So You Got A New Job! Should You Go Out And Buy A Bunch of New Crap? Personal by Joel Wagner - September 27, 2008July 1, 20102 Just because you have a new job doesn’t mean that you need to spend everything you make. Just because you got your first paycheck doesn’t mean you need to spend it all. The temptation is there. Don’t do it! Listening to Dave Ramsey, I frequently hear him take calls from listeners who have racked up tens of thousands of dollars of credit card and/or student loan debt as well as having car and mortgage payments that they simply cannot afford. This is a trap that all too many people fall into. Ask how much, not how much down Aim to not carry any debt. That may mean that it takes a bit longer for you to get something than you would if you bought it on credit. Patience is a good thing, though. I would challenge you to keep you car until it is completely paid off. Even if you don’t, I will never again buy a new car. I can’t afford the depreciation that happens in the first two years. Theology of debt For me personally, I realized that whenever I went into debt for something, I was expressing a dissatisfaction with what God had given me. Again, it also expresses an impatience, and neither of these are spiritual issues that I want to be dealing with. I realize this may not apply to every reader, but if this point makes an impact on you, I would be interested in hearing your thoughts. Don’t believe me? Check out this video… Joel WagnerJoel Wagner (@sywtt) began teaching band in 2002. Though he had a lot of information, his classes were out of control. He found himself tired, frustrated, disrespected by students, lonely, and on the brink of quitting. He had had enough. He resigned from his school district right before spring break of his second year and made it his personal mission to learn to be a great teacher. So You Want To Teach? is the ongoing story of that quest for educational excellence.
Why didn’t write this post 4 years ago when I bought my car! I hate paying that car note ever month. Its like the worst torture possible. I am praying that by the time I pay it off, I can keep it another 3 or 4 years to save to buy a new car for cash. Before the economy got really bad, I had been thinking about getting a summer job, so that I could double or triple payments to eliminate this debt.
@Miss A – Don’t buy a new car. Buy a used car and pay cash for it. Dave Ramsey has some awesome resources. Go check him out!