How Do You Do It?

With the price of wakeboard boats out of control, i am wondering the poeple who are buying these 50-60K boats how old are you? Do you? I just graduated college and i am making less then 45K a year. So my guess is if you are someone buying thses boats you are older and make more money, happen to have a really good job, you didnt have to pay for your college, the only thing you own that is nice is your boat, or your rich parents bought it for you.

Sorry if it sounds like i am bitching ( i am just jelous i cant afford one)

I work a part time job 3 nights a week to pay for my boat and boat related expenses. Sucks, but I want a nice boat and couldn't justify the expense without making sacrifices.

FWIW, I make more than 45k and paid less than 50k, but you get my point.

I am old & didn't have to pay for college.....

....2 out of 5 ain't bad. That is .400 and would get me in the HOF as long as I didn't bet on baseball or refuse to answer questions about my past to a senate sub committee.

I bought my boat in 04' as a graduation present to myself. I had spent six years in college and from day one had my goal set on buying my boat as a reward. Also, I am one of many that purchased it with the "Cash Rewards" program which would pay up to $10k this year. So if this "cash rewards" comes through then I will have the boat paid off in two more years, if not then it will be 4 more years. Also I am married so now the wife's income helps pay for the boat. One benefit of purchasing items prior to getting married.

Buy a Sanger. I bought my first boat when I was 23. My dad gave me our old family Seaswirl to sell for a down payment. Got $4,500 for it, put it down and cruised with my new ride. I think I paid $27,500 for a '02 Sanger DLX Wake. Financed over 15 years at a decent interest rate I think my payments were around $200/month. Pretty managable if that's your priority.

derek, nobody NEEDS a 50-60k wakeboard boat. If you buy a boat in the 1999-2001 range, you can get a v-drive. From there you can either get factory tower, PP, ballast, stereo, none of which is hard to install yourself if your boat doesn't come with them. For $20-30k, you can have an outstanding setup.

I know a ton of people that graduated college and got $45k/year jobs. The first thing many of these people did was go buy a brand new car, because that was the first "money" they had ever known. For a wakeboard lover, why not go buy a 1995 Chevy Silverado and a 1999 MC 205V or a 1997 Nautique Super Sport instead? Hell, a 1996 MC 205 could probably be had for $16k if you look around.

Gotta love the power of financing!

You don't have to have a $50-$60k boat to get the job done. I'm in a similar situation to you, I bought a 95 SS(210) and did a lot of the upgrades myself. There are options out there, you can get a world class wake for about $25k.

If you want it bad enough, you will figure out a way to get it. There is always going to be someone out there that was given more, but at the same time there are plenty out there with less. My point is that sitting around being jealous wont get you anywhere. My first boat was a 1991 MC Prostar 190. It cost me $10,500 and I kept it for 7-8 years before I bought my first "REAL" Wakeboard boat, MC 05 X-2. If you want a $50K+ boat save your money or go into debt.

You would be suprised at the demo's purchasing the more expensive of boats, the majority are in their 30's and 40's and are well established, at least it rolls that way from where I am at. It sort of sucks when your young, but I learned how to be an excellent mooch, until the income arrived.

The others are correct you don't need a 50k boat to do the job....I was in college when i bought my boat so I got an older boat first and now am upgrading since my wife and I are out of school and both have jobs. I have a 98 sunsetter vlx that has done the job very well that is up for sale now in the classifieds.

Evan-my story is identical to yours. Gotta love the old Seaswirl and how it not only provided a down payment, but allowed me to learn a lot about boating. Derek, take it one step at a time.

1. Like has been said above, many of us who purchased an expensive boats are not just out of school.

2. Financing can make a boat payment not sting so bad, just last forever.

3. I make adequate money to pay for the boat, but even then I make sacrifices: I still drive a 1996 Toyota instead of buying a new powerstroke or other $40K vehicle.

