Do we buy a car for DSC?

[Fairystepsthought]

DSD has just passed her test. She’s with us 50% of time. XW won’t pay towards car. Do all falls to us. We already pay school fees with v little contribution. Of course it would make our lives somewhat easier if DSD has a car but how do we do it?? Say she can only use it when she’s with us? How do we help her to recognise being an adult and having to contribute to it? Ideas please!!

I’d be tempted to tell her you would contribute x amount to a car, and she would have to find the rest. Insurance etc are huge costs though too.

However if it were me I’d want to encourage other behaviours with my money instead. Like, introducing a savings account or isa where the money is locked in for 3 years, you’d match her contributions, so she had a small deposit or travel money after uni.

My DD worked part time from aged 16 and saved her money so that when she passed her test she had a lump sum. She was 18 when she bought her first car, a bit of a heap and the insurance was astronomical. We helped her with that. She needed a car for her placements at uni.

The car failed it's first MOT so badly we chipped in to help her buy a new one but only because a) she never asked us too b) she has been completely financially independent for nearly 2 years and never asks for anything from us and c) she budgets her uni loan amazingly well and goes without nights out so she can keep her car on the road.

Personally I would make her get a job and save up. She's old enough to go and work at Maccy D's part time (which pays pretty good for under 18's) and start realising that the world does not owe her anything and she needs to work for it herself.

Regardless of SC or DC I wouldn't ever pay for car without them working for it.

My parents made me save as if they weren't going to help, then once I'd saved up enough they surprised me by saying they would pay because they were proud of how hard I worked.

It meant I could pay my insurance off in one go with the money I'd saved up.

OP, she sounds very spoiled. I don’t know many children who assume they’ll be handed a car when they pass their test!

I hope to be able to give my DS a decent figure towards one when he passes, similar to what was suggested - I’ll match what he saves. But first hint of him actually expecting that as his right, the money will be put aside again until he learns a bit of respect for my money and responsibility for his own.