's, I would buy a well maintained second gen (Standard Transmission) with 140-160K miles...Hopefully for no more than 13K in cash.

Then I would throw on a supercharger and a respectable lift.

Then I would drive it into the ground-- using it as a platform to make mistakes off road, rock crawling, and to have fun.

 

I'm 23 and bought my dream truck at 21. Next month will be my 2 year anniversary with this truck and even though it sucks making that $430 payment every month, at the end of the day I LOVE my truck and it's totally worth it. Get that new car smell, put that first mile on your car and sleep well at night knowing you've been the only owner and you know exactly what's been done to your truck since day 1. Just go for it!

If you're maxing you investments out and you obviously don't live in california with a rent thats that cheap lol then F it and live a little.

 

I think this is the right path. Especially if you have the discipline to own it and keep the truck for 10 years or more. Make payments for 5. Reliability of your own used truck for the following 5 years.
Buying new cars is not a bad idea when you only purchase a new car once every 10-15 years.

 

For the love of christ. DO NOT BUY A FOCUS ST