Dont do it. When I graduated I had some money from a house that I sold and bought an 82 Correct Craft 2001. I also sold my 99 Pontiac Grand Prix and bought a 92 ford f150. Neither is going to look like much next to a brand new boat and truck but I get compliments on both the truck and boat all of the time. Plus I paid cash for both and now instead of 500-1000 in payments I am making a pretty good donation to my 401k and watching that grow is much more fun than keeping up with the Joneses to me. I have done this on less than 35k with a wife in school who made a total of 1,483.31 last year.

I feel you dog. I just graduated school and make around 40 a year. Hell I'm trying to payoff school and save for a truck now. Luckily I have many friends that have boats, as the old saying goes, "whats the best boat to ride behind? Somebody else's". I hope that in 2-3 year i will be able to afford my own ride. My income will be advancing significantly in that time period and it is definately a priority to me. Patience rewards those who wait, so don't stress and enjoy being a broke ass. I know I do, plus the ladies like poor guys.

(Message edited by stephan on January 25, 2007)

I can thank kind understanding parents

(Message edited by Ryan27r on January 25, 2007)

Here's my plan. I bought an old sierra supreme inboard last year for $1,800 cash. Picked up a tower for $500 will probably spend another $1,000
on odds and ends. $1,100 for perfect pass and found a guy to totally redo the interior with carpet for $1,500. Total will be right around 5K
for a 21 foot open bow direct drive with tower and PP. I plan on keeping that for 4 to 5 years and then selling it for a mild profit and upgrading to a 02, 03 sanger v210 for right around 20K. I plan on slowly stepping up. Plus i'm looking at a couple business ventures and working on my MBA which i should have completed in the next 3 years.

Buy a home first. Your home will buy you a boat (unless you buy in the current California market)

I am 34, saved a lot money, approved it with my wife and found the absolute best interest rate on a boat loan. Keep in mind that you can finance a boat up to 20 years. That lowers your monthly payments considerably. Now that being said no one is going to keep one of these boats for 20 years and most of them retain value well. When it is time to sale it, at worst you should break even.

jarrods suggested what worked for me.

Bought a house and a $4000 stars and stripes.
4 years later, sold the house, bought a lake house and a 2000 xstar. If I bought a 50k boat instead of the house, I'd be living in an appartment with a 5 year old boat, instead of living on the lake with a 6 year old boat.

I graduated school a little over a year ago, and make 45-50k a year. When I was in school I bought a 93 sea ray ski ray and fixed up. I just bought a 99 super air and am paying on that for 10 years. If sucks to pay on it that long but got my payments where I want them. If boarding and boating is you life you will find a way to do it. Plus if you find a boat for the right price you can get out of it with out taking a hit. I paid for my school too.

Yup, 24yrs old here. Bought a 2000 vlx wakesetter for myself, and tow it with a 95 chevy tahoe. Do all my own maintenance, drove to texas to buy the boat etc. etc.

In life there are people who talk about what they are going to do/have and those who DO what they want to do. MAKE it happen for yourself.

I hear ya Derek. I'm 28 next week. When I graduated college I taught high school for 3 years while also going to grad school. I took out loans to pay for grad school and made squat for quite some time. I realized then what my true skills were. Now, I'm in real estate development and work my tail off with quite a bit of ongoing stress. The upside is I have very expensive toys; the downside is I don't get to use them as much as I really want to. I spent 100k on my boat and financed the bulk of it.

Yup, what Jarrod said.... The house bought my second boat for me.

I'm with Matt, Make it happen for yourself. I may be 35, but living at home with my parents still has it's perks. If I was out on my own I could never afford a newer boat, and I'd have to work instead of spending those lazy summer afternoons at the lake. I knew what I wanted and went for it, err, asked for it. I do odd jobs around the house to pay for room and board, and I still get to enjoy mom's awesome lasagne. So strap on some pads and get out there. Hard work pays off. Just ask my dad.

festivus, that' s some funny stuff...I hope your kdding. if not that's still freakin funny. Homemade lasagna does soudn good

called work.......im 25 yeras old......out og high school i went to college, quit after 2 years due to an unexpected child.......bought my first house 2 years ago, paying rent is down right stupid......got married last july to my daughters mother.....bought my first 1994 ski nautique last october(and love it)..no one ever gave me ••••••••• only reason why i have the house newer cars boat family etc is because i worked my ass off since i was 14 years old.....not saying i have a 2007 hummer with a 70k boat behind it and a 500000 house but very proud and happy to have what i have..put your mind to it, anything can happen!.how bad do you want it is the question?

