Jeep Funding

As a college student I can tell you that for me some of the choices were to either buy the winch and not eat much for a week or 2, or to be able to eat more. Of course I choose the winch...

I try to fund my jeep one part at a time, unless something breaks on me like what recently happened. I just bought the Evo bumper and only had about 200$ left to pay off which wasnt hard but then my front axle bent and needed to be replaced. I was lucky enough to have a family help me pay for it and now I owe them large sums of money for a Prorock 44.

But I have been asked the same question by members of my club. My response usually is it has taken me 6 years to get it where it is now, with lots of help from family and friends. It also helps not having a family to pay for.

Just have to decide what is more important. In my family doing family events and trips and so on is more important than saving money in a 401k for future use when you are too old to do anything. People ask me how my family and I go to Europe all the time (This summer before I have to put my pullups on and be a big boy were planning on going to Norway after running the Rubicon). taking those trips as a family and doing stuff is more important to us then saving money for retirement. It helps that my parents are both retired twice and still working. We put family, and family fun times above all else. That includes Jeeping, my Dad wants one my mother wont let him so he lives through my brother and I, and since I am closest he lives his Jeep dreams through me and wants to go wheeling with me, hence the help in buying the Prorock because he wants it too.

Americans live to work. Europeans work to live. Live life like the Europeans, where family comes first and go on vacations with your family and jeep trips with them, that way the money you spend on the jeep is also spending money for the family to enjoy.


Just my as a younger member of the forum :twocents:

Amazingly, spoken.
 
In all seriousness. Thank you rescue7 for asking the question and thank you all for the responses, talked me out of doing a silly thing.
 
In all seriousness. Thank you rescue7 for asking the question and thank you all for the responses, talked me out of doing a silly thing.

It was a very good question to ask.

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Thanks guys! I was hoping to not offend anyone. I thank Eddie for jumping in, also. I think a lot of people see people like Eddie, and some of the other main JKX guys doing some fancy, and expensive things to their Jeeps. I feel a great deal of confusion is created in reference to funding this kind of stuff. I am glad many of you chimed in with responses.

Cheers:beer:
 
Thanks guys! I was hoping to not offend anyone. I thank Eddie for jumping in, also. I think a lot of people see people like Eddie, and some of the other main JKX guys doing some fancy, and expensive things to their Jeeps. I feel a great deal of confusion is created in reference to funding this kind of stuff. I am glad many of you chimed in with responses.

Cheers:beer:

Any time! It's what we're here for. We're a community that want to help! No matter what the neigh sayers say. Perspective makes a huge difference in things.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
It's just priorities of where you want to spend your money.

I live pretty cheaply day-to-day. I don't eat out for lunch, some guys at work spend $300-$400 a month eating out everyday. My wife and I don't eat out for dinner much at all. We buy fresh food and cook it. Eating out is very expensive.

I also have hobbies like mtn biking and backpacking where once you have the gear you don't spend much, if anything, to keep that hobby going.

Lastly when my wife and I travel it is usually cheap. Road trip and tent instead of hotel, we bring food instead of eating out. Granted we do take one nice vacation every other year (on average).

I just ordered a 2015 jeep and have budgeted for it and initial mods. I know almost everything I'm doing and what I have to do first because I have been reading up on things over the last year and have had a spread sheet so I do things once and in proper order. Prior vehicles I have done suspension multiple times because I didn't do enough research before I bought and that is wasted money. The plan is always being rearranged minutely for current sales that make sense to buy that part 1step earlier because it was 20% off, or you find a good used one that you do not want to pass up.

Know your product and prices because often I see people selling things online that more than you can get it from the retailer. Also know where you can get discounts; Northridge offers members of this forum a 10% on many parts. They also price match if you find it cheaper somewhere else.

Also like has been stated. Paying interest to have it now instead of later will slow you down and cost you tons of extra later.
 
Just be forewarned, building a ride that even remotely compares to the look of Eddie's comes at a price. The price is the constant comments, lol. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say this, but your head will swell up at first when people approach you out of the blue and comment on your ride, but when they approach you when you're trying to enjoy a meal in a restaurant it'll get old quick.
 
I used to have triplets. Sold one for my build. ;) As a recommendation, the older they get, the less you can get for them. A year or two can make the difference between DTD and Enforcer. :crazyeyes::cheesy:

In all seriousness, the Jeep has always been 3-4-5 in line behind all the needs and wants for my wife and kids. Don't go into debt over a hobby! You never know when you might need that pile of cash for something actually important.

I did better. I got rid of all of them.:cheesy:
 
Just be forewarned, building a ride that even remotely compares to the look of Eddie's comes at a price. The price is the constant comments, lol. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say this, but your head will swell up at first when people approach you out of the blue and comment on your ride, but when they approach you when you're trying to enjoy a meal in a restaurant it'll get old quick.

