Does having a "nice" car really matter??

[rose2summer]

I think that how we spend our money dicates our life experiences.

 

When I started my first job, I refused to drive a car, I wanted the experience of seeing the world, so I woke up at 3AM every morning to get the city bus at 4AM and I was able to ride with the blue-collar workers, the homeless, and all sorts of people. I learned so much, talked to a lot of people on the bus, had lunch with the homeless, and I learned how people perceive the world.

 

Life is not about how much money you make or the car you drive or don't drive, it's about how you suck the energy out of it.

 

So I think not having a car is great. The only reason I am driving now is because I need a car to drive a sick family member places and I don't dare put him on a bus because he could fall down.

 

I am a huge supporter of public transportation or riding a bike to work, etc.

 

When I started college, I heard a motivational speaker say this, and it stayed with me for life, "I don't need no stinking badges," I have nothing to prove to anyone.

 

Hugs, Rose

[Day_Walker]

Does the type of car you have really matter? No

Can you make assumptions based on the car people drives and after one date with them? Yes

 

Every person is going to have their areas of superficiality, some people may have more and some may have less. Typically if you have money or if you act like you have money, things like the car you drive and using a gift card on a first date will matter. Are these judgements shallow, of course they are but those are the choices that people choose to make.

 

I dont believe that there is anything wrong with having high quality items. These items are not necessary, but that is the point in having them, these items are supposed to demonstrate that they expensive because they are higher quality than normal. I dont look down on people who have money, or that have nice things, however I do find it horrendous when the people who have these higher quality items believe that it makes them better than others.

I see no difference when a person flaunts the gps in the their $80K suv, bmw or mercedes, than when a person flaunts their new outfit, their new hair cut or whatever else. People just like to show off and that is what they do.

[DN]

They say that love of money is the root of all evil.

 

I would add that the love of a potential partners' money isn't very saintly either.

[AntiLove_SuperStar]

I don't give a toss what car anyone drives.

 

My boyfriend's wrecked old car actually lost it's engine function going around a roundabout round about May, with me in it at the time. Exciting stuff!

[gersanos]

Hi

 

My first appreciation is for some of the women on this thread being honest. Thank you. I also think that it does matter - to a degree. There have been countless surveys done on men & women when it comes to romantic partners, and the consensus is men focus on looks and women focus on money. You can't deny it because it is true on the part of both genders. You don't have to be rich, but you need to be able to provide for a family one day. Some women, however, look for the rich, just like some men need to be with a 10 or else it won't work. I'd be happy with a cute girl and miserable with a size 0-2.

 

Not communicating properly is some cheap excuse - the fact is she had some interest in seeing you again, and then your car came along and for whatever reason she didn't see a match. Even if you did communicate effectively (whatever that means - sure if you wanted to get laid you could have charmed her and played the dumb challenge game), it would only be a matter of time before you saw the real her (assuming material things did matter to her and you are looking for something more than just sex), and it would be a waste, or perhaps a good experience for you to avoid these types in the future. Communication junk works if you want to have wild sex with a woman that's been around the block, but not if you're looking for something else.

 

I wish more people took some marketing classes. You'll learn just how much better labels really are: the Channel packaging costs more than the perfume (the packaging costs are around $1.19 per bottle so imagine the costs of the actual perfume, but women will easily dish out in excess of $100 bucks for it), BMWs are some of the most poorly made cars on the planet, and use some of the cheapest parts and labor - they have the highest gross margins per vehicle sold of all brands on the market, not exactly an indication of quality, but many men and women think this grants them some of sort of status. You will see lots of old Mercedes on the street - they're amazingly well built, but you won't ever see an old Lexus. They are not durable. The list goes on. I do believe there are things of better quality out their, however, most people are uneducated about many of these things and flock towards the label and the image that comes with it.