I agree with ryan. Its all about working for it and wanting it bad enough, loans help too.

I am in college right now. Freshmen at a community college full time, and working full time. I just bought an 86 Ski Nautique 2001. I took out a 36 month loan for 5600 that I plan on paying off in 9 months. After that I am planning on buying a used truck to pull my boat. For now I am using my brothers truck. I have my eyes on a used escalade. Its all about working hard.

I'm with the home guys. I bought the expensive boat straight outta school, and then sold it to buy my first home - had enough left over for an old Nautique that boots me just fine, and seems to get more than enough respect on this site. I love the old girl.

You could always get an old 2001 nautique...1982-1989 for cheap. Fully redo everything (stringers, floor, engine rebuild, add ballast, PP, and stereo) and still be under 20k. The boat puts out an awesome wake and you will know what you have when you are finished.

thats what i am doing....kinda

Great stuff everyone. And I can defanitly appreciate everyone who worked hard for what they now have. I am the same way, never hand anything handed to me. Looks like I will be waiting to for the right time and a great deal.

Thanks

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Buy a home first. Your home will buy you a boat

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I agree,that's me!

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(unless you buy in the current California market)

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Not really sure I agree there,IMO the longer you take to get yourself in the market the harder it is.You might lose a little if you buy at a current market but sometimes it's when you can afford it is what counts.
Sometimes stuff is on sale but no money to buy,on the other hand the stuff get's really expensive but could afford it.

Derek, Start small and you'll get it done. Priority s/b house-fam and getting yourself in a position to get what you want... Man I've owned some crappy boats, and what I've got now does not campare to what many on the board have, but we're out there having fun, and I'm 3 years away from a new boat.......

festivus that is the funniest thing ive read in a long time

I think it depends on circumstances as to what you buy first. My wife and I decided to buy a boat before we buy a home because of our current situation. No kids, not sure if our jobs will cause us to move one way or another and where we rent is perfect for us both right now. AND, its right near Los Angeles where a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom house is 400K.... ( big ed if you've spent time in Van Nuys you know what i mean )
In the next 2 years, prices will level out, maybe drop a little, and give us time to save a substantial down payment.
In the meantime a boat to enjoy, a monthly payment thats not crippling ( put approximately 40% down and spread it over 15 even though I'll pay more than the minimum to pay off faster) and time to save for a down payment..I think so much of it really depends on someone's short/long term goals. People just need to be cautious and do their homework.

hey man give your self 2 to 3 years. a lot can happen in that time. some people work hard for it and some get hooked up. its just life. if you really want a boat just save. tea i know that sucks but when you get it youll love it. good luck man.

yea i know

Hey Derek-alot of good advice.Im selling my stars and stripes right now.Buying a new centurion--45k.Work alot thru the week but weekends are about boat-family-friends.If you love this sport enuf you will and can find a way.Im 36 --its now or never for me.Yes all boats r priced too high but what isnt!!!????--I thot the same thing on prices 15 yr. ago. It aint gonna get any cheaper.GOOD LUCK!!!---I have helped sell boats at boatshows for a guy for years.....he always has said heeyyy AS LONG AS YOUR ON THE WATER!!!!

Derek,

I lived at home for the first year of comunity college, saved at least $500 a month and paid cash for my 86 american skier. Bought a Condo in California 3 years ago. Sold, moved to Texas. Building a house right now, As soon as we pay off the furniture. I can sell my boat for a down on a new Sanger (40-50K). I plan on being in a new wakeboat by the time I hit 26. Let the home equity pay for my toy, and make it a tax write off. It all about having a plan and sticking to it.

