More like an acquaintance. A couple years younger than me, has an expensive habit. Automobiles are his addiction of choice.

1. Dodge Magnum
2. Nissan Altima
3. Nissan Armada
4. Jeep Cherokee SRT8
5. Dodge Charger Super Bee

all within a 6 year period. I tried to get him to see how the impact of his decisions were affecting him financially but it fell on deaf ears.

He has a full-time job and also does car tinting jobs on the side. I joked with him last year that he’ll be selling his car again. He’s taken a number of financial hits just for the sake of this hobby of his. Both in terms of how the money could be applied to any consumer debt and used to purchase assets that appreciate in value. Last month he did as expected.

“I need to get some financial stuff in order and make some new priorities and have decided to look heavily into a 2014 jgc limited“. I’m not sure if getting a 2014 model year vehicle with an msrp starting at 35k is true to that vision. He put 17k worth of work into it and is looking to sell the car for 38,500.

He’s laid down massive amounts of cash on the current ride:

400 New lock pick with cables and two cameras
250 afe intake
1100 mmp s2 manifold shaved and painted
70 catch can
100 New 2012 front and rear badges
400 Predator and tune from johan
350 mangaflow mid pipes
800 slp lm1 with install
800 oem vented fenders
9000 repaint with all plastics smoothed and blacked out/color matched
1000 grip bumper on the way
1400 sniper hood in my shopping cart ready to go
900 new oem (not replicas) hid headlights
100 hid fogs
200 limo tint”

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$16870 on a depreciating asset, not including the acquisition costs. Ouch!

To his credit, he is working 60 hours a week as manager for a popular retailer presumably earning more than I make now at 40-45 hours a week. Difference is much smaller once cost of living is factored in. I’m pretty much over working in a store or at a bank for a couple years. I’d do the corporate offices of a company with stores across the country, but working in the store each day is not my cup of tea. Unless they want to pay me a handsome increase in salary…

So more variables at play on the job front. Still no offer from the place I did over 5 interviews at 2 weeks ago. No update as people were on vacation. Another company my bf has been interviewing at in PA may possible want to fly me up there to interview for a separate position. My gut says PA isn’t the place to go though. Looking at lots of other states such as Colorado and NJ. As once said in the year 2000… Too soon to tell.

Need to have an intervention with my McDonalds friend with a Bachelors. One of these days… One of the challenges to making a switch when you’ve been in retail so long is companies are reluctant to hire for anything else. Get pigeon-holed into a corner and competing against more qualified candidates is damn near impossible. I still have hope though. $8-9/hr with student loans in deferment and thinking about going back to school is just getting him deeper in the hole.

For your entertainment here is the car being put up for sale. Low mileage and exclusive, but not a practical buy in the slightest. Last but not least thanks all who have been reading my blog and learning about my journey. Up to 6k visits so far since April 2012. Surprised there’s that level of interest to be totally honest.