My dad won't buy me a car?
I'm 17 years old and I am currently a senior. I work a part time job about 30 hours a week and I still manage to be 3rd in my class since I take AP classes and college courses like calculus and physics. I have also been accept to a university with a full scholarship. I used to drive my sisters car until it broke down and now I have to walk to and from school and work (about 3 miles) every day. My dad had told me that as long as I saved up $5,000 he would pay the rest for the used car that I wanted which cost about $11,000. Now that I have the money saved up my dad says that I don't deserve a car because he's under the notion that I'm a bad kid even though I excel at school and I dont drink/party/do drugs. I even have a bed time at 10:30. I feel as though I'm a good kid and i would like him to see me that way. Part of my question is how can I get my dad to see me as the good kid I am and how can I get him to help me with the car like he promised.
Comments
Somehow, I don't think your father really sees you as a bad kid. What I do wonder is whether your $11000 car is too expensive for him at the moment... his share is $6000, and even though he promised to help, that's not a small amount. Your father has other financial responsibilities of which you might not be aware.
Honestly, you sound like you have your head in a good place... your schoolwork is good; you're not into drugs; you earn your own money. It's not easy walking 3 miles a day, but you need to look at this as a challenge with the side benefit that you're getting a good cardiovascular workout at the same time.
What I would like to suggest is that you purchase a car with your own funds. This means you would either have to find a cheaper car, or you would have to save more money. Either way, it means a lot more of those 3 miles-a-day walks for awhile. BUT once you get your own car....with YOUR OWN MONEY.... the amount of respect your parents will have for you will have increased 100%.
You’ve already asked this, but you’ve changed some information this time around - before you were 18, now you're suddenly 17; before there was no mention of dad ever agreeing to pay for half, yet now he suddenly did; and the reason that we won’t pay it has changed too. Did you think by changing things it would change the answers? It doesn’t.
The answer is still the same....
You don't deserve a car merely because you exist and you do what you're supposed to do in life. Honestly, that sense of entitlement that you have may be one reason why your parents don't want to buy the car.
But this time I’ll add this - $5,000 is plenty of money to buy you a car, but instead of buying what you can afford you want to whine because Dad won’t foot the bill to buy you something that's double the price. You need to get this through your head – your parents do not owe you a car..
Hah! Why don't you start proving to him that you are a responsible person by saving some bucks to help pay for the car that you want. Your parents don't owe you anything my dear. You have to earn just about everything in your life. I'm sorry but young people now a days seem to think that everyone owes them a living. I learned from a very young age that if I want something to make my life better I have to earn it myself. No matter if he promised you the car he is not giving you a good example of responsibility. mo
Have a father-son day, soften him up. Right now he's probably testing you.