Boys first vehicle…..

[LostArra]

I'm curious what job a 15 yr old has that allows them to pay for a driveable vehicle, insurance and fuel at 16.

(My youngest is 40 so I've been out of the kid job loop for a while)

 

[go_deep]

I'm curious what job a 15 yr old has that allows them to pay for a driveable vehicle, insurance and fuel at 16.

(My youngest is 40 so I've been out of the kid job loop for a while)

My son started mowing lawns at 12, he had about $9k in his savings account when he got his license. He got a $1,700 Jeep Cherokee at that time. 2 years later and a lot more working, he just sold it for $3,500, and bought a 2011 crew cab frontier cash, and still has about the same amount on his savings after that.

Teach them how to manage money and respect it.

 

[KurtR]

Kids still driving the 02 2500 chevy i gave him when he was 16. He is about to graduate tech school with a really good job. He said he is keeping that truck and the way he figures it if he has to replace engine or tranny its still cheaper than a new pick up payment. He is way more responsible than me at 20 with his money

 

[LostArra]

Did you never have a summer job, or something after school? Never run an animal through the fair?


You can get a driveable rig for 5k. It wont be fancy but who cares? Cheap liablility insurance. That'll get the kid rolling.

Summer job yes. $1.65/hr Min wage was $1.50 so I was flush with cash. My car cost $615 and fuel was under $0.20 gal.

After school No. Sports practice which was a better investment at the time. Paid for 4 years of college.

All of my kids worked when they could but the cost of a "cheap" vehicle and insurance has risen much faster than child labor wages. Not every kid has the opportunity to even get to a job before they can drive or be a lawn mowing Warren Buffet at 12. I actually dragged a lawnmower behind my bike one summer but it does limit your prospective job area.

My point was a beater vehicle, insurance and fuel will start at around $7k. That's a nice summer job for a 15 yo.

 

[omicron1792]

My boys play sports year round and make straight A’s. That is their job right now and I’m happy to buy them a reliable car when the time comes for it.

 

[Luked]

I'm 48 so my first was quite a bit older.
My first vehicle was a 1973 International Scout 2. Will lived in the country and a 4 wheel drive vehicle was a must.
I drove the wheels off that thing. Played with it. worked out of it. and worked on it.
My dada wasn't the most mechanically inclined fella either but he could do some minor stuff.
The old Scout got me from point A to B a lot. It broke some. Then I learned to fix it.
My first vehicle I bought on my own was a 1976 Ford F100 2 wheel drive short bed step side. 302 4 speed with straight pipes. Was loud as hell. But same thing I drove it and it broke and I fixed it.
I didn't get a "nice" vehicle until I was well in my 20s and it was a 4x4 S10. I put almost 50k on that thing. it was a tank and never had much for issues.


My kids are different, and its a different time.
My son just turned 18. When he was 16 I got my dads old S10 from my mom, 4x4 auto, decent shape. He had no interest in it at all, or in driving. I gave him a year, Told him I would give him the truck but he had to get his license. A year later he never did. I gave him an ultimatum. Get your license in 3 months or I'm selling the truck. He never did and I sold the truck.
Now he just turned 18 and still has no license and so far hasn't shown he even wants it.
Blame his introverted style on his mother (my X).

My daughter who just turned 13 is the complete opposite. She already wants her license, already wants a job. etc. Already have a truck lined up for her that my mom now has that I found and bought for her but she hardly drives any more. When it comes time that she quits driving, which is almost here. My daughter will get that truck. But i know she will have her license, a job pay her own way etc.

As far as what to get for a kid starting out. Me personally I think they should learn on something that doesn't cost a ton, They are going to beat it up one way or the other. I personally would rather spend a little to get started and let them build up on their own.
I have family who go out and buy, or have bought their kids brand new vehicles when they first start out. The kids done give two shits about it cause mommy and daddy will fix it or replace it when it breaks.

Make them earn something. it makes them appreciate it a lot more in the long run.
Just my thoughts

 

[Cubby]

I bought my daughter a 2019 Ford Ecosport for her first car at 16 years old, she's a straight A kid and never gets in trouble. She used that car for college and now has a 24 Ford Escape that I bought her last year and my wife and I still drive our old stuff but as others have said I could afford and am happy to help her out.

