The right car

Cyn2school · Nov 6, 2009

If you lease a car...you better keep the mileage down, otherwise you get charged a penalty for excess mileage at the end of the lease. I would never lease a car....(former consumer math teacher). Why not keep the Subaru until you know the job is a keeper?

RN1981 · Nov 7, 2009

I wasn't palnning on getting a new one until sometime next year, probably the summer. So I'll know by then.

I'm not sure exactly how all this goes, as I'm new to hospice nursing and I've never had to buy or lease a car before in my life. Thanks for the info.

MERRYWIDOW46 · Nov 7, 2009

what is wrong with a 1998 Outback? What do you mean "UPGRADE"?

I drive a 1999 Outback with 103k plus miles. It is in great shape, gets me there safe and secure, and I have room for baggage etc. It isn't about "what" you drive, as long as it is dependable and gets you there safely. A Subaru will last 200k plus if taken care of.

FlyingScot, RN · Nov 7, 2009

:yeahthat:

macsmith777 · Nov 7, 2009

I am in agreement, no need to upgrade. I drive an 06 forester, granted it's newer than yours, but it suits me fine. My team of hospice patients are our "rural" team, meaning I drive consistently around 600 miles a week. My advice is to drive your existing car until you absolutlely cannot anymore.

Leasing is a horribly expensive and poor option. New cars are also not so hot. drive until it dies while saving cash for a ~2 year old used subaru to replace it. That will get you the most bang for your buck.

RN1981 · Nov 7, 2009

Thanks for all your help guys!

AtlantaRN, RN · Nov 7, 2009

Drive it til it drops, but when it comes time--NEVER LEASE, always buy.....((even if you don't buy new, i hear the subaru wagon is one of the best pics, according to car & driver, and clark howard).

I currently have a 99 saturn wagon with 203thousand miles on it...i've been doing home hospice for 2 years, i put at least 45K/yr on my car (I am weekend call nurse).

I'm going to upgrade after the holidays (I live in Georgia, so we have what is called "ad-valorem tax", so if i were to buy a car now, i'd have to pay the advalorem tax again in january)...

I'm getting a SCION xB, clark howard rates it as a dependable car for the cost $17-$21K. You need something that has some room--my philosophy--I'd rather carry it with me than have to run 26 miles from home to office for supplies.

linda

ellakate · Nov 8, 2009

My mechanic is the greatest! He helped me keep my '90 Honda running for 183K mi. When it died (I'm still grieving), he sold me a '96 Honda for $1800. Someone had left him with it after he fixed it up.

Right now, my agency pays $.40 mile for visits. I am expected to have automobile insurance and give them a copy of current insurance and state driver's license. There is a certain part of the IRS that describes using vehicle expenses as a deduction. Since you are doing the investigating, I'd like to hear about this. From what I have understood, in the past, to claim your vehicular expenses as a tax deductions -- well, I never really understood it.

I've been in HH for a couple of years and having a dependable ride makes my day so much better! :specs:

FlyingScot, RN · Nov 8, 2009

Question: Do you guys recommend buying or leasing your car?

Is your car paid off? If so my advice to you is to put aside (in a separate savings account-interest bearing) every month the amount that a reasonable, 2009 dollars, car payment would be for you. Don't touch that money for any reason. Drive your car until it dies which may be well into the 200k mile range if you take care of it. By that time you should have a fairly large chunk of money for a down-payment on a new car or even enough to buy one outright. Leasing is never a smart option. If you want to lease a car because you can't afford the payments to buy it then you can't afford the car...period. The reason so many people get into financial trouble is because they live outside of their means. Don't fall into that trap. Making good decisions now will impact your life far into the future. The car you have now has wonderful safety and reliability ratings. Sure they aren't the prettiest cars on the road but pretty won't save your life. I'm on my second Subaru (2008 Forester) and will probably never buy a different make. It's smart of you to be asking these questions. Hopefully we've provided some good insight.

RN1981 · Nov 9, 2009

You guys have helped tremendously.

The reason I was thinking about leasing is because after I finish my RN-BSN program (hopefully by 2012) I am planning to move to NYC. For the most part, you really don't need a car in the city, especially Manhattan.

Now I obviously can't look into the future and tell when I'll be able to move and exactly what borough and what job I'll have, but it is possible that I might have to get rid of the car right after I bought it.

Otherwise, I would go ahead and buy a new car no questions asked!

So right now I'm gonna go ahead and stick it out with my beloved Subaru. As time goes on, I'll decide what to do!

tewdles, RN · Nov 9, 2009

To echo previous posters...do not lease a car if you plan to stay in home health of any kind. You will eat up money with overages in mileage.

Remember that home health or hospice nursing requires us to be professional drivers as well as professional nurses. We often spend as much or more time driving, or in our vehicles than we spend with patients. Our risk is often greater than most other professional drivers because we have other health professionals calling us on our phones while we are driving and asking us very important and detailed questions. Too many of our peers are put in the position of driving in traffic, talking on the phone, and looking at notes on a paper or laptop all at the same time. I know of a nurse who rolled her car on I94 outside of Ann Arbor last year working while driving. I got tied up with a young woman with road rage a couple years ago...totalled my car when she ran me off the highway into the overpass. Hit the median just last week when the open truck in front of me ejected its load onto the middle lane of I75 just south of Detroit. It is dangerous business. My recommendation is to get yourself into a nice but not new car with reasonable gas mileage that is safe. I (especially after the overpass incident) am not an advocate of compact cars for professional drivers. There are too many big trucks and SUVs out there. I prefer a car that is big enuf to take a hit and has the power to accelerate away from a tangle.