Oh yeah, and don't get married, that will you at least a year behind in getting a new wakeboat.

Unless your wife is a better boarder than you! Or at least behind you on your purchase, and loves driving a boat!

Dont listen to them--there is nothing like watching your wife or your kids come up for the first time!!THATS PRICELESS!!!

hahaha! I cant wait to get my family out there. I may not have kids yet, but I have nephews and nieces...
All i meant was it wont set you back if your wife is into it!! ( which mine was!! )

(Message edited by angrygolucky on January 25, 2007)

Set your priorities, make your offer, negotiate, and be willing to walk. I bought my first MC brand new but 1 season old. I had zero credit and paid a ridiculous interest rate, but I paid it off by the next summer and upgraded.

But head's up, it's not the boat payment that gets you. It's gas in the boat, towing, launch fees, equipment, maintenance, storage, and all the food, ice, and drink that goes into a typical day.

What do you do when your buddy runs over the rope and says, "oops, my bad" or things just simply wear out?(I went through 5 Harf handles last year.) You buy new stuff if it's not under a warranty.

Your best bet; buy a house now and hook up with a regular crew. Pitch in $10/set when you ride, be cool, and you'll always get an re-invite.

Derek, when you don't have a boat just about any boat is great. I have ridden behind flat bottom aluminum boats, junk bass boats, old tri-hulls and just about anything we could get to run. We had a great time no matter what we were in. You get what you can afford and work your way up through the years. It is all about having fun, not having the best boat on the water.

your gonna be in debt for the rest of your life anyway. ok maybe not the rest of your life, but car payments,mortgages, student loans..etc. they are going to be around for a while. Just buy the boat that you want. Check out your finances and make sure that you can swing the payments. You only live once! If you dont you will end up not being satisfied with what you bought because it does not have all the options or features that you really wanted.

Steve has a good point too. I bought my first Centurion the same way he did his MC. However it was not what I really wanted so a year later I ended up in another boat.

Patience get a house first then a good ol' truck and finally a lightly used or entrylevel boat. Boats aren't going anywhere and eventually the prices will level off. Look at MC and malibu they kept old, successful, hull molds and brought out entry level boats. Also, don't be afraid of used watersport boats hold up well and are built better than the average i/o.

PS-Build up good credit you can save yourself soooo much money.

Guys i think he is talking about the guys that are buying brand new taking out the 20 year loan and paying 600 a month on the boat. A person like that is constantly "upside down" in there loan LOL. Used in the wakeboard boat market is key. I actually bought a new fourwinns and i know it isnt a wakeboard boat but atleast it is a boat LOL. But i started with a old school 84 centurion that was just a tub and i added engine, new floor, stringers, upholstry and everything including making a windsheild for it and by doing everything myself only spend about 4k. After riding that for about 2 years i sold it on ebay for 4600 and just put that money in a ING acount and added as much as I could everymonth and was patient since i sold my boat at the begining of summer it was painfull without a boat. BUt then eventually i had over 15k saved and put that money down and financed the rest. Patients and a entry level boat are the key. Plus you can ding and scratch the used boat and figure out all the things you "shouldn't" do in a used boat before you buy a new one

The secret is to wait for the deal. I looked at wakeboard boats for nearly 5 months. I knew what I would take and what I wouldn't, options wise, color wise, make/model wise.

So happens I found a guy who had a boat with very little hours that was in serious need of cash. I bought the boat with a really low interest rate. I, too, owned a condo then sold it for some premium funds

I'm 27 and I make a $300 boat payment a month. The thing to consider is this though -- STORAGE! Storage is frigging expensive. I was paying nearly $150 a month to store my boat.

You do NOT have to be in debt for the rest of your life. That is a choice.

