How much is your car payment?

[raammartin]

I know this is like asking how much money you make each month so I created a poll (if I can figure out how to create a poll) for my question.

I've got car fever. I really want a Honda Odyssey EX-L minivan and it looks like it will be at least a year before I get one. We have a few small things we want to pay off and then save for a large downpayment. These days job security isn't a guarantee for anyone so we like to keep our car notes (when we have one) under $300 per month and pay extra on them to get them paid off early. My car has been paid off for a few years now and we are only a year into DHs truck. So, about how much is your car payment each month?

 

[EthansMom]

We don't have any car payments. After we paid off both of our car notes early, we started saving the payments towards paying cash for a new car. So, we were able to pay cash for our last car.

We had hoped to buy a Toyota Sienna this year, but don't have enough money saved and, with increasing gas prices, our 6 year-old Corolla has actually a great car to own. So, we'll try to get another 3+ years out of the Corolla and save enough for our next vehicle. Maybe by then, the Sienna will be available as a hybrid?

 

[ziggystardust]

I might not count b/c I lease my car. Hopefully this will be the last time. I plan on buying a nice reliable used car when the lease is up.

I too am hoping for many cars to become hybrids.

 

[icebrat001]

We don't have any car payments. SO drives a 99 Toyota Corolla, it drives great, so we don't need a new car.

I drive a 96 Grand AM it drives okay, but I'm getting an Karman Ghia. Still, no car payments on either and I will have both cars. Eventually, I'll get rid og the Grand am.

 

[raammartin]

We don't have any car payments. After we paid off both of our car notes early, we started saving the payments towards paying cash for a new car. So, we were able to pay cash for our last car.

We had hoped to buy a Toyota Sienna this year, but don't have enough money saved and, with increasing gas prices, our 6 year-old Corolla has actually a great car to own. So, we'll try to get another 3+ years out of the Corolla and save enough for our next vehicle. Maybe by then, the Sienna will be available as a hybrid?

I'd really like to pay cash for the next one. Hmmmmmm...but can I wait that long?

 

[krdisneybound]

No car / vehicle payment. Paid cash for my 2006 Nissan Murano

 

[golfgal]

We don't do car payments, we pay cash for cars (which bugs me sometimes but in the long run it is better-Dh is very cheep, um, frugal, um tightwad ).

 

[gradtchr]

I was gipped when I bought my car and ended up on some balloon payment cruddola the thought of what happened still makes me so although my actual payment is low I pay approx triple a month so that the car is paid off at the end. In fact DH and I are hoping that we will be able to pay it off this year (2 years ahead of schedule)

 

[katerkat]

We paid for about half of our 2004 Honda Pilot and our payment is $265 a month. We should have it paid off long before we were supposed to, though. No payment on our second car.

 

[C.Ann]

I'm another one who has never had a car payment - and never will.. Either I pay cash or I don't get it.. I'm looking to buy right now (as soon as the house sells) - anywhere from 2 years old to brand new - and it will be a cash deal.. I don't do payments for anything other than the ordinary things: electric; phone; cable; etc..

As my Dad always said, "Pay as you go - unless you're going for good.."

 

[Poohnatic]

Paid cash for the current car. I've only had two cars with payments in my life.

In about six months, we'll start putting away a car payment a month. DH wants his mustang sooo bad, but I am adamant that he puts a minumum of half down. Then, when the time comes, he can buy a used one and we'll still be w/o a payment.

Now, ask me in two years about my pool payment!

Suzanne

 

[raammartin]

My current car was supposed to be a "paid for in full with cash" car, but the car I had previous to it just went kaput so we were only able to put half down. Maybe I can resist temptation, wait a little longer, and pay cash for it.

 

[disney4us2002]

Apparently I'm not hanging with the right group of friends. I don't know a single person, NOT ONE, who has ever paid cash for a car. You guys seriously have $20K+ lying around? Wow, that's it, just wow.

Our cars are now both paid for (not early either, lol) but when we had payments, they were each appx $350 a month.

 

[dvcgirl]

We don't have any car payments. After we paid off both of our car notes early, we started saving the payments towards paying cash for a new car. So, we were able to pay cash for our last car.

We had hoped to buy a Toyota Sienna this year, but don't have enough money saved and, with increasing gas prices, our 6 year-old Corolla has actually a great car to own. So, we'll try to get another 3+ years out of the Corolla and save enough for our next vehicle. Maybe by then, the Sienna will be available as a hybrid?

This is us as well. No car payments. We keep our cars until the wheels fall off. We have a 1997 SUV and a mid-size 2003 SUV. We're hoping for another 7-8 years minimum out of the older one, and we're saving already for the next one. Once you get this mentality and get one car paid for in cash under your belt, it's easy to do the second one....and so on.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

i have a 2005 sunfire...i pay around 250 a month

 

[Bayshore Bandit]

$368 for my Malibu Maxx
(great car by the way )

 

[skiwee1]

We just bought an MDX last month. The payment was a little over $800 a month. Thanks to a surprise bonus DH got last week we paid that baby off!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

We just bought a loaded Odyssey EX-L with the Navi and Ent. I got a good price on it, at least compared to all the others quotes and got exactly what I wanted. Don't really know what the monthly payment is since I try to block that from my mind and I don't think we've even made the first payment (and we do direct payment, so I'm even less likely to know the amount). It's not cheap, though, but it's a great van.

If you need any buying hints I can help out in that department. The salesperson knew he'd better not mess with me--I was a good negotiator and he knew I wasn't going to listen to any BS or put up with a bait and switch regarding price/product.

 

[skiwee1]

Apparently I'm not hanging with the right group of friends. I don't know a single person, NOT ONE, who has ever paid cash for a car. You guys seriously have $20K+ lying around? Wow, that's it, just wow.

Our cars are now both paid for (not early either, lol) but when we had payments, they were each appx $350 a month.

Me either. I've never met anyone that paid cash for their cars unless we are talking about cheaper ones like under $15000. We paid cash for cars that cheap but not for anything higher.

 

[raammartin]

Apparently I'm not hanging with the right group of friends. I don't know a single person, NOT ONE, who has ever paid cash for a car. You guys seriously have $20K+ lying around? Wow, that's it, just wow.

Our cars are now both paid for (not early either, lol) but when we had payments, they were each appx $350 a month.

I can't answer for the others, but any time I saved for a car downpayment (while I didn't have a car payment) I just saved the equivilant of a car payment each month. Like I said earlier, I haven't paid for a car in cash, but I'd like to. We've always saved enough to put half down though. What I've heard that a lot of people do is save the same way, equivilant of a note each month, and then when it's time to buy you have the cash and don't have to pay interest.