This topic hits home a little for me, so pardon the rant. I see a great deal of personal entitlement in twentysomethings and in people my age too. I see people all the time...ALL THE TIME...groaning about how they can save NO money...make NO progress on their dreams...etc. Two days later they are off on their trip to the BVI or Europe..or whatever. Two weeks later they are stressing to the max about their credit card bills. They certainly are living a life of disillusion if they can not get a grip on WHY they are in debt, while at the same time feeling as though they DESERVE toys, vacations, etc.

My Mother taught me that I didn't deserve anything, unless I REALLY could pay for it. This does NOT mean on credit or via a loan. So I admit, that this is not always possible, but I will tell you I try very hard to accomplish that with every purchase. It took me until i was 30 to get it right. In my 20s I did not feel entitled....I felt PRESSURE to have a nice car, a home, eat out a lot, party a lot, spend a lot, vacation a lot....etc. I felt that if everyone else was doing it, I was a failure (or would be viewed as one) if I was not keeping pace.

Then I hit a wall. I was in debt up to my eye balls, despite what I was taught. So at 27, I decided to make a huge change....and I did. I decided to start my own business. I knew that if that business succeeded, it would pay for all my other dreams and a lifestyle I wanted. I knew if it failed I would be no better off than I was at that very moment ...at rock bottom.

A decade later, I own more than one business, more than one car, a mutli-million dollar home, have a very sensible amount of liquid cash flow just in case I need it, am debt free (except the mortgage) and own my CS outright.

My gamble paid off, but I also know that at 27, 28 and so on....I started making smarter decisions. Success did not come easy or fall in my lap. I simple changed my behavior. I learned about assets and liabilities. How to calculate REAL income, how to take advantage of tax breaks (not many), how to invest a little at time, what ESCROW and EQUITY are...and how to take advantage of them......and.....exactly what my Mother meant by waiting until you REALLY can afford something to buy it. It just took some time.

So I REALLY do not like it when people ask me how I can afford the Cayman, in a manner as if to really say....you are only 37....who the hell are you?

The truth is...I just finally got smart and stopped being stupid. This is NOT a bragging session. I do feel blessed, but I do feel as though my decisions got me here ....so I do DESERVE it!

PS I do not have a PHD "Papa Have Dough", am not a trust fund baby, and have never taken more than $100 at any given time from anyone, including my parents. So I am living proof that it can be done!

 

Nice post, thanks for sharing.

If you don't mind, what kind of business did you open up at 27? Any websites?

I'm only 24 and I know I have a lot to learn.

 

Good for you! Congratulations, and I hope it's contagious. It's that kind of kick butt approach that made this a great country, and largely a great world.

As I said about the PHD, I didn't mean to imply that anyone here is in that category, I just had to get a kick out of how honest this guy was...not too many people I know who DO have that type of PHD are willing to come out and say it outloud! Very un-PC and kind of refreshing.

 

As I said about the PHD, I didn't mean to imply that anyone here is in that category, I just had to get a kick out of how honest this guy was...not too many people I know who DO have that type of PHD are willing to come out and say it outloud! Very un-PC and kind of refreshing.

http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-chat.../cayman-chat/10864-youngest-cayman-owner-must-read-greatest-easter-present.html

Well I guess I've rid the skeletons in my closet. Sadly I am the in the PHD category . Makes me feel soft inside that Suneet here worked 72hrs a week to get his CS at 19, but what have I done besides straight A's and numerous academic awards. What I'm saying is I don't think I deserve a car like this when everyone else has to breathe, sleep, eat and drink hard work and countless hours at the office or whatnot to get their cayman. Wow this thread has really made me think about what's important in life, friends. I thought everyone who read my story would be a hater but they've made me feel comfortable and grateful. This entire forum has taught me that people can still look beyond all the glitz and glamor and see the true person inside, which is what should really count the most. Thank you Ken and all of the people who created this site and are apart of it, because you all have given me something that money itself could never buy...friendship.

 

I haven't had anyone ask what I did to deserve my Cayman. I actually have had several friends, co-workers and family members tell me that I did deserve it. Without going into the details, I can say I've been blessed and count them every day!

Hard work, patience and a laser focus on what's important doesn't hurt either.

 

Try having a C6 Corvette when you're 27 and a CS when you're 28. The s$%t really hits the fan then. Those same "kids" who badger you go into hyperactive when it's someone closer to their age. Stupid, really. So far, most poeple have been cool about the CS and are really just in awe of the car, but every once in a while, you get one of those A-holes.

 

Any other Cayman S owners 24 years old or younger? I'm curious what the age demographic is for the Cayman S, how do we do polls on this forum?

 

Here is a poll that addresses your question...

http://www.planet-9.com/automotive-off-topic/3385-average-age-cayman-owner.html

 

Hell I do deserve one - my wife told me so! Ive had loads of sensible cars when the kids were growing up and now for something slightly less rational. (I just bought a Mitsubishi truck for the lugging stuff around part).

Trouble is when my wife says I deserve to be able to spend my own money on something I want, normally she wants another horse.

