^^^^What he said^^^

Avoid debt at all costs. Get rid of credit cards, pay the balance off and don't use them. Make a monthly budget. You'ed be suprised at how much extra you will have every month by keeping a tight hold on your money. Before I made a budget I though I was good at managing money. The only thing I was good at was making sure I didn't go below zero every month. We spent everything. Get rid of the 01, and keep the turboed car because it makes you happy. IF you both work, then only having one car to haul the kid will require a little more planning. It will be doable though. Keep your miata and her car for a while. Don't fall victim to the current new cars are dirt cheap with no interest financing etc. etc. Even with no interest a 20k car is still going to cost you 20k. A baby will cost you an extra 100 to 200 a month with dr copays, formula, and diapers, etc. So every bit of money you can trim and save will help offset this. My little girl is 1 1/2 now so I have been through this recently. IF you have a costco near you, get a membership, the savings in formula alone will pay for the membership multiple times over.

Trim the costs, you'd be surprised at how much you can save by looking over your phone, cable, internet bills, and insurance. Get insurance quotes from other companies and get a better rate. Maybe go to mobile phones only and drop land line. We have done that. Stop some premium channels on cable if you have them.

I disagree slightly with getting ready to buy a home. If money is tight, a home has a crap ton of extra expenses that no one really talks about. Renting a house can be a great option. I believe there is an article on cnnmoney in the real estate section about this exact topic.

I wouldn't trade a single expense, minute of sleep, or anything for my little girl. The feeling you get when your child runs up to you saying daddy when you get home from work is priceless.

what they said ^^^...oh and GROW THE FUCK UP

^That was uncalled for.

^Turbo hasn't responded in this thread since I made the first post that gave some actual practical "life" advice. I'm going to be interested to see how he responds to these recent posts.

Been pretty busy. After much thinking, I've given up the "have some real cool car like a wrx" mentality. I'm going to keep the 97 definitely unless for some reason it comes down to a last resort. I'm just going to hang on to the 01 until the right deal comes a long(priveate party wise). I just got the a/c fixed today....and I'm not going to completely ignore maintanance on my car just because at some point in time it's being gotten rid of. I've already been cutting back on everything like suggested(cutting data plans on the phone, not going out much of ever...just cutting costs in general). Five hundered and fifty might sound like a joke to some of you but remember I am a 21 year old college student with almost nothing. Just a little at a time. She's the one that makes the money. I've got 1 year of college left and I'll have my Bachelors in Aviation Science and the rest of my ratings(professional pilot).

Anything?

Things for Turbo_4 to do in order:
#1: Paternity test... if father, proceed to #2, if not, proceed to slap-a-bitch.
#2: Hire financial advisor. Do exactly what he says.
#3: Report back in 18years and 7months to let me know how things went.

God, I wish you were my dad.

Explain the food stamps comment for us please.

There are different levels of tightening the reigns. You mention that your girlfriend "makes the money" There's a big difference between making a 15k income, 30k , 50k or 120k income. IF it's 15k, then you need to start selling everything, living within your means, and get used to what will probably be the most demanding time in your life. If she makes 120k you probably don't ned to sell anything, but see a fianncial planner and get a budget in place. Actually the budget and financial planner i needed at any income level. Not to preach too much, but I follow the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover and it has really helped me out.

you'd be better off parting out your car if you really need the money. you'll get the most outta it.

btw....congrats?

If she makes all the money what the fuck are you gonna do when she can't work anymore? Sell both cars and get a better job

she's just going to dump you and the baby....

It's like Jerry Springer...but on MiataTurbo!!!!


Seriously...21, college student, food stamps, putting a creampie in the oven to bake when you weren't ready, other female drama, not being able to take care of two cars...let alone a child. Harsh comments? Maybe, but not out of line given the information you've provided. She's got a 4-door..that's all you need. Now ask yourself, which of your cars is more dependable..the 97 or the 01? Sounds like the 01. Part out the 97, put the money into a ING account, fix only what you have to fix on the 01 to make it roadworthy and deal with it. The 01 is newer and probably has lower miles....who gives a s.hit if it's an automatic...you need something you'll keep from wanting to tinker on...and even a PRNDL Miata will still have fun factor when you need to get out of the house. "Me" time is over for you...say bye-bye to the project and keep what will get you around and cost less to operate in the long run...which isn't the 97.

