15 year old gets brand new Camaro

[tzsgti]

What do you guys think about this? I think this is absurd

I thought i was spoiled. Kids these days

Dealer Delivery (15Yr Old Getting his Car) - Camaro Forum - 2009 Camaro / 2010 Camaro / New Camaro SS Z28 Forums - Camaro5.com

[disneysteve]

The problem isn't kids these days. The problem is parents these days. Kids only take what they are given. Parents have forgotten how to say NO! You can't have that. I'm not buying that. If you want that, get a job and pay for it yourself. In the past few months, my daughter bought herself an iPod Touch and a Dell netobook computer using her own money. I helped her shop and compare options but the final decision was hers because she was the one paying for them.

When she starts driving, we probably will buy her a car, but it will be something used and reasonable. She happens to really like the Honda Element, especiallly the first year model, which will be about 7 years old when she gets her license, so that may be perfect. We should be able to find one for a good price at that point.

[tzsgti]

"I told him, Keep a 4.0 Grade point average and I'll buy you any car with in reason"

I guess "with in reason" means diffrent things to diffrent people

Like you said reasonable car meaning a 7 year old used car not a 30k dollar muscle car lol

[GREENBACK]

That kid will have a "chick magnet". Hopefully, it doesn't go to his head(any bets on that?).

All I hear is how tough kids have it nowadays.....give me a break!

[shultice24]

Well, even if money was no object whatsoever, I don't ever see myself parenting that way. That doesn't mean I'm not a tad jealous though.

Oh well, I'm not showered with material rewards for working hard in school, and I'm probably better for it. This probably a grade-A example of a kid who will graduate school and expect the world handed to him on a silver platter. The entitlement generation.

[poundwise]

Asinine.

[markusk]

The kid in the pix looks like he's 12! Maybe the father is "living" through his son?

I don't know though, I could see myself making a bargain like that!

[Goldy1]

I just went to a birthday party for a one year old. It must have cost over a thousand bucks, and seemed to feature things for adults moreso like a bar. (jello shots too??)The kid was asleep in his crib the whole party too. lol.
My dad showed me a video of a 30K plus bar mitzvah he attended. What is the point?

[wincrasher]

Ah, parents living vicariously thru their kids. Throwing a lavish bar mitzva or a birthday party is not necessarily about your child, but how the parent wants to be seen in the community or to their friends or business associates. Not a new development.

Or the "I grew up with nothing, so I want my kids to have Everything!" Have an emotional hole to fill, eh?

[tzsgti]

I just went to a birthday party for a one year old. It must have cost over a thousand bucks, and seemed to feature things for adults moreso like a bar. (jello shots too??)The kid was asleep in his crib the whole party too. lol.
My dad showed me a video of a 30K plus bar mitzvah he attended. What is the point?

Pretty intresting. Where i am from people go way to far for bar Mitvahs and stuff like that. It even came to a point where everyone in the community was competing. The Rabbis of the town got up and set restrictions of the amount of money you can spend. It was just getting out of hand. I really don't see the point of having a birthday party for a one year old. My sisters did it and i think it was just another excuse for a free catered event for me at least

Also you think 30k for a bar mitzvah is bad i have heard of 500k for a bat mitzva where in my religion is not as signifacant as bar mitzvah.

[disneysteve]

I feel the need to step up to somewhat defend the 30K Bar Mitzvah. Having just had our daughter's Bat Mitzvah celebration last September, I know all about what one can spend. We had a relatively modest affair. We did a lot of the stuff ourselves like printing the invitations, making the centerpieces, buying the alcohol, etc. Had we paid professionals to do that stuff, we would have spent way more. We had a DJ, not a live band. We held the reception at our synagogue, not out at some fancy hall. We did a buffet, not a waiter-served sit-down meal. It was vegetarian which is cheaper than if we had served meat and fish. My wife and daughter both got moderately priced dresses, and ones that they can easily wear again for other affairs. We had a photographer but no videotaping. Basically, we did as much as possible to make it classy without making it ridiculously expensive. Our affair (for about 150 guests) ran about 25K with everything included. It would have been simple to spend another 5K just by hiring folks to do things we did ourselves. At least in my area, 30K isn't a big deal for a formal reception for 150 people. I know it is a lot of money but also keep in mind that this is an event that we were anticipating and saving for for 13 years. We had that 25K set aside by about 5 years ago.

I guess my point is that #1, 30K for a large affair is not all that much in many areas and #2, as long as you can afford it, there is nothing at all wrong with doing something like that for a once in a lifetime event that you and your family and guests will remember for a long, long time. I've been married for 17 years and still to this day, our friends will make comments periodically about how nice our wedding was. I hope that 17 years from now, they'll be saying the same thing about DD's Bat Mitzvah.

