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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Buying a car?

38 replies

ItWillBeDone · 25/04/2024 22:32

Do many people really buy their 17 yr olds a car? My DC insists that most of their friends are being bought one. We can't afford to so it isn't an option.

OP posts:
Mumofyellows · 26/04/2024 18:50

My daughter bought her own, I helped with lessons but she had a part time job so paid for her own car and insurance.

CarrotPotatoRooster · 26/04/2024 18:52

Bought my son an old banger for 400 quid. It's great! Easy to fix!

Gumbo · 26/04/2024 18:55

Yes, we bought DS a car almost as soon as he turned 17, and all of his friends (and as far as I can tell, pretty much all the kids in 6th form) got cars too.

We live pretty rurally, buses are a rarity, and if the teens want jobs they simply have to have a vehicle to get there. DS works weekends and holidays at a place 8 miles away; he wouldn't be able to get there without it. In fact, the first interview question was how he'd get there!

idkbroidk · 26/04/2024 20:24

QueenofLouisiana · 26/04/2024 18:34

We did. Buses are poor to non-existent around here. Nearest town is 3.5 miles across field/ unlit roads with poor, narrow pavements.

It’s not posh or fashionable. It’s big enough for a 6’3” bloke to drive decent distances. His uni is rural and a long way from home. His girlfriend lives 200 miles away (when they aren’t at uni) so he drives to see her.

He put it (and full, clean license) on his application for an internship. I thought it was worth mentioning!

he put his car on his his application? as in the make and model?

QueenofLouisiana · 26/04/2024 20:36

idkbroidk · 26/04/2024 20:24

he put his car on his his application? as in the make and model?

Show quote history

No. That he had his own car. Internship will require travel around a large, rural area.

goldenretrievermum5 · 26/04/2024 22:07

Scarletttulips · 26/04/2024 18:47

I did. We have 2 Uni fees to pay and the third will never go, so we brought her a car for her college and then apprenticeship.

Seems fair when Uni is £30,000 each (no loans or grants available) and the car was £7K

They all have cars and pay their own insurance, repairs and petrol.

How come your DC aren’t entitled to a student loan to cover uni fees?

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 26/04/2024 22:14

No but dd is using some of her child trust fund to buy one, she has saved up some money as well.

Oyemwen · 27/04/2024 08:56

HELLO EVERYONE.
pls my DD who is 16 is still afraid of 🕷Spiders what will help pls🕷

BarbarasRhabarberBar · 27/04/2024 21:43

Oyemwen · 27/04/2024 08:56

HELLO EVERYONE.
pls my DD who is 16 is still afraid of 🕷Spiders what will help pls🕷

Not buying her a car 😂

reluctantbrit · 28/04/2024 18:55

We will buy a second car in my name so DD is able to practice driving. We had a large estate with automatic and that's not a car for a driver just getting a license.

For me it doesn't make sense to have a license but not being able to drive.

But that is all planned and saved for several years.

somebeesarebastards · 28/04/2024 18:57

Very much standard in our circles. Have bought each child a car, driving lessons and insurance until they finish uni. We live quite rurally as has been mentioned by a few previous posters.

Motheranddaughter · 28/04/2024 18:59

We bought all of our DC a car at 17 and my DP paid the insurance

Chocolatebrownieyum · 28/04/2024 19:01

Dd was saving up for one but when it came to it although she'd saved over 2K there were no cars available for that sort of money that weren't falling apart. So we ended up spending 4.5k on a 10 year old little car which is technically the family second car but essentially hers for now until dd2 starts learning. She pays petrol and insurance.

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