Also, if she's the cash cow and you're still in school...have fun with that. So now she'll be on maternity leave and you'll be having to go to school and work and do the extra work around the house. You know, i've known more than enough people who have gotten into similar situations and ended up dropping school....which kills your chance of getting a better paying job to pull you out of financial asshattery.


Have you seen the movie Idiocracy???? Yeah.....

My brother and his newlywed wife were in a college and about the same age when they had their first child. Now they have 4 healthy happy kids and he's a practicing doctor (she's a stay at home mom, but also has her MD). It can work if you get your shit together.

But not if you are pondering which sports cars to keep and how if affects your ability to collect food stamps! Stupid usually can't be fixed.

We need more info here... How much do you and her make? Do you guys live together? Or still with mom and dad? Cause living in your own is a another financial problem... I'm at work now and this thing is entertaining... I kinda feel bad for you but your an adult and with hard work you can make this thing work.
You also need to start working over time or an extra jobs now: waiter, bartender, stripper, etc.
I just recently got married last year and I'm 23 years old. So we needed money to pay for the wedding and to move out on our own and in 3 months I manage to save $7000 by working over time and stripping, now if your a fat or fat ugly mother effer than you may wanna stick to being a waiter

Well, mock it or not...the car situation is a big deal. I need to figure out what to do with these two cars...sell both...keep 1...consolidate it and get something else. I don't know that's why I came to car forum...makes sense huh? I'm not asking ideas for my job, school, or personal savings...it's to figure out if a miata can work together with her 4 door. I was really looking for people who have had a child and kept their miata.


Eventually the 01 will go...whether I keep the 97 is debatable. I spent 30 bucks on a ebay muffler and am about to spend about another 40 on an fmu so I can actually have potential of selling it. I have an almost complete turbo miata. It causes REAL problems when you tell someone test driving your car that they can't even go wot. I'm still running 3" straight pipe so that's why the cheap muffler. Seriously, I'm not out blowing money but sometimes you have to put a little bit in to get a lot out...(ie having the freon recharged in the 01). You seriously expect someone to buy a car in central texas without a/c? It was I think 103 today? I'm doing what I think is the right thing.

Things are being taken care of financially. I'm still going to school this summer semester and in the fall. I'm taking spring off to work full time. She is going back to work sometime in the spring. We are on almost every ounce of government support at this point...CHIP, WIC, about to be foodstamps, TANF, etc. CHIP is paying for the whole pregnancy...from prenatal care, to the delivery, to the first few months of baby care. Food stamps can be had by anyone who makes less than a certain amount a month. If the money is there then why not claim it? When she stops working in the spring my household will be elidgable for around 350 a month in stamps...why wouldn't I take that...we are going to be poor!

And BTW, I think it's funny ya'll still mock the measly 550 we've saved so far. I started selling our crap early last week. At the end of last week we had 550...I think we did a hell of a job given this short amount of time. We still have sooo much shit to sell to.

So case-and-point....financials are being worked on. I just wanted to figure out what to do with the car. Realistically the 97 will probably stay, the money from the 01 will go into this "rainy day baby account" and we will try things out with that. If we use it baby wise we use it baby wise, if we find need for another car with a back seat then we get something like an old honda.

There have been a few uncalled for comments in this thread. To answer your question: (I have a 1.5 yr old)

No, with both of you working, I don't think having only one car with a back seat will work.

There will be times when you will have to pick up your child because your girlfriend is working or you drop one off for an oil change, etc, etc.

My wife doesn't work, and I still kept the echo (4dr) as a backup. Having two cars with back seats is the safe play.

The correct thing to do is long past, aka save your money for this sort of thing.

You have an impractical sports car with what looks to be a good amount invested into it, yet you are on all these various government aid programs. That doesn't seem right to me. Call me a dick but why should someone with things like that get government aid?

Sell your cars. Work your ass off. Get off government aid. Buy a 500 POS to commute to and from work. I can't believe you have all this criteria for buying another car. You are poor, so buy a car that fits that.

Edit: Also you are young. You won't ALWAYS have to drive around a old crappy car. There will be a time again where you can afford both the time and money requirement of a 2dr 2 seat sports car.

fuck I hate people that live off the state and here I am paying high taxes and busting my ass to support my family for people like you who abuse goverment help. I wish I worked for the state and I could take your miatas and make you slave to support your own family instead of the rest of the country supporting your lazy fucking ass. If you were poor you wouldn't have a car never mind two miatas and one turboed you fuck