Did your parent(s) help you financially when purchasing your first car/vehicle?

[Nelfamily]

I bought my first car at 16. My parents put me on their insurance but I had to pay my share of that too. Then my father got too many tickets, lead foot, and the insurance company said I was the high risk so they had me dropped. I've bought every car I've ever had since and had my own insurance as well.

 

[Danauk]

I needed a car before I had the chance to save up enough money to buy a reliable one so my parents lent me some money which I paid back.

 

[disykat]

My parents loaned me money to buy my first used car. I was 21 and had just graduated from college. I needed it to get to work. I will do the same for my kids.

The expectation in my house was that all my money (beyond basic spending money for an occasional movie or article of clothing) went towards college. There was no way I could have spent "my own money" on a car while asking my parents for help with college expenses.

I even figured out a way to do all my practicums and student teaching with no vehicle - so I didn't need a car until graduation. Only if that been impossible would they would have loaned me money for the car sooner.

 

[alexandria674]

I was offered but decided to tell my parents no. I wanted that car to be mine and not have to feel like I owed my parents. Sure, I hated my first car, it was ugly and a rust bucket but then again it was mine. I waited a little bit more to finally buy a better car but it was worth it knowing that it was my car and my rules.

 

[TinklednPants]

Yes. They gave me a car for my 16th birthday and a replacement last Christmas.

 

[mtemm]

nope, I worked 2 jobs the summer when I was 17 (1984) and bought a car on my own. didn't even tell my parents ahead of time, just showed up with it. lol. spent $1200 on a 1979 ford fiesta that had no brakes. my bf (who was mechanically inclined) drove it to my house using the emergency brake the whole way...makes me cringe now thinking about it...and put the brakes in for me.

I didn't even think to have it put on their insurance, I went out and got my own.

 

[TriMom]

I inherited a 16 yo Oldsmobile Omega. It was shaped like a brick - but it got the job done. After the thing completely self imploded - I bought myself another Oldsmobile Omega. - For $200. I have seen a total of 3 Omegas in my life - and I owned 2 of them!!

So my answer was other - they didn't buy me a car, but I didn't have to buy one either

 

[Praying Colonel]

Kind of--my grandmother paid half, I paid half and my folks paid the insurance.

For DD20, we took out a car loan in our name and the car is currently titled in our name. We pay the car loan each month and the insurance, and she pays us half the loan and pays for her own gas. Once the loan is paid and she's on her own, we'll transfer title to her.

 

[MAKmom]

My Grandmother gave me $500.00 when I was sixteen.

 

[cdepauli]

Can you believe that I actually WON my first car! 2000 Ford Focus hatchback, blue. I'd never get a Focus now, since Ford has Forded it out, but this one was still based on the European model and had the sport engine. I loved that thing.

Before that, my sister, brother, and I shared the extra car. I think my sister ended up with that one. I did not have a car at college, and this car came at the exact right time, since I was starting my practicum and had no other way to get to it. I actually had to use my mom's car for 2 weeks until the new car came. That car was a Kia Sephia and it was a piece of crap. My boyfriend at the time thought I was a terrible driver until I got the Focus, then he realized it was the Kia!

 

[MusiqChic99]

My mother paid off her car and then gave it to me when I turned 16. Then when I bought my own car when I was 21 my parents gave me $1000 to put on the down payment. They did the same thing for my sister. It was like a "rule" or something. Kinda like my dad said "I will bail you out of jail once because everyone makes mistakes but it's only a one time deal. After that ...good luck". LOL

 

[ReneeA]

I bought my first car myself. It was a light blue Ford Escort that cost me $400 in 1989. I drove it for 5 years and then sold it for $500 cash.

Of course, I had parents that encouraged us to work when we were young - I worked full time in the summer and part time during the school year from the time I was 14 years old. I've always paid my own way.

 

[Planogirl]

My Dad kinda did. He had an old Beetle that he sold to me but he cut me a good deal.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My dad co-signed mine. I would entertain the notion of matching savings for my kids.

Parents have been helping kids buy cars for years, so I don't see this as a trend per se.

My first car was one my parents got--a Geo Metro. It was a poor choice for them to get it and they ended up getting repo'd. They should have never bought it nor was I being a brat by insisting they get one. It was ridiculous and totally out of their means. (It was bought used at a fly by night "we finance anybody place".) I was grateful to have a car, but didn't need one badly and I don't really count it as "my" car even though it was my car to use exclusively.

I bought my mom's camaro off of her and begged my dad to co-sign. The loan was quite small and I can't believe he did it. But I did pay it off when I could so that I was no longer on his string.

 

[Silent1CB]

My first car was a neighbors dead car. My dad paid them $200 & pushed it home into our driveway & fixed it. We got the car at the end of my senior year in high school so I could use it to commute to college and a job each day.

My next car, I paid for on my own and it cost $700. Also a neighbors car.

My dad has never co-signed a loan for me, nor will he even though I have excellent credit and pay everything off early. Its just not something he does. Its part of his life lessons that I needed to qualify on my own for the loan or I shouldn't get it at all.

 

[Handbag Lady]

My first car I bought using my own savings. But, it was a car I was forced to buy as my dad wanted me to have it. It was a money pit but I eventually made it into something I wanted. Mom paid insurance.

My second car my dad made me buy (my uncle wanted my first car). It was too sensible for me and I disliked it. It was tan. My dad paid for the whole car plus I had to give him the money I got from my first car. I paid insurance.

My third and current car my grandad paid for the downpayment of $2500. He thought my dad was being much more nicer to my sister (she got two new cars and I was getting jack and really bad cars), so this was my "get-back" so to speak. I did pay the monthly payments and insurance.

 

[drag n' fly]

Not a cent from either of my parents

Needless to say my choices were limited and I got a green 1976 Chevy Nova. That was a good ol car. They dont make them like that anymore

 

[GirlWithSpunk]

I think I'm basically just getting my dad's car when he buys his truck/van.

But, my mom has been hinting at me to get a job to save up for a nicer car when I off to college and for gas money...

 

[AshleyW]

I bought my first car when I was 15 - a 1993 Chevy Cavalier. I paid for my own gas and insurance, and have paid for everything myself since then. My parents bought my younger brother a car when he was 16, and paid for his insurance and gas.

DFiance's parents bought him a 1997 Cavalier when he was 16 (so it was a 3 year old car at that point), but he paid for his own gas and insurance. He still has the car & drives it to work a few times a month when we don't carpool.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

Yes, they gave me a budget, and I really wanted something brand new, didn't care what it was, just that it was new. It was a 1994 Ford Escort (I was 16.) Last Ford I ever owned or will own. That same $$$ could have bought a used Honda, but hey, you live and learn.

They secured the loan for me and paid 1/2 the payment each month, as well as the insurance. Most of my friends paid 1/2 or less of their car payments and didn't pay insurance. I did have to pay for my own gas, but it was under $1 back then!