How do people afford this stuff??

I have no problem speaking on someone else's spending habits.

Here's why:

What happens when retirement comes or a big emergency happens for these spendthrifts? Who do they blame when they don't have money to fit the bill? They blame society, capitalism, the "Rich" or any other entity but themselves.

So they yell and scream until crazy socialist policies are enacted and taxes are raised on those who made the right financial decisions.

5% of the country makes $160-200K per year. It's only at these income levels that a 50K car even makes the slightest amount of sense.

Yet, somehow these $50K Trucks and SUVs are flying of the shelves faster than all the econ cars and sedans combined.

 

Sure, that's called opportunity cost. That's why buying a house in cash is not always the best decision since you can get a loan and invest that money instead. That's why I like the 0% interest credit cards since I can leave my money invested longer and only take it out at the last possible moment to pay for things. Now that rates are going up there are less and less 0% interest for 24 month offers but I'm always a sucker for free money.

 

This is my thinking. Also instead of putting a large down we remodeled some of the house a year after moving in. That combined with rising home values and we will just refi to get rid of the PMI.

 

I get that there is an obvious demand for 50k dollar vehicles (because I see them on the lot), but what does it say about the state of our economy when wages have stagnated except for the already rich?

I wish they still made bare bones vehicles for 20k. I think my next car might just be a jeep or another taco.

 

They do. Just bought a 2018 SR New Taco for $22,200

 

"A filing is required for estates with combined gross assets and prior taxable gifts exceeding $1,500,000 in 2004 - 2005; $2,000,000 in 2006 - 2008; $3,500,000 for decedents dying in 2009; and $5,000,000 or more for decedent's dying in 2010 and 2011 (note: there are special rules for decedents dying in 2010); $5,120,000 in 2012, $5,250,000 in 2013, $5,340,000 in 2014, $5,430,000 in 2015, $5,450,000 in 2016, $5,490,000 in 2017, and $11,180,000 in 2018."

Yeah, I kinda get where you're coming from, but most people never reach an estate of that value. You're talking about a very select amount of families in the US. On top of that, most of these people have financial advisors that come up with some creative ways to skirt past the tax.

 

Its close, but out where I'm at its near impossible to find a 4x4 SR and most of them are 25k+. I'd really like to keep the same car payment (or shrink it) when I pay off my current rig.

 

Where I live you can just go into a dispo and buy whatever kinda kush you want. It's advertised everywhere.

 

Seen the opposite here places here pay good wages n nobody is applying a large percent of the people here say why work when the tax payers are buying food n supplying them with housing. Only good side is housing is cheep. But you got to keep an eye on everything or it's gone.

 

1) credit card debt
2) there aren't as many trucks as it seems that are completely built out (double locked & geared and full suspension upgrades, yadda, yadda)
3)"overlander" mods really aren't that expensive, a couple thousand on the credit cards and you too can look adventurous and cool with your RTT, knock off maxtrax, and useless ass rotopax!
4) I'm starting to notice more and more people trying to sell modded rigs for more than they are actually worth, I'm guessing part of that is getting in over people's heads into a fad and find out they don't like camping and then it dawns on them the outrageous amount of money they spent and realize they can't afford to sell all their crap less than what they paid.

How did I afford the shit I've got? I've got a decent job, do all the work myself, and offroading is associated with my main hobby, which I already have all the crap I want for it. I'm frugal in a lot of other areas in my life, and hell, my wife is in college, I live in Socal, and I own every piece of plastic and metal on my junk, so in reality, it's not that hard.

Now, concerning "cheaper options", I'm assuming you're talking about blocks and spacers since I don't see anyone getting flamed for bilsteins or OME, both of which are inexpensive and serve their purpose well. Blocks and spacers are flamed for a reason, when people offroad they have a tendency to get carried away, especially screwing around in the desert, blocks and spacers lead to broken suspensions when people fuck around too hard. (I'm not interested in hearing your "I wheel my spacers/block super hard!" story. If I, or any of the people I wheel with had spacers we would catastrophically break our trucks doing the things we do. Yep, that's right, start the offroad-dick-measuring-contest here)

 

You see this Taco?

New owner bought it on Ih8mud, and is now selling it again.

$55,000 in mods.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...with-50k-of-mods-for-the-land-cruiser.516366/

 

There are trucks like that on here for sale.

 

Little by little, takes time and I’m still not where I envision my truck in the end result

 

Andy, you sound like my kind of cynical asshole.

 

This tacoma sold for $56,000

In total, I have spent approximately $67,000 in the past year building this awesome rig (not including labor, shipping cost for the parts, etc), and was only able to enjoy it briefly. This is a great vehicle and will surely be missed. The asking price is set at $58,000

2017-tacoma-trd-pro-overland-build-for-sale.187994

 

In your opinion.

 

Invest in yourself first before investing in anything else. You take true ownership to how much you are worth. Education goes a long way.

Then splurge on what you like. Dont be hasty.

 

Story of my life, and the point of my original post in this thread. Always wanted nice things, couldn't afford them for many years.

 

Jesus... I just don't understand how anyone could pay that much for a used truck. Its not hard to put this shit on. You can look up what the parts cost new. Thats over half the fun for me anyway...

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...4-total-chaos-long-travel-pelfreybilt.543086/