Im pretty much forced to sell all my cars

[andrewrenow]

Im finally transferring from community college to San Francisco State University. Im really happy about going there and all but the commute is crazy! Its only about 40mi from my house but driving would cost too much not to mention $6 just to cross the bridge in the morning and another $250 in parking fees just for 1 semester. Im choosing to take public transportation which it about $3.50 a day with the student discounts. I really wish i can keep my cars but my financial aid has been cut in half due to budget cuts and i do not believe in student loans. I have no money saved up and i also dont want to pay my insurance every month which is $120 if im not driving much. I plan on selling all my cars except for my tercel or paseo im finding it hard to decide.

Anyways what im trying to get at is what is a reasonable price you guys think i should sell my car for? Im trying to get the most money possible for it. Thanks!

[GLet71]

I feel your pain, it's ridiculous how much an education costs these days! Sorry to hear you have to let go of your vehicles, never an easy decision to make. On the other hand, it'll give you time to think about what you can afford after school~

[dlb]

are you asking how much you should sell your tercel for, or your other cars?

[andrewrenow]

my tercel only I pretty much know how much i can get for the rest of my fleet.

[Petros]

if the Tercel is decent, I would sell everything else, they are all newer and fairly common. All are easy to replace. But a Tercel in good shape is not easy (nor inexpensive) to replace later. If the Tercel needs major work than you might want to just keep the car that costs least to own, which would be the Paseo.

Of course you can always do what I did in collage, buy cars that are popular and easy to sell that have major mechanical problems, fix them and sell them at a profit. I paid for half my collage that way. Better than having a real job.

Good luck.

[SirNik83]

I don't know how you feel about your tercel, but if you have any emotional attachment to it, its not really worth selling. I in my case, my tercel (when i get the engine and transmission back in it) would be worth maybe 1500 if I'm lucky... I think you could get 2k or more in SF since these cars are pretty popular there. or in Tahoe... but honestly most people think of them as 30 yo cheap commuter cars. It all depends on who you can find to buy it.

I love my tercel, my first car was a tercel, so I can't really ever see selling it. I've been talking about getting a new car and people have asked what car I'm going to sell. I can't really sell ether of my cars. I got my Mercedes from my grandmother, and well the tercel is worth more to me then the money I could get for selling it.

The way I see it, the tercel is cheap to own, and no one will pay me what its worth to me... thus its not going anywhere.

What are the details on your tercel? milage, condition, ect... If you do decide to sell the tercel, and you figure out what you want to get for it I have some friends in the north bay who may be interested in it.

[dlb]

ditto what nik said. i find the emotional or sentimental value far outweighs the financial value.

nik, here is a photoshoot thread of andrewrenow's tercel.

https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=7774&p=56812

[andrewrenow]

I think what Petros said is rite on! I do the same thing that you have done. I also have my dealers license to buy and sell cars. This is also how i pay for college. Last summer i made more than enough money than i needed but i spend it sooo fast. Im really bad at saving money. Ive been buying and selling cars since i was 17 and im pretty good at it ,but i hate it soo much! Getting dirty, phone calling off the hook, 95% of people flaking, people pissed off calling me 6mo after they bought the car because it broke down when they bought a car with 280k miles on it, etc. Its just really annoying to me.

You guys are rite! I love this car too much! I want to put a 4age in it, paint the exterior flawless, leather interior, and heated front seats. It took me about 2 years to find it and i got it at a great price. these are so hard to find in my area. i have major plans for this. Thanks for the help guys im just really concerned but i think i can work my butt off all summer and get a stash of money saved up.

[danzo]

I agree that you should keep the T4. But I'm curious - what do you have against federal student loans? Low interest, unsecured, easy to get, slow payoff. They provide a fantastic help if you have a heavy courseload and can't work too much - your selling cars biz would certainly get in the way of your studies like you say. I graduated with about $10k in loan debt but had no problem paying 'er off early. Made the last 1.5 years of my college much easier than without the loans. I was able to take more classes and get out way quicker.

more than enough money than i needed but i spend it sooo fast. Im really bad at saving money.

