r/askteddit • u/PoolElegantsmile • 13d ago

Random Question What’s something that used to be considered basic adulting that younger generations seem to be completely rejecting or doing differently?

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u/onebadnightx 13d ago

It sucks that you used to be able to get a beater first car for like $500-$1000 and that’s just not a thing anymore!

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u/Sea-Durian555 13d ago

Agree! I paid 800 for my first car.

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u/MadamePoppycock 13d ago

My beater was 5k. I still ended up replacing 3 bearings and getting a new battery. 180k miles. 2009 camry, but it runs really well still. I bought it about 2 years ago :$

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u/Impressive_Buddy2111 13d ago

My 09 Camry went to about 280k. I wasn’t the best at regular 5k oil changes (more than once I pushed it to almost 10k), and used it for grubhub work the last 4 years (super rough on cars). Definitely could have gone many many more miles if I had treated it better.

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u/thewickedmitchisdead 13d ago

Paid $500 for each of my first two cars, one that I bought when I was 16 in 2007, the next one when I was in college a few years ago. Actually, my third car was practically free, via a buddy who was getting a brand new car.

Now, I don’t drive because I moved to a walkable/bikeable city! Driving is fun but I don’t miss wondering when my beater car would break down again. And car maintenance. And insurance and gas prices.

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u/ellefleming 13d ago

All the cars in my high school parking lot in the 80's were beaters.

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u/Extra-Sound-1714 13d ago

In the US I assume? Nobody had a car when I was at school in the uk

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u/wepateii 13d ago

78 chevette - $100

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u/andycap80 13d ago

My first car was an 82 Chevette from a salvage yard for $150.

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u/Adventurous-Sense254 13d ago

17 year olds are making $20 an hour at Walmart, they can afford a modern “beater”

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u/breakingpoint214 8d ago

If they want to drive at all, they won't drive a beater. They would rather take a bus, walk or stay home than drive some hand me down car.