I am only 25 but I have decided that my boat/car buying theory is.
Buy exactly what you wanted 5 years ago. You will save yourself alot of money and with all the avenues to buy used it is not that hard to find good low milage/hours on a car or boat.

I think the main thing a young person needs to adjust too, is patience. Most of us, did NOT start off with the best of boats. We started small, and graduated up. I would agree 100%, a home should be your first big purchase. Then buy something (boat) that will get the job done for a few years. In that time, you can build your work history, collect bonus/raises, build the equity of your home, THEN you can go for yacht with rollbar & 5000 watts. Plan for the future, 6 months, 1 year, 2 year, and 5 year plans. This will help you not waste your money and time. Plan for success, and don't pass up chances to enhance your position along the way. Take a few chances, because your young only once, and you can afford a failure or two along the way.

Bust your friggin hump and make it happen for yourself.

AS we were building our lake house many of the contractors made stupid comments to me about how nice it must be to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth blah blah blah.

You shoulda seen the stupid look in their eyes when I told them that it was only 10 years ago that I was diggin for change in the back seat of my car just so I could put enough gas in my 1980 Chevy Citation to get home. Put your mind to it, bust your butt and realize when you are ina dead end profession, job anything. That and be willing to take a risk. No risk no reward...

Manzo,

Busting your hump to make it happen is completely true. But how did you do it? Second Job? Third Job? Great education? or just worked hard and took a few good risks?

Also if Ben could comment on this too. I remember in a past post Ben saying that he was at a point of having nothing, then taking some risks he has turned his financials around completely in order to buy that amazing x40

Bust your hump......Rob,kill,steal do anything it takes!
If you want it bad enough you will even do a Chris Rock on New Jack City....I'll _______ your_______!!!

Bought a house, sold the house, bought a boat, buying a house this summer, buy and sell, i buy and sell a car every month on the side, to get the extra mad money for summer and winter outings,

Now that I have a boat...

I'm a believer that the best boat is "your friends boat"...

I second Ben. All of my friends boats are much more fun to be on than my own...and way cheaper.

All my friends and I have rule of $10/set and $15 if you're learning a new trick and falling every 200 feet. This is way better than a boat payment and all the other costs that factor in to owning your own.

When Buffalow, Marcus, Brett, and I used to ride, we did $30/day (minimum) but Marcus owned a Togo's and always brought lunch.

This worked well, in addition to rotating boats.

Buy a house first and chip in with a buddy that owns a boat. He/she will be grateful to have a solid 2nd or 3rd and you'll be in a much better position in 3 summers to own the best thing available.

OR, you can find a wife that busts her tail at her job, and you let her figure out how to pay for the boat! LOl.........I am fortunate that my wife grew up with a boat in her family so she was excited to get one so she let me buy a nice used boat before we had kids, then we upgraded to a new boat a few years ago. But we started with a house right out of college and waited it out as we made equity and upgraded to a another home, then another after a few years of ownership. Now we live on a lake, the boats paid for, the house just goes up in value every month, and I teach so I have summers off to just hang out with the kids and wakeboard and go dirt bike riding all day! My buddies all hate me.....but what do you do? It took us about 11 years to go from our first house, first jobs to get to this point........but we are only 33.

But I agree with others... BUY A HOUSE! We took a loan from the parents for the down payment on our first house because they wouldn't let us pay rent to someone.......best advice I received out of college.

Eric, I taught myself a new profession at nights when I was not working, landed a mid level position in my new field. Busted my butt at that company for 3 years to advance. Left and opened my own company and here I am 7 years later.

Had I not taken the time to be dis-satisfied with where I was in my life and be proactive in doing something about it who knows what I would be doing today.

No degree here. It is not always the easiest thing to do and does not hold true for all professions but in most cases an employer will take a seasoned applicant with real world exp. over a fresh out of school grad with a degree.

Keep your eyes open to opportunity, the big ones come around but you must be willing to take that risk and jump in at a moments notice. Most anyone that has had financial success will tell you the same thing. Not a lot of people left out there that bought shares of Coke in the 60's and that is howe they made their fortune.

