Comment by throwawayjava | Hacker News Reader

Comment by throwawayjava | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

> livestock, lumber

The latter two sound like business uses. The article is about personal use of personal vehicles.

> Kids, gear

Even then, a sedan or utility/mini van can do the job at much lower costs.

> boats, ATVs

Boats and ATVs are also good examples of money pits that prevent people from saving for retirement.

(Especially boats. I looked into buy one, and quickly noticed that I'd have to be on the lake like half of in-season weekends and/or use all my vacation during the summer before ownership beat renting. But I'm only on the lake a few weekends a year, and even then only need/want something other than a kayak maybe every other visit.)

And again, the conclusion of the article is "But if you’re one of the many people who are woefully unprepared for retirement or any of your other saving goals, a good place to start would be cutting back on any unnecessary spending on transportation."

If you're on track to retire, go ahead and buy that nice car/boat/etc. But if not, maybe consider cheaper alternatives.

> The latter two sound like business uses. The article is about personal use of personal vehicles.

They are personal uses.

> Even then, a sedan or utility/mini van can do the job at much lower costs.

Sure, if your gear is a stroller and grocery bags. Sedans and utility/mini vans can't go offroad easily. I don't mean something like slopping through mud or a river - I mean traveling through mountain passes or campground roads can be a huge pain in the butt (if not impossible).

> Boats and ATVs are also good examples of money pits that prevent people from saving for retirement.

They definitely can be. Not all boats are massive ski boats - even towing 8ft john boats and kayaks (which can both be had for less than $1000) is easier on a trailer which can wreak havoc on sedan transmissions (if they even have a tow hitch at all). ATVs are super useful for maintaining property, animals, fences, etc, not just riding dirt trails.

> And again, the conclusion of the article is [snip]

And I totally agree with the article. I was providing real-world examples of things that folks use vehicles for that a sedan/beater/minivan would not be a great tool for for the original parent.

My kid is in 4-H, she shows goats and rides horses. Most folks have big trucks to pull their big trailers. Not all livestock and lumber is for business, rural communities still exist!

Lumber you might need if you're into DIY, I suppose, or you're collecting it for your fire. Livestock? - well, which person here has the unusual edge case, I wonder...

Leave the major metros on the coasts and you might be surprised at what you see being hauled around that isn't a backpack or grocery bags!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com