Author Topic: Mustachain advice for sales professional getting reimbursed for mileage?  (Read 1544 times)

PhoenixHeat

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One week in to the Mustachian blog / way of life and feel as though I am completely on board with the lifestyle and obsessed with trimming the fat, getting lean, out of the rat race and creating / being around a tribe..

To preface the post with a little context: Past year I have become more financially aware (smarter) and focusing on less consumerism. I sold my 2014 financed car and bought a 2003 towncar cash. For me being large and tall and combined with the general knowledge that a cared for towncar can go 300-400k miles seemed like a great investment. If things continue at the current pace I drive about 30K miles each year for my job. The plan was keep the car till the wheels were about to fall off. I realize the combined 20MPG isn't winning any awards but it has been a trade off i have been willing to accept. I do get reimbursed mileage and it always covers my cost and then some. In the back of my mind the environmental concern has in a way always been there - cognizant of all the driving, idling, fuel burning i am doing but always justified it by the nature of my job and wanting to be comfortable in my car all day long.

It seems the thing to do would be to get a more efficient car but at my size (6'5" / 290 - focused on getting leaner :) ) its not always ideal in terms of size...

Any Mustachians wiser than I care to share thoughts and potential direction or advice on potential course of action? Or since my costs are covered do I roll with the current arrangement?

Thanks in advance..


Villanelle

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Since money (dollars) is fungible, don't look at it as your costs being covered.  You get that money, and you can either spend all of it on the actual costs, or you can spend 2/3 of it on the actual costs and pocket the rest.  (I'm assuming you are reimbursed based on a per mile formula, not actual costs.) So consider that reimbursement a bit like an unpredictable salary bonus, and look at those dollars as no different than your salary.  Do you want to spend all of the monthly bonus on gas and other car expenses, or do you want to be able to keep half of it?  Also, when you say that your costs are covered, are you including just gas, or also things like pro-rated oil changes, tires, tune ups, and other more infrequent maintenance?

I suspect you can do some research on smaller cars that are still comfortable for larger people.  See if there is something about there that will get you another 6-8MPG, which you can buy for roughly the same amount for which you can sell the town car.   Test drive it to make sure it's comfortable, but if you are intent on maximizing your finances in this area, I think there's definitely room to do so. 

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!