Aside from that when you get to the point where you are lliving comfortably by your own personal standards it is all about good financial planning so that regardless of what happens you and your family hopefully will never have to be in a position like that again.

One additional note, it is not always in the best interest to own as opposed to rent. Granted those scenarios are less common than the
prior but there are numeros articles on the value of renting vs. buying.

Just be educated on your own situation and do your homework as to what will work best for you.

(Message edited by zo1 on January 26, 2007)

Manzo, I am in a situation where I can not beat renting. My landlord is my father and my rent is really cheap plus when he dies I will get it all back. That does not mean that I am not saving for a house. Here in the midwest the housing market is pretty flat. I dont know that an owned house is appreciating more than the int. rate on it would be. I can make a mortgage payment to myself and gain intrest on it and hopefully have a good downpayment down the road. The other reason that renting is convienent for me right now is that my wife is still in college and moving soon might be an option.

Finance that 50k boat for 20 years with no down payment at 6.5% and in 20 years you have a boat that you have paid $89,000 for.

How much sense does that make???

^^^ Espically when you take into consideration that most mortgages are very heavily front end loaded with interest payments.

Ohh I could not for the life of me imagine a 15-20 yr loan for anything other than a house. Just my opinion and outlook...

(Message edited by zo1 on January 26, 2007)

I can't even imagine a home loan with 20 yrs as the term. I can't stay put for more than 5 years anywhere so an interest only loan is the way to go. I pity the fool who goes with a 30 year these days...

Buy it and deal with the consequences later. You only live once.

no one is going to keep their boat for twenty years anyway. thats why resale on good boats are important. put some money down so that you can afford the payment. use the boat for 4-8 years then sell it. old mastercrafts like the x star are still selling for or close to what they got them new. so just do what you can afford. plus if you really love boating youll always want a newer boat.

I am out of college almost 2 years. The way I did it (backgroud is that I am a little spoiled with colllege paid for and no car payment). But what I did was found a friend that is into it and convince them to go halfs with you. Tell them about all the amazing times you will have. 1/2 of a used boat 15 year payment and 1/2 of maintanence is very affordable. Then you can each tell people that you own an amazing boat. You both take pride in it and keep care of it. It makes it more fun and much more affordable.

EX: Finance $25,000 for 15 years at 8%. Payment $239/month. This is only $119.50/per person. You then get to split gas/storage/repairs. This is what I did. Now I had that for a year, realized I can afford a little better, and bought a 2007 Malibu V-Ride.

The boat adds lots of hassle, but way more joy and happiness. Just thinking of wakeboarding keeps me warm through the winter months of Ohio.

Good Luck.

ben, fools for doing a thirty??? Puuuuhhhhlleeeaaassse.

Try this thought on master financier. Buy property in a appreciating market with upside, take the interest deduction (more than a 15yr)pay off the house in 15. If your mortgage rate is 6% almost any decent investment will pull more. How is that being a fool?

Same with a boat. Why write a 60K check when the interest rate is only 7.0% when you can rent the boat for a few years? 60K still in the market earning more. Is that being a fool? Please tell me so I can readjust my financial plan.

Shane, the whole thinking, reading, researching and calculating is WHY those of us who are young(er) can afford nice boats on our own. I think anyone who has taken a good finance and a good accounting class has a head start over those who dont in this area.

FWIW you DONT need a new or even newer boat to have a good time or even progress. I grew up behind a 1989 sunsetter and learned a ton of stuff, had a great time etc. etc. In fact I prefer an used boat; I dont have to worry about scratches, dings, beaching it, etc. I just enjoy the ride and make some memories. Granted you should buy the absolutely nicest boat within your pricerange, but I like the thought of being able to immediately buy my boat outright from the bank should I choose. But thats where saving for years pays off!

Anyone can afford a boat. The original question of this post was about those people with sick 50-60k boats. Who they are and what it has taken them to get there.

