<p>I really want to find a way to make about $10,000 ($9,000 --actually) before next summer. </p>
<p>I want to buy a used car.</p>
<p>I'm thinking about getting a part-time job and have a good shot at getting one on campus, but I don't think I could balance everything. </p>
<p>I'm taking 15 units already. Is it reasonable to expect I could balance around 20 hours a week devoted to a job and still maintain my 4.0 gpa? What alternatives do I have?</p>
<p>well first of depends on what the 15 credit hours are, if its just a bunch of blow off GECs then it’d be manageable. On the other hand if its STEM classes and they are each 3 credits piece or something I would say it’d be harder but far from impossible. You should have more than 20 hours a week in free time that you can dedicate to working, even if it means Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.</p>
<p>I hope you realize the max you could make working 20 hours a week over the next year is $5,000, once taxes are taken out.
That and good luck being able to actual meet 20 hours with an on-campus job. Very few on-campus jobs will have that many hours available.</p>
<p>Also, if you’re trying to get this job through work-study, know that there’s a $2,000 a year cap that you can make.</p>
<p>And of course, if you can get the 20 hours, that’s not going to be pleasant on top of your work load.</p>
<p>Edit: oh, and then of course you’ll have to pay for insurance, registration, gas. Why do you need a $9,000 car?</p>
<p>If it’s possible, I’d advise taking on fewer hours during the school year and more hours during a summer job. You wouldn’t be able to get the car at the beginning of the summer, but you could get pretty close by the end.</p>
<p>I said it to you in your other thread, and I’ll say it again.</p>
<p>Why do you need a $10,000 car? Why do you need a car at all, let alone a $10,000 one? </p>
<p>Your alternative? Not buying a $10,000 car you’re likely to crash before you’re 24 anyway.</p>
<p>On the topic, what a… God, what a question. Of course you’ll need a job to get a car. There’s gas, insurance, maintenance, probably paying for parking depending on your location. Even if you get the $10,000 through your “scholarship plan”, with no other source income, you aren’t going to be able to do much with it.</p>
<p>may I suggest going GREEN! and invest in a bicycle! :)</p>
<p>The best deals you can find are on craigslist. You may refer to [this</a> site](<a href=“http://www.bikeforums.net/]this”>http://www.bikeforums.net/) if you don’t know a lot about bicycles.</p>
<p>here’s another great site</p>
<p>Can I recommend getting a road bike. They’re much better than mountain bikes. Looking for a hybrid is a lost cause, because they’re not on craigslist, and they’re way overpriced in stores.</p>
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<p>Actually that’s not true. The $2,000 cap is how much you can earn until the federal gov’t will stop paying half your wages. You can still work (as I did) but after your 2,000th dollar earned, your employer pays your wages in full. (2,000 was used because it was mentioned. It can be more or less depending on your awarded workstudy fund.)</p>
<p>lol a $10,000 car is expensive??? idk man you guys must not live well. idk get a part-time job where your work minimal hours and save up for a down payment on a car and take out a loan. I mean your goal should be to save 2-3k for a down payment and just work during your next year in school to pay off monthly payments. Also your parents never helped you buy a car? Thats pretty sad in todays world unless they are paying for college.</p>
<p>$10,000 car is probably as low as it goes in terms of a used car that doesn’t have serious hardware problems.</p>
<p>But yeah, sorry to say that your plan does seem a bit unreasonable, though maybe doable if you absolutely HAD to have a car at the expense of free time, pocket cash, and time for studying.</p>
<p>Last year I typically worked 15 hrs/ week at like $8/ hr and that probably amounted to 15x15x8 = 1800 (no federal or state taxes applied to mine for some reason). Next semester I lightened the hours, but that would be at most $3600 a year. And 15 hrs/ week was a sizable portion. Not to mention, for me, that was my spending money, so I wasn’t saving too much of it. You must also remember Thanksgiving, fall/ spring break, midterms, finals — periods where you will definitely be lightening your hours.</p>
<p>Why don’t you just wait til you graduate and get a job – it’ll be easier to afford a car then. Plus, you have to pay for insurance, gas, upkeep…</p>
<p>It’s expensive if you expect to make it as a full time student. Even if you work 36 weeks (which is about the standard length of a school year I think?), you’d have to get $12,50 an hour which is hard to come by.</p>
<p>tr1p7s, fair enough. But a lot of employers will cap you at that since a lot of work study jobs only exist because the employer doesn’t have to pay full wages (at least at my school).</p>
<p>That’s why I have a job that’s not through work study.
(that, and I’m not eligible for work study. lol)</p>
<p>Johnson, I was work study and in my experience they will not fire you/ limit your hours once your work study wages from the feds dry up. That is unusual. Many work study students use up their work study, but prefer to keep working – usually because the fact that they are work study typically means that they are poor.</p>
<p>Paying you federal minimum wage is not exactly “expensive,” especially since they were paying you half of that for most of your time there.</p>
<p>I bought my car two years ago for $3500 and it is still running fine. I had to buy a new battery for it at some point and that was it. Its purpose is to get me from point A to point B safely until I can graduate and get a real job so I can afford a better one. I can’t imagine dropping that kind of money on a car right now.</p>
<p>peter_parker, it must just be my school then. I know most of my friends rarely get to the 2000 limit since their work study jobs keep the hours low.</p>
<p>I got a car for $2800, 2002 Ford Escort. Only had 98k miles. The only thing that has gone wrong is that a tire blew out about a year after I bought it. Other than that, it’s a great car and I love it.</p>
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<p>Where did *anyone *say that? A $10,000 car is a decently priced car. For someone other than a full time, incoming college freshman without a job. Seriously, this kid was going to buy it off of scholarship money, and is only now thinking ,“Gee, a job might be a good idea if I want a car.”</p>
<p>There are good purchases, and bad purchases. For a student with no job, no other source of income, and who doesn’t need a car, a $10,000 car is-99.9% of the time-going to be a bad purchase. He’s better off saving through college to be able to buy that car when he graduates and might need it. </p>
<p>If he *needs *a car, there are more affordable options for a college students out there, and I’m not saying buy a $600 piece of crap. There’s a reason most college students aren’t rolling around in a Mercedes Benz. But from his posts, it seems the only reason he wants one is bragging rights. </p>
<p>And JKpoker2, not everyone wants to live off mommy and daddy’s dollar forever. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>helllloooo. Bicycle</p>
<p>If your city has a public transit system that can also carry bikes, you’re all set.</p>
<p>I’m actually buying a used Benz with the recent windfall. I heard it has a ■■■■■ magnet installed. :D</p>
<p>Thanks for your input guys… I’ve actually figured out a way to get on welfare so I’m going to also collect a welfare check every month and should be able to reach my goal rather soon. I kid… </p>
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<p>lulz</p>
<p>I work 15-20 hours a week, on top of 15 credits, 3 groups in which I am an officer and a varsity sport. It’s completely doable. My buddy got a 2008 chevy for $8k and it runs well, no problems. Remember that you have to pay for insurance and gas (possibly parking) on top of the price of the actual car. It gets pricey.</p>