this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2026
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You can't disregard depreciation. That's real cost, and regardless how well you take care of your car is not literally going to run forever.
But regardless, you are forgetting to consider maintenance and a lot of other things. And if you are in one accident, especially one where you are at fault, you will find that your cost will rise considerably.
I addressed both depreciation and maintenance.
When I purchase a car, I pay, for example, $50,000. If I enter that as an asset, I need to depreciate it as time and mileage add up - ($10,000) year one, (5000) year two.
If I consider the payments simply as a cost, without considering the value of the vehicle as an asset, I don’t need to consider depreciation. It’s right there on the books as (50,000) in 2026. So that $800 for car payments plus insurance is the total cost of the vehicle. This calculation would only be a problem while I have money owing on the vehicle and try to sell it - which I personally won’t do. I’d rather own a car for 15-20 years if I can.