I think the majority of people start out with an older boat and work hard to make it from there to their dream boat.

I am glad that I got a 20 year old used boat because I have loan that will be paid off in 10 months, and then after that I will be able to spend my money on upgrades and such.

Eric,The answer is buy a home and buying a sick 60k boat is not that hard.

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ben, fools for doing a thirty??? Puuuuhhhhlleeeaaassse.

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Depends on the lifestyle but I have to agree with you.
I look at my property as my retirement.When I'm 60 it will be paid off!

Here is what you do:
Buy a fixer-upper, maybe 7-8 grand. Put some elbow grease into it while having an ok boat. Sell it for say....12k, now you are 4-5k up. Keep working your way up until you have a 25-30k boat.

I bought my 84 Supra for $3500 and sold it for $7k two years later. Now I have a 97 Tige that I bought for 16k, and after putting a tower and sound and ballast into it, it should go for around $20k or so IF I decide to upgrade again.

The real issue is convincing your wife that she will enjoy the NEXT boat more than the current one

Because of the new boats going up in price. The old boats are going up in price too. So if you buy a old 82-89 nautique 2001, you can probably sell it down the road for a profit.

It's already been said but you got to get a second job and bust a$$ for at least one year. That means no weekly trips to ride or anything. It also helps to drive a beater car, something getting over 30 mpg. Then when you have saved up blow it all in one beautiful moment. Not the Chris Rock Way! DON'T LET YOUR PRIDE GET IN THE WAY. Do anything you can to get that boat.

once again you only live once...just do your research and make a smart purchase...buy the boat you want...you will have it for a couple of years and you will sell it or trade for a new one....if you bought smart all you will have into it is your payments plus gas,maintenance, ect...all the good times and memories you will get out of it will be worth way more than what your put into it..

First, invest in real estate and then marry rich.. She will not want the boat when you get divorced.

get the boat you want the first time not the second or third time. research, save, and don't buy on pure emotion or just bling factor..

Marry a girl with good looks and a career. (I don't consider being a "Reef" model a career!)

Or marry a girl who wants a boat as bad as you

Being a Reef model is def a career if she is my wife. Hell anything can be a womans career if she looks as good as a reef girl. Garbage man included.

Buy a house, get tons of equity, if you pump your retirement each year to the max then think about how you will get a boat. If you end up a couple hundred grand ahead in equity and you still have to have a boat or you will die, set up a second line of credit and sacrifice saving cash, use the second for emergencies if need be, just don’t stop pumping your retirement! Or do it like I did, go to school for 9 years get 50% scholarship for grad school pull 100% of the school loans bank the other 50% invest it right and then work in an industry that will forgive your loans for working in your field. Actually make money to go to school. Where there is a will there is a way my friend.

When I graduated from college I was driving a car that required constant repair and I didn't have a dime to my name. A year later I was still driving that car except I had saved up enough to make a downpayment on a house, thanks to living with mom.....

A few years later I got married and every last dime I had went into paying off all the bills that came with the new bride.

It was a number of years before I could start buying toys, and then it was OLD toys. I aquired my dad's tournament ski boat, which was 9 years old at that time, and that served my family for a number of years.

I have bought a lot of used things, but only a handful of new. The first three boats were used. Half of my cars were bought used.

The last boat purchase, a 2003 SAN, was the first time I went all out. I was 47 years old when I bought that boat.

If you see my boat out on the water you are more likely to see my 20 year old son driving it. He stores it at his house, so you may also see him towing it down the freeway.

It is not his boat, though, it is mine.

In fact, Correct Craft "personalizes" your boat by putting plaque on the dash. Instead of the usual "Custom engineered for the McInnis Family" I had the plaque read "Dad's, not Chad's"

It really frosts my son sometimes, but I like to keep the perspective on just who owns that boat!

So, if you are fresh out of college don't get discouraged. Save your money, get your priorites stright. House, marriage, kids, then toys.