Does Your Golf Car Cost More Than Your Traditional Vehicle?
One of my commitments for 2021 is to be more diligent about paying down debt and sticking to a budget. I have multiple spreadsheets with dollar amounts, interest rates, and dates. It has made me feel pretty accomplished. However, it has really opened my eyes to my family’s spending habits. One thing I have learned, it is VERY easy to spend thousands on your golf car.
In the beginning, we all love our golf cars. Then, we see our neighbors cool custom seat cushions. We start researching seat cushions. We want comfort and style- but, most importantly, we want something bigger and better than any of our neighbors. Next thing you know, you are buying the Luxury Edition Suite Seats. They are high-end and amazingly comfortable. How could you ever want for anything else?
At just that moment, your neighbor from down the street zips by on his golf car. It is cold out but he is cozy and warm with his flashy golf car enclosure. You have parked your golf car for a few months because of the weather, but this changes everything! You run to your laptop to order your new enclosure and patiently wait for it to arrive.
The next time you are on the green with your golfing buddies, you notice that one of them has a locking glove box that matches the color scheme of their cart. You make a mental note that you need that dash kit with the glove box so that you can lock up your belongings when you park your golf car. After you install this dash, your golf car will be perfect.
But, then, you meet up with your brother at the lake to go fishing and you notice the back of his golf car. He has a hitch mounted attachment to hold his fishing rods and cooler. Why don’t you have one of those? He backs the golf car up to the lake bank, casts out his poles, places them in the rod holders and pops open a drink. Why wait? You go on your phone and buy one immediately.
When the holidays come around, how can you resist decorating your golf car with lights and festive decorations and joining in on the community golf car parade? You can’t! So you head online to order everything you need to stand out in the parade.
It goes on and on. Until the end of the year when you total up your yearly expenses and then it hits you- You have now spent more money on your golf car than on the car that is sitting in your driveway! But, does it stop you from buying all the flashy golf car accessories next year? Of course not! Should you simply accept the inevitable and add it as a budget line item? I am asking for a friend, of course. 😉
