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Addicted To Buying Cars


Posts: 1
Joined: February 7, 2006


Posted: February 7, 2006, 1:06 AM
No.. I have none of the usual addictions, such as Drugs, Alcohol, Gambling etc, I have a terrible habbit of buying cars, I have had about 40 cars since the age of 15, I am currently 27.
I keep getting myself in more and more debt, I buy a car I think I like, then 6 months later trade it in when I still owe money on it and do a negative finance loan (ie, I'll trade in the current car to get $6500 off next one, but still owe $10000 for example), for some reason I become dis-satisified with the car I have and want another one, I currently have a Subaru Impreza WRX, but now I want a BMW, there is nothing wrong with my car, but I always end up wanted another one, I only bought it 6 Months ago, I still owe $18000 on it (thanks to Negative equity finance) but would only get $9000 trade in, so I would end up paying $9000 on top of the next car, yet somehow I am still tempted.
I end up paying far more off than the cars are worth due to changing them too often.
To date I have probably spend over $100,000 on cars over the years and have nothing to show for it, I owe more on my car than its worth.
I need help, has anyone else experienced anything like this?


Posts: 1928
Joined: September 14, 2004


Posted: February 7, 2006, 2:27 AM
This is compulsive buying, its cars for you but it could be anything. I suggest you see a psychologist before you end up bankrupting yourself and destroying your future. I believe tha SSRI type anti-depressants have been successful in treating Comulsive Buying Disorder.

Compulsive buying , defined as the recurrent failure to resist the impulse to buy unneeded objects, is a poorly understood disorder. Although it has been described in medial literature for about 100 years (it was called "oniomania" or "urge to buy"), the prevalence is unknown. It is estimated to affect about 1.8% if the general population in the United States. The age of onset appears to be in the teens or twenties, but 10 years or more may elapse before a person realized he or she has a problem. Untreated, compulsive buying appears to be a chronic disorder.

How do I know if I suffer from compulsive buying?
Uncontrollable buying may be a symptom of several problems, including other psychiatric illnesses. Of you feel you are suffering from compulsive buying, you should see a psychiatrist or ask your primary physician.

Buying is considered compulsive if the patient describes (1) frequent preoccupation with buying or impulses to buy is/are experienced as irresistible, intrusive and/or senseless; or (2) frequent buying of more than can be afforded, frequent buying of items that are not needed, or buying for longer periods of time than intended. In addition, compulsive buying requires that the preoccupations, impulses, or behaviors case marked distress, are time-consuming, significantly interfere with social or occupational functioning, or result in financial problems.



--------------------
A Buddhist Lama once said to me, "Do the opposite of whatever I tell you."
So I didn't.




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znrh






Posted: March 7, 2016, 11:00 AM
I apparently have the same addiction and the only cure for this can be summed up in just one word "STOP" I have had 29 cars since 1999 Mostly new but now I'll be damned if I buy another
Dbuzzer






Posted: March 1, 2017, 1:44 PM
I have owned 36 cars since the age of 17, only 4 of them were company vehicles!!

So far I have lost an estimated £25K in swapping cars (not including tax/insurance/new tyres/servicing/some repair costs/interest on loans etc..)

I've therefore catalogued my buying/selling history to use as a reason for now stopping as that number is painful to swallow and is easily a healthy deposit on a house!!

As the previous owner says you just need to stop.

Also I think you need to really need to:

1. Crunch financial numbers before you buy a car
2. Test drive several vehicles and always test drive TWICE before committing. (Ignore the salesman)
3. Force yourself to commit to the period you agreed with yourself. e.g. 2 year PCP means 2 year PCP.
4. Understand what you really like in a car, (a bit like picking a partner), find one that ticks all the boxes and stick with it until it breaks.

Now to try and take a bit of my own medicine :-)


Posts: 1764
Joined: June 27, 2016


Posted: September 20, 2017, 3:12 PM
1. find a job that puts you around cars so you get your cravings out without actually buying them all. 2. Consider car flipping. Go to an auction, but a good car, drive it a while, fix it up a bit, when tired of it sell for a profit. Crunch your numbers so you buy something at a low price so there is room to make a profit or break even after dmv charges, tax, etc.
part-time used car salesman.
buy a really cheap, older car as your back up car for times when you sell the newer one.
Jc






Posted: August 1, 2018, 10:18 PM
Buy 1 fun car. Convince yourself that you will "suffer" with yur daily driver for now, but on the weekends roll out that awesome cool car that you love....a classic, a sports car, cool truck....something that give you a woody every time you pull the cover off. That's your weekend fun and should help to curb the desire to blow your cash year afterm year on that new depreciation crap. Good luck. Lots of us addicts out there!
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