[feh]

I feel the need to step up to somewhat defend the 30K Bar Mitzvah. Having just had our daughter's Bat Mitzvah celebration last September, I know all about what one can spend. We had a relatively modest affair. We did a lot of the stuff ourselves like printing the invitations, making the centerpieces, buying the alcohol, etc. Had we paid professionals to do that stuff, we would have spent way more. We had a DJ, not a live band. We held the reception at our synagogue, not out at some fancy hall. We did a buffet, not a waiter-served sit-down meal. It was vegetarian which is cheaper than if we had served meat and fish. My wife and daughter both got moderately priced dresses, and ones that they can easily wear again for other affairs. We had a photographer but no videotaping. Basically, we did as much as possible to make it classy without making it ridiculously expensive. Our affair (for about 150 guests) ran about 25K with everything included. It would have been simple to spend another 5K just by hiring folks to do things we did ourselves. At least in my area, 30K isn't a big deal for a formal reception for 150 people. I know it is a lot of money but also keep in mind that this is an event that we were anticipating and saving for for 13 years. We had that 25K set aside by about 5 years ago.

I guess my point is that #1, 30K for a large affair is not all that much in many areas and #2, as long as you can afford it, there is nothing at all wrong with doing something like that for a once in a lifetime event that you and your family and guests will remember for a long, long time. I've been married for 17 years and still to this day, our friends will make comments periodically about how nice our wedding was. I hope that 17 years from now, they'll be saying the same thing about DD's Bat Mitzvah.

No offense Steve, because I respect you and value your posts, but it doesn't make sense to me to spend that kind of money on such an event, whether it be a wedding, a Bat Mitzvah, a Sweet 16, or anything else. It just seems like a huge waste of money.

I know nothing about the Jewish faith, so I'm not familiar with the magnitude of such an event in a person's life. Regardless, it strikes me as excessive.

[swanson719]

I have to agree that spending $30K on any one thing short of a house unless you have the money to pay in cash is just stupid. Disneysteve saved up for years for his daughters Bat Mitzvah, and if it's worth $25K to him, so be it. It wasn't financed, and they worked years saving for it. I think that's a different story than $30K on a car for a kid who hasn't even finished puberty.

My question is that this kid is 15 years old. What incentive does he have to keep a good GPA now? Must hang something pretty sweet over his head for a graduation gift. Just don't get it. Then we wonder why young people have a reputation for bad work ethics.

[disneysteve]

No offense Steve, because I respect you and value your posts, but it doesn't make sense to me to spend that kind of money on such an event, whether it be a wedding, a Bat Mitzvah, a Sweet 16, or anything else. It just seems like a huge waste of money.

I know nothing about the Jewish faith, so I'm not familiar with the magnitude of such an event in a person's life. Regardless, it strikes me as excessive.

No offense taken. I certainly understand your point. I can only say that it was worth every penny to us. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it the same way. It was a wonderful affair. Everyone had a fantastic time and I'm sure we'll all remember it fondly for the rest of our lives.

As we always say, it comes down to priorities. We live fairly frugally. We take budget vacations. We buy store brand groceries. We drive old cars that we bought used. All that stuff. This event was just one big splurge for us, that was well within our budget. We save over 21% of our gross income and were able to have this 25K event without interfering with that at all.

Personally, I think spending 40K on a car is a waste, but people do it every day. I'd rather spend 20K on a car and have a great party with the other 20K.

[tzsgti]

No offense taken. I certainly understand your point. I can only say that it was worth every penny to us. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it the same way. It was a wonderful affair. Everyone had a fantastic time and I'm sure we'll all remember it fondly for the rest of our lives.

As we always say, it comes down to priorities. We live fairly frugally. We take budget vacations. We buy store brand groceries. We drive old cars that we bought used. All that stuff. This event was just one big splurge for us, that was well within our budget. We save over 21% of our gross income and were able to have this 25K event without interfering with that at all.

Personally, I think spending 40K on a car is a waste, but people do it every day. I'd rather spend 20K on a car and have a great party with the other 20K.

Since i am for spending 40k on a car if one can afford i can't really say much . But no offense i am from the religious jewish area and 25k is an amount they use for a low budget 250 person wedding. I mean most end up spending 40-60k but lets not forget most of the people in my are have alot of kids and if they spent more then that over thier life time they would go broke. Heck my bar mitzva didnt even come close to 10k. I guess it really depends.