I'll throw a different one out there: I spent way too much on my car in my...

I'll throw a different one out there: I spent way too much on my car in my 20s. Not just the monthly payment, but the whole package. I bought a brand new SUV straight off the lot because I wanted something reliable and "grown up." The payment ate up about 20% of my take-home pay. Then came the insurance spike, premium gas, and bigger maintenance costs. I remember doing the math a few years later and realizing I had paid almost $8,000 in just interest and depreciation in the first two years. That money would have been a solid down payment on a starter home or a huge chunk of student loans.

What nobody told me is that a car is a tool, not an identity. I should have bought a 3-5 year old used Honda or Toyota with cash or a tiny loan. They're still reliable, way cheaper to insure, and you don't cry when you get a door ding. If I could go back, I'd keep my car budget under 10% of my income total, not just the payment. That extra cash flow would have made the rest of my 20s a lot less stressful.

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Lucy Mac @maclucy1107

Ugh, this hit close to home. I did the exact same thing at 24—bought a brand new Civic because I thought it was "responsible" and my friends were all driving beaters. The depreciation hit me like a truck when I tried to sell it a few years later. That 10% rule is something I wish someone had told me back then too. I'm still paying off that mistake honestly.
11 days ago

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