A hard decision.

I'm with BJ on this one. Once you can build upon the income, material items become second thoughts. If you get a chance, find the book, "richest man in babylon" -- good read.

Jano
 
Sell everything, get a job first. That's the only important thing right now.
You won't be happy stuck with your P.
Work and live to learn, do not live to buy you a camera ;)
Plus, you can make photos with everything cheaper (XA, Canonet, etc.).
 
Budget used cars are crap, Nice cameras are treasures. Have you been promised a job in the town you'd be driving to? How much difference is there in the pay for the job you could land in your own town, as opposed the job you could land in the town you'd have to drive to? I bet if you figure out the total cost of car ownership, the job you'd have to drive to wouldn't pay enough more that you'd really come out ahead. Insurance, maintenance, repairs, gas, parking, tickets...cars are damn expensive, and you never feel like you really got your money's worth. AAA (American Automobile Association) estimates the true cost of ownership at fifty-two cents per mile. As a rough estimate then, a fifty mile round trip for a days work costs nearly fifteen bucks. So, for an eight hour shift, you'd need to be earning about two bucks more per hour to begin to come out ahead. Do you really want to get on that losing treadmill? Here's some websites to check out...

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/05/31/the-true-cost-of-car-ownership/

http://www.piercetransit.org/rideshare/costs.htm

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/specialreports/articles/59897/article.html

The idea that you could take better pictures in another location is a comforting myth, but I'm sure you could find a ride every now and then to test that theory, especially if you're willing to pay gas. The general American mindset is that a car is a neccesity, but that will start changing when gas goes over four bucks a gallon, and I see nothing in the world political situation, or in the actual resources, indicating that gas will not continue to go up in price. That camera you like so much would probably cover the expense of replacing the alternator, or fixing a radiator/cooling problem, or some other "not-too-expensive-as-cars-go" repair. Understanding that you'd like to leave the town you are in, I'd consider alternative solutions...troll for a job on the internet in ANY city, and relocate for a total new experience...and get housing close to the new job in the new city. Do you have any relatives with whom you could stay for awhile? Visit their city and look for a job, stay with them for a month, and then get your own place. How about finding the job first, in the town that is twenty-five miles away, and then renting a place near the job. You'd have a job, and your own house. That'd probably feel pretty liberating.

The monetary value of the camera is diddly-squat in terms of real world expenses, and I'd hate to see you sell something you love just to cover a half-years car insurance premium, for example.
 
Running costs (gas, insurance and maintenance) on a car for a year could be be more than the price you'll get for the camera. I'd suggest:
1 Get a job that goes some way at least to meeting your immediate ambitions. Ride buses to interviews if no other choice possible;
2 Get a bike or motor-scooter if you need wheels to get to work, or move nearer your place of employment;
3 Get a license to drive;
4 Buy a car when you can afford it. Used cars are always available. Sell cameras that you use only as a last resort.
Just my 2 cents.
 
Is the monetary value of your gear really going to go that far towards the purchase of a car? If you don't get a job straight away how will you afford gas, insurance, maintenance etc.? Not to be a downer, but you could end up with a car you can't afford to drive and no camera either.
Don't make a hasty decision. If it was me, I would keep my camera and move closer to the nearest city where there is a wider availability of jobs that you don't have to drive to. Used cars are money pits - even Hondas!
 
Waitressing at an upscale place can bring in $300 day tips. Even a medium scale premise will bring in $100 day tips. I've never been to Vegas but they probably pay more. You can make so much money working you should not need to sell your stuff. Ride the bus for a year and you can buy a new car with cash.
Even if your going to school to begin a career, you could really use the money that servers make. There are trade apprenticeships, offices, factories, you name it, that pay good money, but not as good as serving. :)
 
vodid said:
Budget used cars are crap, Nice cameras are treasures. Have you been promised a job in the town you'd be driving to? How much difference is there in the pay for the job you could land in your own town, as opposed the job you could land in the town you'd have to drive to? I bet if you figure out the total cost of car ownership, the job you'd have to drive to wouldn't pay enough more that you'd really come out ahead. Insurance, maintenance, repairs, gas, parking, tickets...cars are damn expensive, and you never feel like you really got your money's worth. AAA (American Automobile Association) estimates the true cost of ownership at fifty-two cents per mile. As a rough estimate then, a fifty mile round trip for a days work costs nearly fifteen bucks. So, for an eight hour shift, you'd need to be earning about two bucks more per hour to begin to come out ahead. Do you really want to get on that losing treadmill? Here's some websites to check out...

