[wallace.342]

I saved up for a few years and drove my old car (2000 Maxima 5spd) for longer than I would have liked in order to afford my 2008 335xi. The raise due to me graduating from college didn't hurt either.

[vince217]

higher education, steady job, steady life

[fireline43]

I bought it used for 27k, it was cheaper then my 2010 GMC that i bought for 35k, so i lowered my payments and gas bill. I was trying to cut costs and I wasn't enjoying driving a truck because I always had cars before that.
I work for the government so I have a stable job and I don't have high bills elsewhere.

It's crazy for me to think people saved up and blew all that savings on a car though........

[bmw246]

Student- hard work through high school and community college- paid for my new e93 in cash- now off to get my bachelors...

[MasterWang]

Originally Posted by jim.e.

street pharmacist if you catch my drift *wink**wink**nudge**nudge*

just kidding

Heisenberg....

[BMWcoupe335ii]

Originally Posted by ohhdear

It is my DREAM to do that to someone. I'm pretty young and so people always look at me the way they did to you. It's infuriating, isn't it?

It is Infuriating but I just keep my head up and stay focused. I'm pretty sure you'll have a 335i in no time just work, save your money and go to school if college is for you (college is not for me) but make sure you don't save just to buy the car. If you financing a car for say 20-24k get a good downpayment of like 5k and save another 5k for insurance and incase (god forbid) you lose your job or hit a bump in the road you can still make payments until you find another job. I hope you don't have to deal with an asshole salesman because it can make you not want to buy a car ever again, even thought the first salesman was an asshole to me twice I dont hold grudges I just dont give him the time of day, but I still give him and everyone respect no matter what.

[BMWcoupe335ii]

Thank you, how did everything go with you car and the insurance company after the hail damage?

Originally Posted by cmyk

Good for you

I get treated like crap by salesmen all the time because I am a girl with tattoos, and I guess I don't "look like" someone who "should be" driving a "nice" car. Even though I make more than they do, they think it's OK to judge people who don't look like they work on Wall St. Screw 'em.

As far as how I afford my car...Um, I have a job. I found the one I wanted, called my credit union, traded my car in for it and drove it home.

I bought a used 335 with remaining warranty and low miles instead of the new one I considered getting first. I have a good interest rate with a low monthly payment and I pocket the savings (who am I kidding...I use them for mods and a trust fund for when my car is out of warranty lol)

[TT3 iN NyC]

Originally Posted by John 070

Dag you would waste all that money on a car.....I had friends circa 2008 who due to the economy were asked to delay their start after getting a firm job offer, and we're talking 140 starting salary, so they got 70 to not show up for a year. Most of those people saved every penny and tried to find other work to supplement....I can get the notion of a free car with say a great stock trade, or flipping a property, but not so much from wages. That's not free, that's hard-earned.

Ok so here is how it went..

sign on bonus from Lehman
severance from lehman..

went to Barclays,
laid off from barclays - severance

went back to lehman...
Laid off from lehman - severance.

These 3 severances + the sign on bonus almost = price of car. I maybe paid about $2k worth of monthly payments.

I do consider this free money because the severances are given to you in leiu of your job. However, in my case, I had a job waiting for me right after i got let go from each position.

The money I made from working, those bi-weekly paychecks. I did save. That money wasn't used to pay for the car, it was the severance money that was used.

It was NOT hard work. The only hard part of it was getting up in the morning.

I financed it, i mean, i had to pay for it regardless if i chose to pay it in 1 lumpsum or over time in payments. I saved myself a lot of interest by paying it off.

Now I don't have a car note and I'm driving around an e92 335i thats fully loaded.

I work on the FX Trading desk at Citi now. I've saved ALOT since i started here 2 years ago. I think I made the right choice. I was young, i wanted a nice car with no payments. Eventually I reached that goal.

Now I'm busting my @$$ saving for the future

[cmyk]

Originally Posted by BMWcoupe335ii

Thank you, how did everything go with you car and the insurance company after the hail damage?

Still ongoing, unfortunately. The total damage is just north of $15,000. I should be getting the car back from the body shop in mid-late August. I actually stopped by the body shop this afternoon to check progress and deliver one of the supplement checks from Allstate. There's a picture of my car as of today in this thread: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...=705273&page=4

Not pretty. Every body panel except for the rear bumper and one of the passenger side doors is being replaced (no PDR). Nothing that was hit was fixable, so I'll be getting a new car, body-wise. Blah. I miss my car

[Shahdog]

Originally Posted by whilechukwuzout

So howd you do it? Hard work? Luck? Saving? Marry the right person? Spare no details. No judgement here either. Driving a BMW is not the status quo, and Im curious to see how we all wound up here.

My story: I worked my ass off as a contractor at my job, and after what seemed like an eternity, I was finally offered a full-time position. My savings from that, plus a little money I made from a wise (alright.... lucky) investment, afforded me my 335 :-)

I wonder if I can afford my BMW
Hmmmm

[SirHoward]

Been producing records form 83-98 & still getting paid form it (Classic Hits)

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by str8nm

Graduated from Dental School

best username ever.

[dsimoes1]

jst a lucky spoiled 16 year old

[doubleIN]

Originally Posted by OSHEIT

Been producing records form 83-98 & still getting paid form it (Classic Hits)

Bruce Dickinson, is that you?

[JStang]

I sold my B6 Audi A4 for $8,500 and put $7k down on my 07 335i in December of 2010. I work as a sales manager at my company and we broker obsolete and shortage electronic components to large OEM's, contract manufacturers, the Gov't and their contractors.

If any of you or your friends are buyers let me know and we can do some biz!

[SirHoward]

Originally Posted by doubleIN

Bruce Dickinson, is that you?

LoL.. Nope.

[platnumdesi01]

Sold my tsx made 3500....sold a honda accord I bought from a co worker for $200.00 and sold it for $3200...yes 3200! Took 7K put it as a down payment and left with my 335 last year. I did work hard to..single mom put me through college, worked finished up a Masters degree....don't remember a day w/out a mortgage but I sleep happy at night that I contributed as my mom worked very hard in life.

[dcat151]

Originally Posted by doubleIN

Bruce Dickinson, is that you?

[Envuks]

Finished an MBA, paid it off, worked hard and looked up one day and realized I could afford it.... Put my head back down and continued working hard.

[JimVR4]

BSEE 1982. Joined a startup in 1997, went public in 1998, stock went to the moon in 2000 dotcomm bubble and made over $1M that year. Paid 500K in taxes, reinvested the rest and lost half of it. Bought lakefront land with the rest and sold it for double and paid off my house. Have 4 cars including the 328i, paid cash for all of them.

Putting three kids through college over ten years with about 2 years left. Bought the used 328 to replace a POS daily driver that got rear ended. Could have bought a 335 or M3 but decided to stay conservative. In a few years will re-assess what to do with the income that is going to college expenses right now. May move up to an M3/M4 or may look at other options.

[O HELLA BMW]

Working at Mc Donald's with honors paid for my car

[Frank2808]

1. graduated college with an IT degree
2. got a bare 325i coupe
3. got promoted
4. traded bare 325i for loaded 325i
5. got promoted
6. traded the loaded 325i for a bare 335i
7. got promoted
8. traded the bare 335i for a mildly equipped 335i
9. got promoted
10. traded the mildly equipped 335i for a loaded 335is (almost pulled the trigger on the M3 but couldn't bring myself to do it)

Next is either going to be a loaded M3 or we're going to start a family. Haven't decided yet