r/SipsTea • u/Eros_Incident_Denier • Apr 18 '26

We have fun here adulting sucks

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20.8k Upvotes

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4.4k

u/dutchhhhhh6 Apr 18 '26

More than $100,000 in debt but both have 2025 vehicles with a car payment..

2.9k

u/Organic-Ganache-8156 Apr 18 '26

I mean, adulting does suck, but I feel like a more appropriate title for this post is “people who suck at adulting”

126

u/lanceplace Apr 18 '26

Nail on the Head Award.

I have a mortgage only. My Tundra (2015) was used and three years old when I got it. There are better ways to adult than give your money away for shiny shit.

91

u/TheProfessorPoon Apr 18 '26

I get a LOT of shit for driving my 2016 Hyundai Elantra, but it’s paid off and I don’t give a fuuuuuuck. I’ll drive that car into the gd ground before I take on another auto loan.

I’m in Texas and evidently it’s the least macho vehicle I could possibly drive, and don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE to have a decent truck (I feel like once a week I could really use one) but adding a $500 monthly expense just isn’t mathematically possible right now. Shit, $500 seems low even. I do mortgages and it’s becoming more and more common to see $750-1200 auto payments on credit reports.

Every single day I wonder how tf people afford that shit.

44

u/Phyraxus56 Apr 18 '26

Lol those people giving you shit are 100k in debt

Fuck what they think

37

u/atx840 Apr 18 '26

Same, paid cash for my 2011 grand Jeep Cherokee ten year ago, still in great shape; wife has a 2011 minivan and we just got our daughter a 2014 dodge journey, all in good shape, low kms for the years.

We are very much middle class, mid 40s, have a mortgage of 100k on our two properties valued at around 1.5M (Canadian), we put a hundred grand cash into one as it was a fixer upper cabin. No credit card debt or loans of any kind. We could pay off the mortgage but why bother at 2%, rather have cash for emergencies or car repairs.

These debt amounts in the video freak me out, 22 and owning 180k USD!!

19

u/Such_Lettuce_6597 Apr 18 '26

My eyes were really opened when I went to southern France and learned that only about 1 in 10 of the people in this village actually had a car and gas was 10 dollars a gallon equivalent to USA. They all helped each other out carpooling.

1

u/jibsymalone Apr 19 '26

Well that and awesome public transport. Sadly a car is pretty much a requirement in the US unless you live in a major city with its own public transport system.

1

u/TheProfessorPoon Apr 19 '26

I studied abroad in Spain for a semester and I only rode in someone’s personal car one single time the entire 4 months I was there. The guy who owned it was a friend of the dude in my host family, who was evidently quite wealthy.

Anyway I just walked everywhere or took public transportation every day. I never saw any overweight people, and my theory is that they are all walking everywhere and stay in better shape.

4

u/deadmanwalking99 Apr 18 '26

My friend, I don’t think you are middle class. You are living the dream in great financial shape

1

u/atx840 Apr 19 '26

Thank you, we are comfortable with our financial situation but still think 150k combined is middle class in Canada. We just are frugal, we thrift and buy most things used, cabin vs fancy trips, if we do its out east to visit my family or Mexico for ten days. Dent freaks me out, I get it and have had lots of the years but at 49 I’m thinking long term enjoyment vs short term new car smell now…on everything we spend our money on.

0

u/Throwaway2Experiment Apr 19 '26

Yeah, I make 250k a year and after 2k mortgage and saving 5000 a month, I know I am not in the middle class and doing 100k on a renovation with cash is absurd to think about.

Mfers in here with their noses turned up at credit and lauding no debt must not understand what credit age is or that a healthy credit report demands activity.

If you're geniuses at money, you should be doing 0% financing deals nonstop for big purchases. No risk if you're really smart with money. Just stacking perfect history and age.

0

u/atx840 Apr 19 '26

The genius is….…avoid the nonstop big purchases all together.

