Thanks for your comments.

I will not be in the market for another year since I will not have my
next kid in probably a year. I am just planning ahead since I want to
save enough money ahead of time. I think I could afford a large family
easily, but I do not want to go in debt over a liability. I could
easily do what most of the U.S. does and buy a vehicle a pay interest
on it while it decreases in value. However I have grown used to not
having a car payment and would rather put money back instead of paying
off a loan.

Thanks, again.

Aaron

"Aaron" <aaronsuperguy[at]yahoo.com> writes:

- quote -

[snip]

It seems to me that the amount of money you could possibly save by
getting a particularly good deal on a used car is infinitesimally
small compared to the overall costs of raising a "large family".
E.g., think housing, food, clothing, medical, education, hobbies,
vacations, etc, x 18 years for each child. If you find yourself
having to scrape the bottom of the barrel already at this point, are
you sure you can really afford to keep adding to your family?

-Sandra the cynic

"Aaron" <aaronsuperguy[at]yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1149771694.765317.214400[at]y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
- quote -

Need.

Funny word, ain't it.

First, I'd start with investigating the difference between "want" and
"need".

Second, I'd wait until the next kid was actually here. Something about
"counting eggs before they hatch ..." rings true in this situation.

- quote -

Again with the egg counting. Wait until those eggs hatch. 8 seats. That's
you, your wife, and 6 kids. It'll take a while before you need 8 seats.
Why waste your money now?

- quote -

They are not even an investment, let alone a "terrible investment".
They are a liability. They are blood-suckers that constantly eat
money with no possibility of ever making a return.

- quote -

Why? That's where you can save BigBucks(tm). Doing your own
maintenance, for a lot of common maintenance items, is both simple
and not very time consuming.

- quote -

Remember that discussion of eggs and hatching above?


- quote -

The day you drive it off the lot.

- quote -

I like to stick to vehicles that are 3 years old, or older.

- quote -

Value is subjective. This is an unanswerable question.

- quote -

Generally, in my area at least, you will do far better with private
individuals on both sides (buying and selling). YMMV

If you are going to buy from a dealer, be sure to read Remar Sutton's
book, "Don't Get Taken Every Time." The time and money you spend on the
book will be the best car investment you ever make.

Dave

"Aaron" <aaronsuperguy[at]yahoo.com> wrote:


- quote -

Sorry, one more thought. When you get ready to start shopping sign up for a 30
day subscription to carfax.com and check the VIN of any car that interests you.
Especially look for salvage titles and be suspicious of any car that was in a
coastal region last hurricane season.

-- Doug

"Aaron" <aaronsuperguy[at]yahoo.com> wrote:

- quote -

How fast are you planning on growing this family and how long do you plan to
keep the car? Maybe a 6 seater will do for a while.
- quote -

The second you drive a new car off the lot. Depreciation is fastest in the
early years. I kind of like two or three year old cars. You've still got lots
of life left and the worst depreciation is behind you.

- quote -

See Consumer Reports for reliability and repair cost ratings. See Edmunds.com
or cars.com for pricing.

- quote -

See ebay or cars.com for cars for sale by individuals. Generally, buying and
selling with individuals will get you a better deal than going to a dealer, but
that is just a generalization. Specific deals may be better or worse.

Regardless of where you buy it, *get it inspected by a mechanic you trust*.
If the seller won't let you do that, don't walk, run away.

-- Doug

My family is growing and now my car is full, only two car seats will
fit in the back. Before we have another kid I need to buy a car. My
wife wants an 8 seater, since we are planning for a large family. I
know cars are a terrible investment, so I want to get the best deal
possible on a large vehicle, but do not want to spend a lot of time
maintaining it either. My wife is not pregnant yet, and we have a 3
month old still breast feeding so I figure I have at least a year to
save some money in a money market, to avoid paying a lot of interest.
I have a few questions.

When does the value of a car decrease the most? Is it between the 3rd
to 4th year, or another time? I would like to buy after the biggest
decrease.

Also what are some of the 8 seaters that are the best value after a few
years?

Is it better to buy from a private individual and sell your other car
to a private individual and what is the best way to do it? I am from
the Dallas/Ft Worth area.

This may not be the best message board to post this question, but this
is the only board I read on a consistent basis and I get alot of good
information and I am definetly thinking about this from a financial
planning perspective.

Aaron