How to AUTO-matically Not Become a Millionaire - Ep #85

Welcome to Episode 85 of the One for the Money podcast! Some of you may remember that best-selling book The Automatic Millionaire. It told readers how to easily become a millionaire with a few simple steps. But in this episode, I’ll reveal the sad truth: too many people aren’t becoming automatic millionaires because they’re spending too much money on automobiles. Yes, cars and trucks are putting the brakes on a better future for many Americans. I'll also share the massive benefit of driving one’s car until the wheels come off.

In the tips, tricks, and strategies section, I’ll share some car-buying tips.

In this episode...

• Automating Savings [1:23]
• The Financial Impact of Car Ownership [2:04]
• When Is It Ok to Buy a Nice Car? [6:35]

The Automatic Millionaire, written by David Bach, became an international bestseller because it gave us that magical formula for becoming a millionaire.

Bach’s magic trick? Automating your savings and spending. He basically tells you to set it and forget it. You set up automatic contributions to your 401k or IRA, and it’s that easy to be on the road to riches. He even argues that you don’t need to be making a six-figure income to become a millionaire—you just need to make sure your savings and spendings are adjusted on autopilot and viola, decades later you reap the rewards.

And yet, despite this brilliant advice, millions of people are still missing the automatic millionaire bus, and they’re doing it by throwing too much of their money at automobiles. While an automobile is designed to take you places, far too often, it takes owners to a future that is much poorer and less fulfilling than it otherwise could be.

Now, you might ask, is car ownership really that impactful? Let’s look at the numbers from 2024:

• Americans owe around $1.655 trillion in auto loan debt. That’s right, trillion with a T.
• Over 80% of new car purchases in 2024 are financed, and the average car payment is $742 for new cars and $525 for used ones. (That’s a lot of money that could be used to build wealth instead.)

Now, why is this a problem? I mean, cars are cool, right? But here's the thing—unless you’re driving a classic car like a 23-window VW van (I can dream), cars lose value. In fact, a new car drops thousands of dollars in value as soon as you drive it off the lot. So, people are paying $525-$747 a month for years... for something that’s losing value fast. In fact, over 30% of people with car loans have negative equity, meaning their car is worth less than what they owe. Here is something even scarier: When a car is damaged, such as in a natural disaster, insurance will either pay to repair a car’s damage or give the driver a lump sum equal to the value of the car. When the damage is severe, insurers usually choose the lump sum. That means if your car with negative equity is totaled. You will be out of a car and still have money you owe on it. Even when the damage isn’t severe, it can still pose a huge financial challenge. An Oct 2024 article from the WSJ featured a 34-year-old gentleman who had noticed the main display screen on his new vehicle would often disappear. The car’s backup camera didn’t always work, and the car would make a screeching noise when in reverse. He decided to bring the car into a local dealership, hoping to trade it in. Only to have the dealership tell him it was worth roughly $24,000, which was just under half of the roughly $50,000 he still owed on his loan.

Now, I should confess that I drive a 15-year-old Toyota Prius that I had purchased used. It’s been a great car, and I hope it will continue to be for years to come. My wife’s car is 7 years old, and it replaced her 16-year-old car at the time.

However, I must also...