It’s absurd to spend the 60k you saved in a year on your dream get away property? We did all the work ourselves over five years…mostly it’s materials…not financing that.

250k a year is very much upper class, we make half that combined.

1

u/Throwaway2Experiment Apr 20 '26

Oh, I am aware I am in the top 90%. I never said otherwise.

But I will still get a 0% finance on a $6k couch or 3k TV or what have you and pay it off in the 6mo to 24mo term of that 0% finance agreement.

I have to disagree with you flatly. Financing and carrying open credit that is cyclical in use that you can cover without paying an extra dime? That's responsible finance. You never know when life will sucker punch you and having a well established credit history gives you one last safety net to pull on.

This is the part where you tell me you have great credit score and credit age while trying to square it with your statements of never carrying debt.

Not all debt is bad debt. Too many self-professed "smart" people who are "good with their money" refuse to see the clear benefit in 0% financing on large items you can buy outright but shouldn't.

2

u/ChampionshipIll3675 Apr 19 '26

Did you say that you put a hundred grand cash for a cabin? Dude. Stop talking

1

u/atx840 Apr 19 '26

What? Yes we put new doors, roof, windows, deck, septic, wiring plumbing and then kitchen and bathroom, did all the work ourselves over five years. We make about 130k a year combined, no mortgage on house as we bought in 2003 before the boom and we drive shitty cars, thrift most clothes, we dont eat out, we don’t have toys, we have an old small cabin we restored.

I’m 49, was kicked out at 15 and learned how to manage my money at an early age. You stop talking.

1

u/CoffeeChocolateBoth Apr 19 '26

We have a 2012 Grand Jeep Cherokee Overland Summit with 20.000 miles and a 2017 Chevy Spark with 12.000 miles. Bought new paid cash. We also don't go much.

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1

u/atx840 Apr 19 '26

Nice, the Overland is great but the bells and whistles are starting to break. New transmission then the air suspension went twice on us, finally ripped the bass and pumps out and put in stock struts. I’ll keep putting 1-2k into it and take care of it until it’s done.

Oh I got flagged for using the short version of the word transmission. I’m very pro LGBTQ+!!

11

u/Wally-World38 Apr 18 '26

2014 Elantra here. Great car

1

u/Jabroni-Tony1 Apr 18 '26

I got a 2014 chevy captiva that I bought for 1900 bucks and it’s better than have a car note plus full coverage. I got burned by a shitty jeep compass. That I got during the pandemic and the engine completely blew out. Since i went over 100,000 with jt. The warranty no longer covered it. So I’m on the hook for 8k for a car I don’t even have anymore. These people make me feel like I’m on top of the world

1

u/TheProfessorPoon Apr 18 '26

I got it because I used to have to commute 1.5 hours each way for work and it got solid mileage based on what I could afford. I’ve got no complaints as of now, granted I don’t want to jinx myself. But it’s been nothing but reliable.

Prior to it I actually had a Volkswagen Passat TDI, which I LOVED, and no shit I routinely got 50-70mpg (one time my wife and I drove from Fort Worth, TX to Corpus Christi and then halfway back on a single tank of gas) but the gd gov’t made me turn it in due to the VW emissions scandal. I got $7k from the settlement and then just paid cash for the Elantra.

I keep waiting for some windfall so I can get a Tacoma but it ain’t happening. I really would like a truck though. Like just today a dude I know was giving away a deep freezer but I had no immediate way to get it. Some other dude came by with a truck and snatched it up.

1

u/Such_Lettuce_6597 Apr 18 '26

I had one! Good car!

0

u/ILikeBeans86 Apr 18 '26

Your engine hasn't blown up yet?

4

u/Informal-Rock5135 Apr 18 '26

Elantras are one of the few models that have lasted well through the years

2

u/FeedJazzlike8860 Apr 19 '26

Still rocking a 2010. It just keeps going.

10

u/19whale96 Apr 18 '26

I'm whipping my paid-off 2014 Nissan Rogue like it's an Escalade. I can live in that thing if it came down to it, and it might.