 

We need to start a Have-A-Wife-With-A-Horse-Habit support group. And here some of us used to think German sports cars were expensive!

 

Here we have what they call "tall poppies syndrome". You stand out too much with your success, you get the chop!
However, since "earning" my CS , everyone has been wondefully nice. But then I live in a pretty tight knit community. Most of my neighbours have been in my CS, and all my staff has had a go in it too, and a few get to keep them for the weekend as reward. Strangers that admires it in the carpark will always get a peek, and if they are polite and I have the time, they get to go for a spin round the block.
So, no, nobody has been obnoxious to me yet. On the contrary when I drive my wife's Lexus , strangers have flipped me the bird twice!

 

Q: "What did you do to deserve this car?"

A: Actually, I deserve a Carrera GT, but I could only afford a Cayman. Life's a bitch......

or, try this one, especially if they smoke:

A: I quit smoking before I started. I could have started smoking two packs a day when I was 16. Instead, I put the $6 a day in a jar. At the end of the month the jar had $180 in it. I deposited that into a money market account every month earning a simple 3%. Over twenty years, I had deposited $43,200 and I'll be darned if that account didn't earn $15,895 in compound interest. All together there was $59,095 in there by the time I was 36. Damn. If I only quit drinking before I started I could have probably gotten a GT-3.

 

HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

Based on your scenario and factoring in my freshman year in college along with my semester as a pledge in my fraternity, I would be driving the Carrera GT you mentioned.

 

Work hard.

 

I stopped smoking 18 years ago. Kept putting my smoking money in a jar, then to the bank when full. The initial thought was to purchase a nice MB upon retirement. I had a classic roadster (TR6) for evening jaunts and was content. When I saw my first Cayman, I could not shake it out of my mind. Well, I'm not retired, and probably shook my mind hard enough (ohhh, years of abuse) that there is now a Cayman S in my garage.

Marc

 

This topic brings back an encounter I had a few weeks ago. I was at the gas station filling up and there was a group of boys (aged 10-14) enjoying sodas nearby. They were gawking at the Cayman and soon came over for a closer look. They admired the car for awhile and then one of them commented, "When I grow up, I want to own a car just like this." I replied to him (and his buddies), "Well, if you do well in school, go to college and become an engineer you'll be able to buy one of these."

Hope this convinces one of them to follow the right path.

 

At a recent neighborhood gathering, a 20-year-old boy who is also a neighbor had been hired along with his girlfriend to help out with various chores, including parking. I asked him what his college major was. He stated that it had been engineering, but that engineering seemed too difficult, and he thought it would be easier to earn a lot of money as a mortgage broker. Sadly, it is this preoccupation with the end result of accumulating money, rather than the means of earning it, that is contributing to our lack of competitiveness in the world economy. The market system is a wonderful thing, but life should be about more than selling to the highest bidder. That concludes my philosophy lecture for today! 987f

 

Do you think they're having this discussion over at the Hyundai forum?

 

THAT'S funny! I gotta wipe the Pacifico off my monitor!

 

Sometimes I have a twinge of economic guilt {the opportunity cost of this car is....}, but then I get behind the wheel. Nope, no guilt at all!

 

Perhaps the ultimate answer to the (presumptuous) question, "What did you do to deserve a car like the Cayman?" has four words: "I paid for it!" 987f

 

Perhaps the ultimate answer [...] has four words: "I paid for it!" 987f

I really like that. Says so many things that should be said, using so few words. I'm filing it away as my stock answer.

 

Thanks Ole Joe for starting a great thread. Here is my 2 cents.

I think the way the question is phrased "What did you do to deserve that car?" also reveals something about the questioner’s viewpoint on driving, cars and fun. It is almost like they are asking “how did you win or get that trophy” and I suspect that they just don’t get it. They don’t know what a blast these cars are to drive? A driving enthusiast might ask “why did you choose to buy the Cayman over another car”?

I sometimes get asked. “Why did you buy such an expensive car”, (I.E. “why a Porsche”)? My short answer is that I drove my old car for 16 years and I saved up my pennies.
My real answer to the “expensive car” query is: I put myself through college, got an engineering degree, then a job. Two years into the job/carrier thing I decided to get an advanced degree so I went to grad school while still working. My goal was to get every advanced degree the university had in my field or go until they threw me out. After 10 years of some tough days and a few all-nighters, I reached that goal. So after all that and more career building, I feel I have earned it.

As to “why did I buy a Porsche”, that’s simple. I always liked mid engine sports cars, I am partial to coupes, and in 2003 I wanted new sports car. The “Boxster coupe” was rumored to be under development, and the sketches caught my eye, but it was undetermined as to if and when it would go into full production. So I test drove the Boxster S and I was hooked. The way driving a Porsche engages and delights one’s senses must be experienced to be fully understood. When asked about the Porsche, I just tell people to drive one. You will know pretty quick if it works for you or not. For me it’s perma-grin time because I worked hard, like it and I can pay for it.
:banana:

Sorry if this comes across as a rant, it’s not intended to be one, and thanks for listening. Boxster now – Cayman soon.

 

Response

Has anyone tried this approach yet?
Q: What did you do to deserve that car?
A: Bond, James Bond!

