The car issue is really vexing for me!! All through college, I rode my bike to school or got a ride from someone else. Which was ok…but it gave me a distinct disadvantage compared to my peers because I could not make any impromptu plans. I couldn’t try out different jobs, extracurriculars, etc. because I did not have reliable transportation. So in 2007, I made my new years resolution to save $3000 for a new car. At $10 an hour, that is more than 2 months of work, full time. Since I could not save 100% of my income, and I had to pay tuition, it actually took me 7 months. Finally in July I had enough money, and it turned out my friend was leaving the country and selling his car! Perfect. I was so EXHILARATED and OVERJOYED when I drove around in the car. I made trips to WalMart in the middle of the night, just because I could.
I imagined that I would wake up early everyday, go to my new job, and use my extra money to try out new activities. I would dine at all the new restaurants. I would volunteer at the Red Cross. I would call friends and be able to hang out whenever. I even made a laundry basket of workout gear and extra snacks to put in the trunk. This car would be my ticket to a better social life, a better job, everything. Of course, I should have been suspicious of that much joy.
As soon as I got the car, suddenly my parents always needed my car to ‘borrow’ and would offer to drop me to work. I was so dumb I believed them. Then my dad and sister both ended up totaling their cars within one month, so I ended up back to my original situation. My sister got a job far away (really inconsiderate since we share cars) so she got to keep the car because nobody could drop her that far.
Now the funny thing is that two years later, my dad still drives my car to work everyday, and I always have to ask for it like a BIG FAVOR! but i can’t really argue with him because I am unemployed and living under his roof. Another thing is that my brother contributes nothing to the house (just plays video games all day), and my parents are paying for both his tuition and a new car. My parents bought my sister a 97 Camry also.
I feel like this is so unfair; I don’t feel like I am entitled to having a car bought for me but I should at least be able to drive my OWN DAMN CAR!!
