we've had an offer of a 2nd car

[Eddas]

WWYD, we've been offered a 2nd car which is coming from an elderly couple who've been convinced by their SIL that they really should not be driving anymore. The car's quite old(approx 14 years) but has been with them since new, they've had it serviced at the same garage every year, it has very low mileage. It's just been MOT'd and has 6 months car tax. My Dad has offered to pay 2/3 of the cost and it will basically cost us about £100.

ATM we have one car, which is ok(ish) as dh bikes to work, but this is dangerous, he's been knocked off twice! He loves his biking and is keen to keep it up but I have always been worried when it's very wet and dark, so I'd love a 2nd car for him to use if he wants to.

DH has issues on up-keep costs and the fact he likes biking to work to keep fit. He thinks he'll get lazy if he has the car readily available.

I've looked at tax/ins and I think it'll be a max of £25/month for these. Obv petrol will be extra.

Bascially we only have one car atm due to money being tight.

I'm keen to snap it up. If we really can't afford to run the car we can always sell it on.

Dh is considering it atm, and i'm not sure what he'll decide

WWYD? Would you buy it?

[Lilyloooohhhh]

No, if dh is keen to cycle to work i think the extra costs when money is tight are still extra costs even if relatively small.

[Eddas]

Oh and Dh is keen to change jobs, and the likelihood is that he will need a car to travel if he does. Which I know may not happen anytime soon because of the current economic climate, but it'd mean he could say yes without worrying about finding a car, and the money to buy it!

[ChopsTheDuck]

i wouldn't if he doesn't really NEED a car. It's not jsut the tax and insurance, it's the MOT, servicing, tyres, general maintenance. It really adds up. I recently worked out that our car was costing us £130 a month with one tank of fuel a month.

We have two cars, because we need to. If dp could get the train to work, we'd sell one in an instant.

If he can change jobs and earn more to run the car then it might be a good idea, but you have to be a little mroe realistic about the running costs. I'd also look at other options - public transport, or you dropping him.

[Eddas]

I think tha's what he'll say and TBH it does make sense, i know it won't just be tax/ins

It would make life so much easier for me as currently I have to do all childcare related things as I have the car, but if he could do some of it.....

Changing jobs wouldn't bring much more money in, probably, but it would be a step up in that happening in the future, but he would need a car. Basically atm he is a salesman in a shop, he wants to be an assistant manager(AM) and is currently doing an in-house management course which should see his company employ him as an AM fairly soon, if they can (in a construction related industry)But he is a highly paid sales assistant so the likelihood is he'll have to take an AM job on not much more money in order to move up and eventually lead to a managers job and more cash. Well that's my hope anyway

[ChopsTheDuck]

i don't quite understand why you having hte car means you have to do the childcare things. Isn't he insured to drive your car?

[Eddas]

he does drive the car, but all childcare (by this I mean dropping and picking the dc up from school/CM) I have to do as I have the car as I need it to get to where I work.

[ChopsTheDuck]

I see what you mean!

I have to do all that even though we do have two cars!

what make/model is it?

[Eddas]

Well I might still have to but at least i'd have the option He works very close to dd's school so could very well work IYSWIM.

It's a Fiesta.

And dh has decided we should get it

I'm sure the costs will be fine, if not we can just sell it on

[ChopsTheDuck]

fiestas are nice and cheap to run. dp had one that went for years until he rear ended someone at a roundabout

Good luck with it!

[blowbroth]

We have an old (S reg) Fiesta with a relatively low mileage, 50,000.
It runs brilliantly and is economical too.
Tax is about 120 a year and our insurance(3rd. party only) is 112.00 a year.
It sounds a bargain and I would go for it!

[nooffenseintended]

I'd go for it, and if the costs get too much for your budget or DH doesn't change jobs and needs it - then sell it.

[Eddas]

thanks for the new responses

Dh's ride to work is through counrty lanes, hence the danger. He's unlikely to get stuck in traffic in his current job, especially as he leaves before or around 7am, he says the roads are lovely to ride on at teat time but not when it's lashing down with rain, then it's dangerous. And because they are narrow lanes people don't give cyclists enough room so he's been knocked off twice, at least. Once he got clipped by a wing mirror sending him flying and the car driver didn't even stop

We may be getting it on sunday