im almost 16 and i do good in school. i wnat a car for my sweet 16 and my parents can totally afford for a car! let me know how i can convince...my dad already said he isnt even paying for hALF!
2007-01-03 10:05:41 · 3 answers · asked by sweetheart--xo 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Family
Thing one-- unless your parents have discussed their retirement prospects, health insurance costs, mortgage/rent, job stability, income tax and other financial issues with you so that you thoroughly understand exactly how much money they have available for discretionary spending, you do not know for sure if your parents can "totally afford for a car."
Also, you have to understand how much money is involved in addition to the car. Adding a teen-aged driver onto your insurance is an absolute killer. It can cost several thousand dollars a year, depending on factors like the kind of car insured, the experience of the driver, the basic insurance cost your parents are paying to begin with, where you live, and so forth.
There is also the cost of gas and maintenance. Gas is predicted to be upwards of $3.00/gallon or more this summer. And until you've paid for keeping a car on the road, you have no idea how costly that can be. Any time a mechanic even touches your car, you're looking at a minimum of $100, and depending on the age of the car and how much you drive it, you can easily spend upwards of $1000/year for maintenance issues. More, if you have a major item like a transmission go out on you.
If you want to have half a hope of getting a car, what you need to do is sit down with your parents and go over the actual cost of a car, item by item-- insurance, gas, maintenance, registration, all the big-ticket items. Plus the cost of the car loan to buy the car. (Most people don't have enough money to pay cash for a big-ticket item like a car, so they take out a loan, on which they pay hefty interest until the loan is payed off.)
Sit down with your dad and ask him to go over the costs with you, and then see if it really is realistic to expect your parents to cover some of these costs. If you have a plan to pay for some or all of these expenses, present it to them.
If you're serious about getting a car, this is a time to be serious about showing your parents you understand the costs and responsibilities involved. If you can sit down with them and show them that you understand, really understand, how much a car costs (not just the cost of purchase), then you might have a chance of convincing them. But if you just make noises about how your parents "can totally afford for a car!", without showing them that you understand and appreciate what a car REALLY costs, all the costs, I'd say your chances of getting a car are somewhere between small and none.
2007-01-03 10:33:49 · answer #1 · answered by Karin C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Start doing all sorts of things around the house without being asked. Clear the table, do the dishes, take out the trash, mow the lawn, etc. Anything you wouldn't normally do that will get your parents attention. If you really are a good kid, and they can truly afford a car, there shouldn't be a reason to say no.
Your other option is to get a job and start saving for a car. If your parents see you have a good work ethic, they may break down and pay for half so they don't have to take you to work anymore.
My parents got me a run down POS to take to work, but I loved that POS! And I wasn't even a good kid. I think they did it to get rid of me.
2007-01-03 18:19:27 · answer #2 · answered by toothfairy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe tell them it is dangerous if u dont have a car,i mean walking home late at night and stuff.
When I wanted a diskman I used to turn the music so loud they couldnt do otherwise but get me it.perhaps u could do sth similar?
2007-01-03 18:10:57 · answer #3 · answered by mikrodimitris 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