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/05/31/the-true-cost-of-car-ownership/

http://www.piercetransit.org/rideshare/costs.htm

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/specialreports/articles/59897/article.html

The idea that you could take better pictures in another location is a comforting myth, but I'm sure you could find a ride every now and then to test that theory, especially if you're willing to pay gas. The general American mindset is that a car is a neccesity, but that will start changing when gas goes over four bucks a gallon, and I see nothing in the world political situation, or in the actual resources, indicating that gas will not continue to go up in price. That camera you like so much would probably cover the expense of replacing the alternator, or fixing a radiator/cooling problem, or some other "not-too-expensive-as-cars-go" repair. Understanding that you'd like to leave the town you are in, I'd consider alternative solutions...troll for a job on the internet in ANY city, and relocate for a total new experience...and get housing close to the new job in the new city. Do you have any relatives with whom you could stay for awhile? Visit their city and look for a job, stay with them for a month, and then get your own place. How about finding the job first, in the town that is twenty-five miles away, and then renting a place near the job. You'd have a job, and your own house. That'd probably feel pretty liberating.

The monetary value of the camera is diddly-squat in terms of real world expenses, and I'd hate to see you sell something you love just to cover a half-years car insurance premium, for example.
Click to expand...


This IS the hard truth of reality. It's not pretty, but it is the way it is.
 
My advice Steph, you should marry some one with money. You can marry more money in five minutes than you can earn in a life time.

Wayne
 
Unfortunately I'm already married, and I don't have that much money. :)

(Plus, Melanie is second in line.)
 
I just looked on ebay and a canon P went for $263. For that kind of money why not save up for a month and keep the camera? I could understand if it was an M7 but just don't see how keeping or selling this camera is going to radically change your financial situation.
 
Stephanie,

The decision is not as hard as you think it is. Your posts show that you've come to a conclusion.

Independence, mobility, and security are important. At your age, you are obviously seeing that now. However, don't forget the journey is important. If you can't enjoy life and have fun on the way, spend a couple more months with your parents before you take that next step.

From a financial perspective, it is silly to buy a car, that must be maintained and insured before you can even drive it! Get your license first. Don't be enamoured with any one car. They degrade and depreciate quickly. Rethink the age of the car you are getting. That old of a car you spoke of will require more maintenance and have less safety features than a newer one. Take a male friend or relative shopping with you (it is a sexist world).

The journey on the way requires that the "P" and a lens or two be kept. It helps keep you happy and creative. The monetary value obtained from selling the "P" would not cover a month of the car's cost (insurance, upkeep, depreciation) a brake job or a month's rent of an apartment.

1) save up some money at home (six months rent and food)
2) don't buy a car until you can afford it and the upkeep
3) don't jump (move) until you see a place to land
4) keep the camera for your own sanity.

You don't have a plan and resources. You need those before you jump. You only have a wish list.
 
For now I'm keeping one camera and letting one go. The one I'm letting go will not net me much money at all, but it'll give me the money for my boyfriend's gas taking me over and back to Fort Dodge while I'm waiting on a better job than the one I have. Interestingly enough, I'm becoming more and more interested in pinhole photography since I fashioned one out of two cameras...Frankenpinhole. But hell, the thing works, shoots 35mm film, and doesn't run up my budget. The eerie, low sharpness of some photos is really neat.
 
GET YOUR LICENSE!!!! B2 (;->

For what it's worth for folks who do not know Iowa, there are very few (I know of none) public transportation options our side of within big cities. While large cities in the US (e.g. NYC, Chicago, SF) have reasonably good public transportation systems several large US companies made sure small ones died long ago (so they could sell more cars and buses).

Also, in some places good used cars (that get good milage) do not come along too often either.

B2 (;->
 
I'm working in Ohio...

I'm working in Ohio...

BillBingham2 said:
GET YOUR LICENSE!!!! B2 (;->

For what it's worth for folks who do not know Iowa, there are very few (I know of none) public transportation options our side of within big cities.

B2 (;->
Click to expand...

You got that right! I'm used to living in Delaware, where I'm 20 minutes from the Philly airport, 10 minutes from SEPTA regional rail, 15 minutes from Amtrak, and a couple hundred yards walk from a bus line. Now, I'm working in Dayton Ohio area, and no Amtrak, no regional rail, few busses, etc. The girl NEEDS a car. This isn't some whining kid wanting a BMW, it's someone trying to get out of being trapped in the middle of nowhere...

But, sell the P last, even though you could always buy one later...
 
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