Should I get my lad a car

**MrMarkyMark** · 23 February 2017, 09:48

Originally posted by lukemg View Post

My 17 yr old is tentatively tapping me up for a car.
I can easily afford this but I am very conflicted about it because I have seen things given too easy to kids which dulls their need to get stuff for themselves and push on.
But I also want to reward him for efforts so far and he rarely asks for anything (maybe cos he doesn't need to !)
OR am I just anchored on my own experience - £50 mini given to me when bruv finished uni, which lasted 12 months.
Anyone else in same boat ? What did you do/are going to do ?

Maybe say you will pay half, then loan him half.

When he is ready to pay back the loan, you could then go on to let him keep the money?

**northernladuk** · 23 February 2017, 09:51

Is he going to uni? What does he do at weekends or holidays? Has he got a job. In my book he doesn't work, he doesn't get a car. Simple as that.

Also have you sat him down and gone through how much it costs. Not just the car, the insurance, the running and so on. Has he any concept of any of this? If he is asking you for a car and he's no concept of what he's asking for and you aren't telling him then you might as well buy as he's too spoilt for anything else to work.

**thelastrosbif** · 23 February 2017, 10:00

Should I get my lad a car

A loan from the bank of mum & dad & put a hard limit on how expensive...a good lesson in money management and earning what you get there. Also no point in forking out for a brand new fiesta if it'll be written off in 6 months :-)

**TestMangler** · 23 February 2017, 10:07

17 yr old, just passed driving test is going to set you back around £2K (more depending on where you live) for insurance, even on the smallest car.

**Bacchus** · 23 February 2017, 10:13

I bought Bacchus minimus a car to learn to drive in, but he was still at school so it was very handy for him to get home on a Sunday evening.

He kept it for a year or two at Uni but he was really only using it for weekend jaunts with his rugby mates, Uni and work are both within walking distance and there is good public transport for when he wants to come back to London etc so we have just ditched it for a bicycle (c:

Did it spoil him? Maybe a little. Do I care? No. It freed up my Sunday and Friday evenings, and now he works 3-4 sessions in a bar to support himself. He is doing an intensive medical-based course so he's learnt to graft hard enough. Plenty time to struggle later!

**MarillionFan** · 23 February 2017, 10:16

Originally posted by thelastrosbif View Post

A loan from the bank of mum & dad & put a hard limit on how expensive...a good lesson in money management and earning what you get there. Also no point in forking out for a brand new fiesta if it'll be written off in 6 months :-)

WHS. lend him the money from your ltd with a 1200% APR. when he misses a payment add fines, then start to send threatening letters to him before sending around the bailiffs.

This will teach him not to borrow. Simples.

**LondonManc** · 23 February 2017, 10:42

Fortunately I've got a good friend who's a mechanic so he will be picking something out for LM Jr and him to work on. Budget <£400, something basic and old, TPFT insurance, etc.

**MrMarkyMark** · 23 February 2017, 10:44

Originally posted by LondonManc View Post

Fortunately I've got a good friend who's a mechanic so he will be picking something out for LM Jr and him to work on. Budget <£400, something basic and old, TPFT insurance, etc.

Yours for less than £400.....

**PurpleGorilla** · 23 February 2017, 10:46

Whatever car it is, get a safe one. A girl at school was in a crash, two broken legs, arm, collar bone. She was cut out of the vehicle. Fireman said her parents saved her life by buying her a Volvo.

Should I get my lad a car