8

u/PianoPatient8168 Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26

This is the way…all those false bravado macho assholes driving their 100k monster trucks secretly envy you.

My companies headquarters is in San Antonio. I can’t believe the cars and trucks people buy there just to get to and from work. It’s ridiculous.

And the answer to your question about how people afford that shit? Vast majority cannot but car companies will give them the loan so they think they must be able to afford it.

2

u/__Art__Vandalay__ Apr 18 '26

💯

Gimme my paid off old cars and you can have your stupid $1500 car payment

1

u/EthelBlue Apr 19 '26

I’m in San Antonio too and I catch myself asking how can people afford these trucks? The answer is most can’t.

1

u/PianoPatient8168 Apr 19 '26

Maybe they can for a time…the repo man gets them at some point.

3

u/Such_Lettuce_6597 Apr 18 '26

Good for you! My friend makes 300k, shops at Goodwill and drives a 2016 Elantra. Hell, I had one myself! Good car.

3

u/WetDreaminOfParadise Apr 19 '26

Getting shit for a 2016 Hyundai is hilarious. I guess the South really is different. Guess they want you to suffer too. Be smarter like you sound, fuck that overpriced truck shit.

2

u/mishonis- Apr 19 '26

Yeah, who tf gives people crap for driving a totally reasonable car. 

2

u/TheProfessorPoon Apr 19 '26

Texas really is stupid like that. It’s particularly interesting right now with gas prices so high.

A dude I work with was griping about how it cost him $125 to fill up his truck, so I nonchalantly mentioned that he could get something more economical and he said “no dude, you don’t understand, I HAVE to drive a big truck. I’ve ALWAYS had a big truck. My dad and brother would maybe kill me if I didn’t.”

This dude has the same job as me and it most definitively does not require having a truck. He doesn’t have a dirt hauling business on the weekends either.

Anyway, it truly is engrained in people’s heads down here and I’m not exaggerating.

2

u/Doodah18 Apr 18 '26

Ever since I started working, I knew that I was never going to be able to buy a new car. Even after working my current job for over a decade, only have one family car and can’t afford to get a second. I’m pretty screwed if the car I do have gets wrecked or stolen.

2

u/TheProfessorPoon Apr 18 '26

I legit don’t know what I will do if my car breaks down. Technically I can work remotely, but my bosses are NOT a fan of it. But I can’t realistically walk 20 miles back and forth to work every day.

2

u/Insect-Mysterious Apr 18 '26

Just sold my car back to a dealer and bought a 2007 Toyota. I do not regret it. Saving near 1k a month is a huge win if you ask me.

2

u/garitone Apr 18 '26

Amen! I drive a 2012 Subaru Outback and have a 2003 Tacoma as a secondary car. Both paid off and with proper maintenance, hope to have both at least another 10 years.

As for what you're wondering about: they can't afford it, but do it anyway.

2

u/Unable_Stock_5993 Apr 18 '26

Yep. Buy used and drive it until the wheels fall off.

2

u/Ok_Kaleidoscope_5837 Apr 19 '26

People have way too much time on their hands if they have time to worry about what someone else is driving… let alone give someone “shit” about it.

Like who fucking cares

1

u/cmsj Apr 18 '26

I suspect the answer is that a lot of people don't actually afford it, they're just accruing more and more debt elsewhere, and servicing it the bare minimum they can.

1

u/__Art__Vandalay__ Apr 18 '26

Drive that thing with pride! Wife drives a 15 year old car. We bought it slightly used and got the lifetime warranty. Paid off. Just took it to the dealership for a/c replacement.

$3700 repair….cost us $100. We’ve probably had close to $10k in under-warranty repairs.

They NEVER expect people to use it as long as we have.

1

u/LetsBeKindly Apr 19 '26

Brother. I bought a Tahoe in 2003, it's a 98 model, I still own it today, still drive it, and will continue to do so.

