A Nice Car vs. A Nice Apartment
April 8th, 2007"What would you rather spend your money on: a nice car or a nice apartment?"
"Hmmm," she murmured. "A nice apartment. Definitely."
I wrinkled my brow. "Really? I would totally spend it on a nice car."
"Yea, that's 'cause you're a guy. Guys would rather spend money on a car than an apartment. But girls are all about making their homes look nice."
I shifted in my seat. "See, for me, my apartment is just for storage, sleeping, and shitting."
"That's very eloquent of you."
"Thanks."
She looked at me and smirked. "I was being sarcastic."
"Oh. Well, but seriously, that's all I need it for. I don't do a lot of entertaining there. I don't have a TV. And I'm mostly at work or going out. Unless I'm sleeping or shitting."
She sat forward and regarded her coffee carefully. "I would actually argue that you're home more than you are out."
"Hmmm." I scratched my chin. My eyes narrowed for a moment, then slowly opened. "Okay, I can see that. Maybe. If I count all the hours I sleep. And it's not like I go out every night anyways."
"Right. On weekday nights, you probably go right home after work, then just sit around and chill, right?"
"Yea. Talk on the phone. Watch a DVD. Read a book. Yea, true."
She tilted her head. "How do you watch DVDs if you don't have a TV?"
"On my laptop."
"Oh, okay." She sat back. "You're such a geek."
"Thanks. THAT I'll take as a compliment."
"If that makes you feel better."
I grinned and took a sip of coffee. "But back to the question. Even though I may spend more hours at home, I do spend a fair amount of time in my car too. My commute is roughly half an hour each way."
"You don't take the train?"
"I want to start doing that at least one or two days a week. But sometimes my hours are funky enough that the train's schedule doesn't always work."
"Oh, 'cause you have to work late."
I nodded. "Yea. And living in California means having to drive to places to hang out with friends. Sometimes I'll pick up friends along the way. So if I'm doing all that, I'd rather spend my money on a nice car."
"I guess you're right. Spending your money on a car seems to make sense for you."
"And for you, you entertain quite a bit. You always seem to have dinner parties and stuff."
She shrugged. "Not as many as I'd like. But yea, I like cooking and throwing dinner parties. That's why I'd also rather spend money on nice things for my apartment, so my place can look nice."
"And you think that's the same for all girls? That they all like to cook and throw parties and buy things for their apartments?"
She studied her coffee and blinked a few times. "Well, I'm not saying that all girls like to cook and throw parties and stuff. But I think most girls would rather spend money on a nice apartment rather than on a nice car."
"Wouldn't that be gender stereotyping then?" I arched my brow.
"I don't know. I'm not trying to stereotype. But that's what I would guess, at least for the majority of girls out there."
"I see…" I scratched my chin stared at her.
"I know, why don't you ask this question on your website and see what people say. Let's see if most guys would rather spend their money on a nice car, and most girls would rather spend their money on a nice apartment."
"Hey, good idea!"
. . .
What would you rather spend your money on: a nice car or a nice apartment?
April 9th, 2007 at 9:50 am
if i had money to burn, i'd prolly look to buy a place. if i couldn't, i'd prolly rent a nice place, for i am aged =)
April 9th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Yeah, it definitely depends on the person and what they enjoy. For me, I guess I'd rather spend more money on my home.
I love to decorate each room, and the hubby and I enjoy throwing dinner parties for family and friends. It makes more sense for me, because I don't spend much time in my car.
But I can see how spending more money on your car can be appealing, especially if you're on the go, single, and picking up on hot chicks.
April 10th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Well, I'd much rather have a nice car as long as I was in an apartment that was OK.
See, a car has a greater likelihood of breaking down and leaving you stranded somewhere or late for an important appointment. If the apartment is clean and the appliances work, I'd much rather have a reliable car.
Driving can also be the most stressful part of the day. Getting onto the freeway, dealing with bad drivers and the stop/go of traffic. Having a nice comfortable car can help alleviate that pain.
But then again, who am I to speak, my Wife and I just put an offer on a house yesterday.
April 12th, 2007 at 12:01 am
neither. i don't spend much time at home (even though i like to cook and entertain) and i'd rather not spend time in my car if i can help it. it serves the purpose of getting me from point A to point B. and if i do have to spend time in it, i'd rather do it enjoying an awesome collection of music i love (which doesn't factor in what kind of car it has to be per se) or with other people in the car with me.
i'd rather spend it on good food, traveling to places i've never been, a nice toilet seat warmer and a chinchilla.
so does that make me more like a girl or a guy in that sterotypical kind of way?
April 12th, 2007 at 9:19 am
@Wally - you old man you.
@Ellen - oh yea, definitely, for the hot chicks!
@Jeremy - congrats on finding a house that you guys like! Good luck man!
@Diana - hmmm. Maybe this means you are your own kind of gender: diamale. And… a toilet seat warmer?!
April 12th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
i just don't like cold toilet seats and if i had some extra cash floating around, why not?
April 18th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
None of the above. I'd rather spend my money on a spanking new super-awesome souped up digital keyboard.
Which is exactly what I did.
April 18th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
And by keyboard I mean *piano* keyboard. For the computer and tech geeks, I feel I must clarify on this point…
May 1st, 2007 at 1:43 pm
This 45 yr-old Male says: Home beats Car every time.
Big-screen! Must have 100-inch screen!
May 6th, 2007 at 1:59 am
I actually think I would spend my money on a nice car vs. apartment, assuming I don't live in a shithole. Since I don't own my apartment, I have little incentive to "invest" too much into it; I don't get much return on my dollar. However, if in theory, I spent my money on a nicer car (better resale value), then that's better in the long run, financially. (This is assuming I live in Southern California where the dream of owning your own home is unattainable for most.)
May 6th, 2007 at 10:11 am
@Diana - the toilet seat warmers in Tokyo are AWESOME! I can totally see why you'd get one! Maybe I should to…
@Akrypti - hahaha, I'm glad you clarified. And here I was thinking, "what does a new super-awesome souped up digital keyboard entail? Will it massage your fingers and serve you coffee?"
@Randy - how about a 103" screen?
@jozjozjoz - that's very financially sound. But then, aren't cars rapidly-depreciating big-ticket capital assets, whereas real estate values generally (but not always) go up? Assuming again that you're buying vs renting. Cuz if you're renting, then yah, that's just money out the window. Hmmm. This is actually a good argument. Maybe I'll use this on my parents.
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:27 pm
I love my car…but I have never understood people who put their car above their domicile. Crazy….