Getting a car is a lot less expensive than an apartment. You can get a used car for as little as $2,000, which is almost nothing compared to the cost of an apartment.
And with a car, you don’t have to worry about rent and utilities—you can just drive off into the sunset in your very own mobile home.
But if you do decide to go with an apartment instead, at least you’ll be able to say that you’ve tried out both options before settling down.
The main advantage of getting an apartment is that it’s cheaper, and the money you save can go toward other things.
But if you’re going to be living in the same place for a while, you might as well have a garage to keep your car in and not have to worry about paying extra for parking.
Why you should get an apartment first?
You should get an apartment first because it will be much easier to get your own place and not have to share it with anyone.
Also, you’ll save money on rent by living in a smaller space.
If you get a car first, you’ll have to pay for insurance, gas, and maintenance costs, all of which add up fast.
Plus, you’ll need to find somewhere safe to park it every night.
In addition, if you buy an apartment first, it will help you save for a down payment on a house later on.
Pros and cons of living in an apartment vs driving a car
It’s always a good idea to write down the pros and cons of any major decision so that you can see all of your options clearly. For example, let’s say you’re thinking about getting a car or an apartment first, which one would be better?
Pros
- You’ll save money on gas and insurance by driving a car instead of renting an apartment.
- You don’t have to worry about cleaning or repairs—your landlord will take care of that for you!
- Furthermore, you won’t have roommates who don’t share your values or lifestyle choices (and vice versa).
Cons
- You might end up paying more than $200/month in car insurance alone! That’s not even counting gas, maintenance costs, and parking fees, It adds up fast.
- If something goes wrong with your car, and it needs repair work done or if you get into an accident, you’ll have to pay for it all out of pocket.
- If something goes wrong with your apartment well, hopefully, someone else pays for that!
How to decide which one’s better for you?
If you’re in the process of deciding whether to get a car or an apartment first, it can be hard to know what’s best for you.
There are a lot of factors to consider, including how much money you have saved and how far away your job is from where you live.
But if you’re like most people, one of these two things will be getting to work on time or having a place to relax after work. And if that’s the case, here’s when you should make your move:
If your job is less than 20 minutes away from your home, then it might make sense for you to get an apartment first.
That way, if something comes up with your employer or coworkers at work, you won’t have to worry about getting stuck in traffic trying to get there in time for work and feeling anxious about being late.
If your job is further away than 20 minutes from home, then it might make sense for you to get a car first so that you don’t have any issues getting back and forth between home and work each day.
What are the options?
There are two options: get an apartment first, or get a car first. If you are not yet sure where you want to live, and you don’t have many friends in the city, then it might be better to get an apartment first.
This way, you can find a place near where your friends live and have them help you move in.
If you are going to be living with roommates, or if your family will be helping you move, then it might be better to get a car first so that they can help transport larger items.
What is the cost of a car and apartment?
To start with, let’s look at the cost of each option. A car costs anywhere from $5,000 to $60,000 depending on the make and model. The average cost of an apartment is $1,000 per month.
Now let’s assume that you have a monthly income of $2,000 and that it will take five years for you to save up enough money to buy an apartment.
In this case, after five years you’d have $10,000 in savings—enough for the down payment on a car if you choose not to purchase one outright.
If you bought an apartment instead of a car in this scenario and rented out one room for $500 per month (which would be easy), then after five years your annual income would increase by $6,000, $2k + $4k.
This means that if you waited until year six before buying a car instead of buying one immediately after graduating from college as most people do, then your savings would grow by another $10K over these additional two years.
Conclusion
Should I get a car or an apartment first? Is that, it depends on your personal situation. If you’re currently renting, and you have a stable job, then it might be worth it to buy a car.
However, if you are still living with your parents, or if you are constantly struggling to pay rent, then getting an apartment is probably the better option for you, especially if there aren’t any good public transportation options in your area.