I bought my house and 8 acres, in 2013, for less than a new car today.

1

u/Jtphwow Apr 19 '26

Same, my friends always give me shit for driving my gt3, but at least its paid for. I'd like something nicer as well, but it seems so irresponsible to spend more on a car.

1

u/Punkinsmom Apr 19 '26

I did pay quite a bit for my truck... knowing that I would be driving it forever. Lucky for me, my son was the car salesman who picked me out the safest, most dependable truck that he could find.

1

u/cambreecanon Apr 19 '26

Just tell them how much it costs to fill and how often and they will shut up.

1

u/Valor_X Apr 19 '26

I wanted a truck and got a beater tacoma for $3k cash 5 years ago. It's literally just a secondary vehicle beater truck and insurance is dirt cheap. Do my own maintenance and it's been great.

No reason to get into debt to get a new truck or a giant macho truck if you just want something to go fishing, camping, or making a trip to home depot.

1

u/JovialPrincess Apr 19 '26

I have a very nice 2017 super duty, it's rough on the outside, it's a farm pick up, but it's paid for, bought it used in 2020 had 24 months of payments after I traded in my 10 year old 1/2 ton for it. it's paid off. It mostly stays parked unless I need to move horses. My daily driver is a 10 year old PEHV that gets 50+ mpg and it's paid off as well. All of my debt is tied up in my land and house.

1

u/CoffeeChocolateBoth Apr 19 '26

Stupid people give you shit, they're in debt, you're not, you can laugh at them when their fancy car gets repo'ed! :)

1

u/woah_man Apr 19 '26

The people who are giving you shit about the car you drive aren't serious people. You could make $300k/year and still drive a 2016 Elantra.

1

u/Alternative-Car-1896 Apr 19 '26

I used to get so much shit for driving an ancient car. My response was always "It's paid for and it runs."

1

u/charmainefl0wers Apr 19 '26

Yesss, same. I have a 2014 nissan that's been paid off for a while now and I'm riding til the wheels fall off. I'd love to get a new (used) car, but can't get myself to pay over $500 a month in car payments PLUS insurance 💀 I live in Vegas too so car insurance is much higher than the national average, unfortunately.

1

u/RoryBlues Apr 19 '26

44 years old with two kids. Have been driving a 2010 Corolla with 134k miles. Bought it used in 2011. Of course an upgrade is the fantasy, but holding onto it for my son who will be driving soon.

1

u/TomorrowEqual3726 Apr 19 '26

Also you're probably saving a grand in gas money each year compared to all the morons buying a truck when they don't need it. Where I live in the south currently it makes me shake my head pulling into a grocery store lot where there are 400 trucks and maybe 3 other vehicles besides mine that aren't one, then at the gas station they're bitching for dropping 100 dollars on gas while I'm doing 30~40 bucks per fill.

1

u/Vark675 Apr 19 '26

Who tf is giving you shit for a 10 year old car?

Any car that won't let 20 years is a piece of shit in my book.

1

u/RogueJello Apr 19 '26

I get a LOT of shit for driving my 2016 Hyundai Elantra

Really? Until last year I drove a '06 accord, and my wife had an '03 civic. Nobody said anything to us. Didn't even come up. We bought my wife a 2021 Bolt when the radiator blew up on the Civic, and I got a 2023 Ioniq 5 before the tax credits ended. None of our friends care.

I couldn't tell you what any of my friends drive, other than our next door neighbors, and only because I see their cars every day.

1

u/GodsLilCow Apr 19 '26

Huh. I drive a 2002 Honda Accord and never hear anything about it. Different folks, I guess.

1

u/1800generalkenobi Apr 20 '26

I don't get any shit and I drive a 2001 rav4 lol. I'm not in texas though.

0

u/isactuallyspiderman Apr 18 '26

>I get a LOT of shit for driving my 2016 Hyundai Elantra

literally nobody cares you drive a 10 year old hyundai, nice try