My head swelled when I went from the 08 bare bones X model to the 2014 fully loaded Rubicon. There isn't another Rubicon in my town. None of the other JK owners in my town even do anything in their jeeps anyways. Yeah most are jacked up and look good but when they actually do something my stock Rubicon will out perform them for obvious reasons. I didn't even imagine getting the 2014 a month or so before we bought it. Even said several times on this forum that I wouldn't spend that kind of money on one. However, I was trying to get some money around to get a small lift and 35s and was having "issues" doing that combined with the fact I would most likely need to regear and when I regeared I wanted lockers, etc. etc. My need for money was growing a lot, and without all of it I most likely wouldn't be happy. The wife said something about a brand new jeep, not just a brand new one but a Rubicon! I made sure it had everything we wanted and yes I had to finance it, but I don't believe I will be hurt on it and if needed could sell it and get what I need out of it. We still have everything financed, and while its probably dumb I am fixing to borrow some money against my 1990 suburban to hopefully get a winch, lift and tires for the jeep. I'm already use to making the payment because I had to borrow the money from the bank against the suburban to put a transmission in it. I could quite possibly sell the suburban and get most of what I need, but its nice having a third vehicle for the wife and I. The Rubicon is an automatic so she can drive it and I can drive the suburban if needed. Another reason we traded the 08 in on the 14 because it was a standard and she couldn't drive it. It just seems to be easier for me to pay a payment instead of save money. Seems like every time I get money saved up for something, something else always happens.
 
My head swelled when I went from the 08 bare bones X model to the 2014 fully loaded Rubicon. There isn't another Rubicon in my town. None of the other JK owners in my town even do anything in their jeeps anyways. Yeah most are jacked up and look good but when they actually do something my stock Rubicon will out perform them for obvious reasons. I didn't even imagine getting the 2014 a month or so before we bought it. Even said several times on this forum that I wouldn't spend that kind of money on one. However, I was trying to get some money around to get a small lift and 35s and was having "issues" doing that combined with the fact I would most likely need to regear and when I regeared I wanted lockers, etc. etc. My need for money was growing a lot, and without all of it I most likely wouldn't be happy. The wife said something about a brand new jeep, not just a brand new one but a Rubicon! I made sure it had everything we wanted and yes I had to finance it, but I don't believe I will be hurt on it and if needed could sell it and get what I need out of it. We still have everything financed, and while its probably dumb I am fixing to borrow some money against my 1990 suburban to hopefully get a winch, lift and tires for the jeep. I'm already use to making the payment because I had to borrow the money from the bank against the suburban to put a transmission in it. I could quite possibly sell the suburban and get most of what I need, but its nice having a third vehicle for the wife and I. The Rubicon is an automatic so she can drive it and I can drive the suburban if needed. Another reason we traded the 08 in on the 14 because it was a standard and she couldn't drive it. It just seems to be easier for me to pay a payment instead of save money. Seems like every time I get money saved up for something, something else always happens.

Don't beat yourself up that you had to finance your ride. Chris's advice is spot on but sometimes life happens and you have to finance. Truth be told, I don't own MumboJumbo, the bank does, lol. I could pay him off tomorrow but my credit score would take a pretty big hit if I did.
 
I was initially in the same boat...How to get the rig up as quickly as possible but as others have stated take your time to figure out what you want from your jeep.....Do you want to be built like Moby and conquer anything or have a nice rig that can handle most trails (and are you willing to accept body damage). Those are the first questions you need to answer then go from there. My list has changed so many times that I dont know what I want at this point but what I have learned is take your rig as is and go do trails with other people/jeeps and see what they have and what they like/dont like, etc...This will help you learn what you really want and allow you to plan accordingly. We all know the DTD is the best but do I need that for what I want to do, no, so I will go with the bolt-on coilovers. Do I need 37s no (really yes), so I will live with 35s until I can get the new axle or find one...Its all about what you want and want to do with your rig and then save. Family without a doubt comes first. Some of us get bonus money every year where we can use that for bigger purchases and something I do that works is figure out your monthly budget and if you want, allow yourself some free money which can be spent on anything you want not related to house, family, bills, etc...Pull that out as cash every month and use on things or put it in your undie drawer and let it build every month until you have enough for what you want.

There are many ways people build up their rigs but the biggest thing is to know what you want and be realistic. If you dont plan to run trails like Moby and Evo1 all the time dont get the DTD and PR 60 front and 80 rear, even though it would be nice, it is not realistic.....

Good luck on your build tho. Always fun to watch other build up their rig.....
 
A lot of great feedback here, guys! Thanks so much for honest opinions.

I've been looking to buy either a used rubicon, or order a brand new one. I almost had a deal on a one owner 2010 today with 18k miles. It apparently had visitors while I was working out stuff on the phone. I know it sounds crazy, but I love the rugged interior on the 07-10. My wife has as 2012, but the interior doesn't sell me. But, the new Pentastar is a lot more powerful than the 3.8L. I guess give some to get some....
 
Don't beat yourself up that you had to finance your ride. Chris's advice is spot on but sometimes life happens and you have to finance. Truth be told, I don't own MumboJumbo, the bank does, lol. I could pay him off tomorrow but my credit score would take a pretty big hit if I did.

Oh I'm not beating myself up for it. Was more just saying. I'm proud I have it. Makes me smile every time I get in the damn thing. :thumb:
 
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