 

My second appreciation is for the comments about who really is rich. Like many said, it's not the ones driving the luxury cars, wearing flashy clothes, and spending their money. I don't see this as an indication of success or status, when the majority of these people are wallowing in quite a bit of debt. If you met my dad on the street, you'd probably think he was poor. He speaks broken english, and he's lucky if his regular clothes match that day. The guy takes hand downs from his kids if we don't want something before donating it to charity - and some of that stuff looks odd when a 55 year old guy sports teenage gear. Point is, my folks are millionaires (net worth greater than one million), but you would not see a trace of it on the clothes they wear (ok, the teenage gear looks creepy on him probably to people that don't know him), in the cars they drive, or the house they live in. My mom would still rather cook a good home meal, then go out to some swanky restaurant and overpay for some steak that usually comes with something wrong with it, or long wait, etc.

 

Bottom line. To each their own. I dated a girl who was smoking, but when she admitted that the size of your paycheck determines ones success and she wants a guy to buy her a ring that's around 25k - later. Find a guy who does care about dressing up his woman as a barbie doll to show his love. I'd rather take a sweetheart that isn't concerned about how others might perceive her if shes behind the wheel of a minivan, or the label that she wears on her %$#. Then I would be tempted to really spoil her... Sadly, I have to admit when I was younger I ignored lots of the great girls and went with the hot fake ones. But that's what dating is all about. Consider this a good learning experience for you - I see lots of things in it, and apply it to what fits your needs and what you want out of a girl and a relationship. Please don't twist this around in your mind into "If only I had a hot ride...I need a hot new ride" - unless you want to catch the attention of a certain breed. Upgrading to a newer car might not be a bad idea, but don't drop cash (or even worse - take a loan out) to buy a hot sporty car. Those older, single guys that do that look like they try too hard. And the possibility that they are spotted with a hot materialistic chick by his side? I don't think he's lucky. I think poor him.

 

Best of luck to you. Chin up.

[OceanEyes]

I'd just like to add that my boyfriend has had three crap-mobiles since I started dating him in September of 2003. He was advised many times by his mechanic to scrap his first car because it was actually unsafe, but he kept driving it anyway. He loved it and didn't care! And neither did I.

 

I'm probably going to be given a good boot for this, but I actually do think that money is important. Not in the superficial, "I want a guy to pay for everything/ take me on vacations/ be my sugar-daddy" sense. I think it's important because I want to go out and do things ... I want to be able to go out for dinner once in a while, go away for long weekends, pay bills, etc. ... without worrying too much about it. I don't need expensive gifts, jewelry, or $300 meals. It's about the quality and comfort of life together, NOT about luxury. This isn't about being shallow or discriminating. A crappy car doesn't equate to being poor.

 

I've dated guys who've had a lot of money, and guys who've had very little. I've found good and bad in both, and it really does come down to chemistry and compatibility. However, I'm also getting closer to a time of my life where I want to be with a guy who has his crap together financially. I've just seen what struggling with money can do (my parents did it for years and it was, at times, absolutely awful), and if I have kids, I would like for them to have parents who have the money to provide for them completely.

[Daddy Bear]

i wrecked my beautiful Mitsubishi (R.I.P., baby doll) and for the time being i'm driving an older Honda that runs better than most due to a couple of racing mods but definitely needs cosmetic surgery.

 

any woman who would judge me on that basic would be out of my life so fast it would make her head spin. a material girl is something that ol' Benty just don't need around.

[Caterina]

It depends. Sometimes cars can be turn-offs. Its kind of like a part of the whole package thing. Meaning, for me, there was this guy I was deciding about whether or not I liked him. The car alone didn't do it but the car combined with other bad things did. He drove a really old, ugly & embarrassing car and I just felt embarrassed with him in it. The thing is, that he was really proud of it and worked on it a lot. That probably added to the embarrassment. I think cars represent something. I am also usually embarrassed by ostentacious cars, because it seems to me that the person is showing off unnecessarily. I think that I like practical, non-noticeable cars. Its kind of like the needle that broke the camel's back for me. I have dated guys with crappy cars, but prefer a car that doesn't draw attention.