Buying my first Silverado

jamin87ss · July 6, 2016

33k for a loaded all terrain 6.2 dam

Schmitdy · July 6, 2016

Personal opinion, and speaking as a FTO for the last 10 years, WAIT. Get another beater, pay cash for it, and wait. Between the academy now and going through an FTO program, you're not going to have much free time to use the 4x4 (unless you need it where you live just to get around, then I guess disregard all this). At minimum wait until you're done with training, but preferable until your probationary period is over. Then, you can get yourself a nice new present to congratulate yourself and enjoy it without over worrying about the financial aspect.

I'm definitely going to wait tell i'm out of the academy, and back to full time. However I've been struggling past few years with my sedan (work for a family ran construction company and a police department as a civilian employee) and been a few times where I haven't been able to get to work because of it. I know once FTO starts I will have limited time, but however I still will be working there when I get the chance. So i'm going to take most of the advice here and wait tell i'm done with training and save my money a little more. However, if I somehow wash out of the FTO program (we run it a little different here) I still have my regular job. Not doing law enforcement for the money obviously, doing it because I like it. But either way I will still have plenty of money live off of. As stated before i'm going to keep the monthly payments at or below $300 just in case. I made $900 a month working 16 hours a week. Once i'm done with the academy i'll be back to making around $2500-$2700 a month.

GsBowtie · July 6, 2016

Hi schmidty,

I had this reply typed yesterday to send to you but lost my internet connextion, so here you go anyway. Good advice here so far.....

You won't like this reply....but neither. If you have to have a truck, go much older, something you can work on and fix up. Your talking about spending 1/3 or so of your incone on a vehicle and that's a lot. Better to get something older and then save up for when you have a full time job and get something nice. Just my .02. I drove a lot of junk when i was younger, but I learned to repair vehicles on that junk and that's served me well to this day.

Good luck in your decision. And if your wondering, yes i was once a full member of the FOP.

Thomcat · July 8, 2016

Hi schmidty,

I had this reply typed yesterday to send to you but lost my internet connextion, so here you go anyway. Good advice here so far.....

You won't like this reply....but neither. If you have to have a truck, go much older, something you can work on and fix up. Your talking about spending 1/3 or so of your incone on a vehicle and that's a lot. Better to get something older and then save up for when you have a full time job and get something nice. Just my .02. I drove a lot of junk when i was younger, but I learned to repair vehicles on that junk and that's served me well to this day.

Good luck in your decision. And if your wondering, yes i was once a full member of the FOP.

X2 Good advice for both cars and houses. Settle for fix'er - up'ers while you're young to avoid debt, where your work will pay off and be able save a little on the way up. As your age and income increases you'll soon be able to afford and enjoy new shiny stuff.

99silveradoz71 · July 11, 2016

Get something sensible for now if you absolutely need to replace the current ride, then wait til you're on board and making some coin before picking up a truck. Hopefully you'll be in a better position then. I bought my first new vehicle shortly after starting my career and paid out the backside instead of building up more cash for the down payment.

fbachman · July 11, 2016

Heh, this discussion rattled some very old cob webs....

IS it just ME, or do others also recall the (long ago) days when you considered a truck to get you over the hump before you were able to buy a nicer vehicle.

NOW, it seems one settles for anything else UNITIL one can consider a nice truck... seems like somewhere along the line we had a flip-flop....