 

[LostArra]

$1.65/hour was a long time ago.

Just answering the question. What can I say? I'm old

 

[LostArra]

$1.65/hour was a long time ago. I also wont say that parents dont chip in a few bucks here an there.



Yup, the worlds not fair, might as well figure that out right outta the gate. Just the same, a kid that wants it will find a way to make some money. Lotta folks out there willing to pay a kid to do stuff that they could/would do themselves.



You're a bit high on the prices, or maybe the standards are a bit high for a first rig. Either way, learning how to save money isnt a bad thing...

Perfect kid truck.... https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/967998578981156/?
View attachment 1043412

I did a little ciphering
Your truck selection with a McDonald's job beats my shoveling concrete on a paving crew in 1968 to get my $615 ride. So yes it can be done. It's not so much the job, it's the vehicle selection.

 

[Olympics777]

Interesting thread. I missed it the first go around. Personally I’d make my kid buy his own rig. I bought my first vehicle, a 1990 Toyota forerunner for 900 bucks with money I made from cleaning grain elevators and mowing lawns. It barely ran but I kept it going for awhile and sold it at a major profit. It’s good for a kid to figure things out for themselves, then they grow up learning that you have to go get what you want, it won’t always be given to you. And with fast food gigs paying 17 bucks an hour now getting a beater is very doable for a 16 year old.

 

[Yoder]

Toyota Corolla. He doesn't need a truck.

 

[fngTony]

I'm curious what job a 15 yr old has that allows them to pay for a driveable vehicle, insurance and fuel at 16.

(My youngest is 40 so I've been out of the kid job loop for a while)

My youngest will turn 16 here in a couple months. It’s been impossible for her to find a job beyond dog sitting babysitting. I’m sure it’s different in other areas but it’s so legally difficult to employ someone under 16 that most businesses won’t even entertain the idea. Even between the ages of 16 and 18 there’s so much legislation that makes it difficult on the employer that they just tend to try not to hire in that age bracket.
To answer your question along the lines of earnings that could cover a car and insurance and gas. I still don’t know what kind of job there is for them. State minimum wage here is somewhere around $17 an hour now and that doesn’t really add up to much especially when it’s part time.

 

[Sabot]

Our experience with teens that wanted to work was similar. Entry level stores with help wanted signs and economic reports screaming we need more workers and my kids couldn’t get a call back. Took my son almost a year to get a coffee shop job. Now he’s starting his own business because his generation refuses to beg their way up the ladder. Proud dad

 

[h2so4]

off the record, but I attempted to get into just as much trouble in my sisters camry as I did my jeep. I don't think the car vs truck option will have much impact on the fun that will be attempted.

 

[h2so4]

kid I went to school with took a 90's nissan sentra all over the place. Holding er wide and treating it like its a $400 car will get your broke ass into a lot places

 

[KurtR]

1979 cutlass supreme 2 door and i took that boat places it had no business going. Loaded with duck decoys and dog in the back seat haha

 

[fngTony]

I feel like that has been happening for quite a while. I remember calling around everywhere and getting shutdown soon as heard my age. Enough phone calls though, and a job was found.


Any stables in the area? They used to always have a handful of kids working.

There is a few but no luck, the families that own them have enough friends and family working there.

 

[Matt5266]

No way in hell my kids are getting something that nice. I still drive a 2003 dodge diesel. Other posts have proved that newer doesn't mean more reliable. I know the dumb stuff me and my friends all did in our first trucks... another reason id never get a kid one. A older pickup is easier to work on yourself and cheaper to have someone else do the work on. Usually lots of aftermarket parts too which means you dont have to purchase high priced dealer pieces.

 

[LostArra]

Toyota Corolla. He doesn't need a truck.

We had a Corolla provide transportation to two daughters in high school and college for one while the other was in the Peace Corps. No human injury when it took out a whitetail doe.

 

[loganwayne]

Im going to pick up a "low mileage" 130k jeep cherokee tomorrow with a blown motor. Really considering rebuilding motor and using it just enough to keep everything good and save it for his first car..... but it will probably be illegal in 16 yrs lol