This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
One should never be prioritized over the other
Whether you’re single or in a relationship, the last thing you need to focus on is your partner’s car or how amazing the car you drive looks.
The piece of metal you drive will never determine your financial success or health. If anything, it calls for questioning since many people drive nicer than their financial portfolios would recommend.
What matters most is THE financial portfolio (once the financial portfolio is in order, then have fun with the cars).
People will have beautiful cars but ugly ass and financial portfolios.
Outside of the ego boost, as sexy as that car drives and looks, it ain’t gonna do much for you if you don’t have anything in the bank.
The questions I frequently ask my partners, friends, and family revolve around their investment strategies, how much debt they manage, and their philosophy on car payments.
But let’s say your car is paid off. Congratulations; this is a big deal.
But are you investing?
A friend has a paid-off car but isn’t investing. He’s already in his mid-thirties.
What is he waiting for? Because time sure isn’t going to wait for him.
To this day, a dear friend was up to their knees in debt but was steadfast in acquiring a new car, which meant a new hefty car payment (not including the car insurance).
They had little savings.
They had high debt loads.
They only had one income source.
But for some reason, they felt a new car was a priority.
When their new car got damaged, they couldn’t even afford to get it repaired (this is one way to tell someone can’t afford their car – no, it’s not just shortages, it’s frequently because of money.).
It’s An Epidemic
The beautiful car paired with the ugly financial portfolio happens because people prioritize maintaining and adding debts (liabilities) while maintaining insufficient assets; this situation is too common for far too many people.
The only way to shift this scenario is to deviate from the norm by living below your means and avoiding the purchases of liabilities (things that take money out of your pockets instead of putting money in them).
If your situation involves having an unnecessary car not or too many liabilities, consider eliminating some of these to improve your financial portfolio.
Driving an ugly car is always better than maintaining an ugly financial portfolio. The longer you maintain a beautiful and robust portfolio, the easier it becomes to purchase the liabilities you want without causing any bleeding to your financial portfolio.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.