Smells like power and freedom!

Actually, it smells more like petroleum-based solvents evaporating off vinyl and plastic.

Wow, buzzkill.

Let's see if you still like that smell when you find out what it's really costing you...

I'm locking the windows.

Since the auto boom of the 1950s, cars have become an integral part of American society.

Car companies spent 14.2 billion dollars in advertising alone in 2014 and that number is only rising.

They convince us that once we're behind the wheel, our families will love us more, our neighbors will envy us, and our freedom to go anywhere is secure.

Unfortunately, they're more likely to take away your freedom and security.

New cars are a financial triple threat.

We borrow money at interest, to buy an asset that we have to pay to maintain and...here's the big kicker...that drastically depreciates in value.

Wait… what is depreciation, anyway?

Hey Julia, would you like to buy some ice cream?

Uh, sure, I guess...

That'll be four dollars.

I wouldn't pay a nickel for that!

But I paid four dollars for it twenty minutes ago!

That's depreciation.

Go wash your hands.

Cars retain their value about as well as ice cream on a hot day.

A new car will depreciate 63% in the first five years.

10% of that the moment you drive it off the lot!

Calling cars a "bad investment" is like calling a honey badger a bad heart surgeon.

What?

I mean they're not an investment at all!

Exactly.

I mean, can you think of anything else you'd spend that much money on that loses value that quickly?

Oh, I don't know.

How about a garage full of beanie babies?

Heh, I told you the 90's are comin' back.

Sure, hon.

And don't think you can get out of this by leasing either!

Leasing companies set their prices so that you pay for the depreciation of their vehicle, and when it's over they still have an asset they can re-sell.

So let's set a few simple ground rules that will put you in the driver's seat instead of being taken for a ride.

Number One, buy a car that's 5 years old.

Right away, you're skipping the majority of its depreciation.

Number Two, save up to buy a car in cash.

Paying interest on something that loses value is like gaining weight from exercising.

All pain.

No gain.

Number Three.

If you can't comfortably afford to save an amount equal to your car payment, you can't afford it.

So if you're not saving $300 a month, you shouldn't take on a $300 car payment.

So how much money is actually at stake?

I think it's time to....run the numbers!

Let's say I buy a new car for $20,000.

I put $4,000 down, and I finance the rest over 60 months at 4.25%.

My monthly payment will be...$295.42!

That sounds pretty normal.

But check this out.

What if you bought that same car, but a 5 year old model, which costs you 63% less or $7,400.

Put your same $4,000 down, and with the same loan arrangement, you're looking at a payment of just $62.78/mo.

That's a monthly saving of...$232.65!

I could get a massage every other week with that!

You could.

Or, you could take those monthly savings and put them into a growing asset, like a home or a mutual fund.

And if you continued to do that every time you paid off the car, even at a very conservative 7% per year return, in 35 years you'd have over...$421,459!

Really?

Wow.

Now...is that enough to retire on?

Probably not.

But that's just one thing you can start doing now to prepare for your future.

There are many, many more.

You know, as much I like that new car smell, I don't think I'd spend half a mil on it.

Let's try this instead.

Ooh, what's that?

Early Retirement, baby!

And that's our two cents!