Perhaps we've found the prob. Just gotta have the latest fashions featured in this month's celeb gossip mags? I'm just goofin' of course, but learning to curb spending at a young age really, really pays off for the rest of your life. Your ol' Uncle Danzo is just trying to help....

[andrewrenow]

I agree that you should keep the T4. But I'm curious - what do you have against federal student loans? Low interest, unsecured, easy to get, slow payoff. They provide a fantastic help if you have a heavy courseload and can't work too much - your selling cars biz would certainly get in the way of your studies like you say. I graduated with about $10k in loan debt but had no problem paying 'er off early. Made the last 1.5 years of my college much easier than without the loans. I was able to take more classes and get out way quicker.

more than enough money than i needed but i spend it sooo fast. Im really bad at saving money.

Perhaps we've found the prob. Just gotta have the latest fashions featured in this month's celeb gossip mags? I'm just goofin' of course, but learning to curb spending at a young age really, really pays off for the rest of your life. Your ol' Uncle Danzo is just trying to help....

The low interest is true i think 6% but i really really hate paying things off. Lots of my friends are in debt and are always stressed out over it. I probably will get the loan but not rite now maybe my last year in school. Mostly im just scared of commitment.

[ARCHINSTL]

The rate was reduced to 3.4% a while back. Hopefully it will stay at that - unless the House gets its way and lets it return to 6.8%.
Tom M.

[andrewrenow]

it is 6.8% i just checked i was qualified for $12k a year but denied it

[Petros]

stay out of debt. It is far too easy to go sign on the dotted line now, and worry about it later. Far too many students fall for the easy money and spend the next one fourth (or more) of their life to pay it off.

I have nothing against debt if it is managed carefully, the problem is the vast majority of people mismanage it, and it is just far better to avoid it in the first place. the country would be better off if our government would just not spend more than it takes in. that is true for most people as well, and it does not help when our government enables young people to get into and stay in debt. It is much better to stay out of it in the first place.

A small amount to get you through the last of school, an amount that can be managed, is not so bad. But there must be a commitment to pay it off as fast as possible. I have seen too many students after they graduate start buying new cars, boats, and other toys, and have a student loan the size of a mortgage, and 20 years later have nothing to show for it, and still own their student loans. Very bad thing to start, like an addict, the government is there to help you get hooked early on with easy money.

[ARCHINSTL]

Nope - it's still 3.4%. It was scheduled to return to 6.8% on July 1, but the House passed an extension today, because GOP legislators found a way to pay for it - by removing a 5.9B womens health care part from the overall health care bill...
It will die in the Senate, but this way the GOP legislators will be able to crow in November that "Hey, students of voting age and parents - I voted for it, but the Dem-lead Senate nixed it."
Heck, it's just politics, regardless of which Party practices it.

Go for it again - at least before 1 July. Who knows what happens after that!
Tom M.

[dlb]

stay out of debt. It is far too easy to go sign on the dotted line now, and worry about it later. Far too many students fall for the easy money and spend the next one fourth (or more) of their life to pay it off.

I have nothing against debt if it is managed carefully, the problem is the vast majority of people mismanage it, and it is just far better to avoid it in the first place. the country would be better off if our government would just not spend more than it takes in. that is true for most people as well, and it does not help when our government enables young people to get into and stay in debt. It is much better to stay out of it in the first place.

A small amount to get you through the last of school, an amount that can be managed, is not so bad. But there must be a commitment to pay it off as fast as possible. I have seen too many students after they graduate start buying new cars, boats, and other toys, and have a student loan the size of a mortgage, and 20 years later have nothing to show for it, and still own their student loans. Very bad thing to start, like an addict, the government is there to help you get hooked early on with easy money.

agreed. avoid it if possible and be diligent about managing it responsibly if it is necessary. i think many of our problems are caused by people thinking that just because money is in their bank account, it can or should be spent.