 

im 30 but look like im 20. people always give me pissed off looks when i drive this car... it bothered me a bit at first, i'll admit but now im over it. now i just stare back and smile at them. i'm self-made like a lot of you there and i also cant understand this sense of entitlement that people have. its pretty lame. its generally the lazy ones or ones that like to blame others for their problems that fall into this category. i'll smile and wave at those fockers as i drive by

 

Here's my take..

I think everyone "deserves" what they want. All anyone has to do is do something to get it.

I know at least in my position, I have to grow my business to a point where it makes a difference to others, and only then can I really feel good enough to purchase the car. Of course, that's my "game". And as long as my game is bigger than me, I deserve anything I want.

Besides, how fun is it really unless you attach meaning to it? If I were to just buy the car for no other reason than just to get it, and there's no story behind it or anything, how much appreciation are you going to have for it?

By nature, we're meaning-making machines and that makes life exciting - as well as telling people WHY you bought the Porsche.

 

Man, after reading all of these great responses, even have a canned response of my own, I was asked this question AGAIN.

All I could come up with was, "I paid a lot of money for it...."

 

You have guns in Texas, right? Why not use it.

 

Ya know the funny thing is, I had to answer myself this very same question when I bought myself a '00 Boxster S in July '00. At the time, I was driving a '91 Nissen Sentra with 140,000 miles on it, no air conditioning (in Tucson!) and wouldn't stay in 5th gear. I actually called my parents (at age 40 I still felt I needed permission!) and their response was "Finally you're going to do something nice for yourself! Please GET THE PORSCHE!"

I guess 4 years of college with a 3.92 gpa, 4 years of Harvard Med School in the top 15% of my class, 5 years of surgical residency and a successful solo practice still didn't seem enough to me, but everyone else thought I deserved it.

The FUNNIER thing is, after getting the Boxster S, my referrals went WAY up, even busier! I guess my collegues must have thought to have that car, I must be successful, hence a better surgeon, therefore the doc they wanted to send their patients to. I'm still trying to figure out how to spin this into justificaiton to the IRS for a Carrera GT!!!!

Greg

 

after getting the Boxster S, my referrals went WAY up, even busier! I guess my collegues must have thought to have that car, I must be successful, hence a better surgeon, therefore the doc they wanted to send their patients to.

I've seen this sort of phenomenon mentioned before, though it's under-appreciated. The first time I saw it mentioned, the theory floated was that showing up in a fancy car suggests to superiors that one is a "keeper". The first story was in finance circles as I recall, but maybe the same rule holds in professional and start-up circles too. When one is driving a jalopy, one is advertising either that one feels the need to sock away money (why? expecting a rainy day? planning to pull the rip cord soon?) or that one can't hold onto money (why? gambling problem? drug problem?), or at least that one isn't concerned about one's appearance and how it might reflect on one's colleagues and workplace.

Granted there's the whole flip side to this, the populist egalitarian "nice porrsh, who'd you rip off to afford that?" crowd. Whatever.

I'm still trying to figure out how to spin this into justificaiton to the IRS for a Carrera GT!!!!

Hee hee! Beware the power of a half-rational mind!

 

This topic reminds me of an Ayn Rand novel. "Atlas Shrugged". Anyhow, I EARNED mine by spending two full years in Iraq and saving every penny.

 

candle in the dark

About 1 yr ago, I got into a big league dust up!! I went to hospital for
heart surgery to fix blocked coronary arteries. In the process my sternum(front of chest) got infected with MRSA. a very bad bacteria.
I was there a long time, left with a good heart, but without 20% of my chest wall.
Why I am sharing this? I promised myself-were I blessed to pull this thru-that I'd buy a Cayman S. That dream, and good woman brought me home.

I am so, so grareful.

Irish

 

About 1 yr ago, I got into a big league dust up!! I went to hospital for
heart surgery to fix blocked coronary arteries. In the process my sternum(front of chest) got infected with MRSA. a very bad bacteria.
I was there a long time, left with a good heart, but without 20% of my chest wall.
Why I am sharing this? I promised myself-were I blessed to pull this thru-that I'd buy a Cayman S. That dream, and good woman brought me home.

I am so, so grareful.

Irish

Whoa...touching

 

Response

It absolutely amazes me to see the lengths people have traveled as a means of realizing their Porsche Cayman, or anything else for that matter. What a heartfelt thread this has turned out to be. Take the response prior to mine for example, what a touching experience. To all those that have contributed thus far, thank you. I greatly appreciate it.

 

I would answer, I got divorced over 30 years ago and never remarried. That usually brings on all sorts of other questions from people. I was fortunate to have lived long enough to be around when Porsche built such a fabulous car. The Cayman S came along on my 61st birthday.

My nephew was talking with my dad once about some of my toys and he said "When you're not married you can buy anything you want"

 

Haven't been asked why I "deserve that CS", but I've always enjoyed owning sports cars and have on numerous occasions over the years been asked (rhetorrically) "how can you throw your money away on a car? It's just a car!". I typically tell them that I'm not having kids and that it's my "baby".