Do you need a car for API?

[Flash]

It's not that big a deal, call me crazy I'd just rather pay back my student loan and save some money. I was just wondering if I'd need a car. Sounds like I will.

You can afford to do both easily. Just don't be 'that guy' and never hang out/have fun because you are eating ramen noodles trying to save all your money. You will have expenses you are expected to pay throughout your Navy career that aren't 'official' but still expected to include wardroom bills, farewell gifts, flowers for new Moms, formal dinners and balls and just dinners out with the wardroom. We had a few guys that would complain about every little expense because they were trying to save money and in my first squadron we even had one guy who never went out, ever, even on deployment making lots of per diem because he didn't want to 'waste' his money. Being social is a big part of life in a squadron, not everyone is expected to buy drinks for the bar every night or blow $100 on every meal but if you are anti-social and/or exceedingly cheap it is noted by your peers and sometimes the bosses.

Not saying any of the above this applies to you but just a friendly note of what will be expected of you money-wise.

 

[Pags]

You can afford to do both easily. Just don't be 'that guy' and never hang out/have fun because you are eating ramen noodles trying to save all your money. You will have expenses you are expected to pay throughout your Navy career that aren't 'official' but still expected to include wardroom bills, farewell gifts, flowers new Moms, formal dinners and balls and just dinners out with the wardroom. We had a few guys that would complain about every little expense because they were trying to save money and in my first squadron we even had one guy who never went out, ever, even on deployment making lots of per diem because he didn't want to 'waste' his money. Being social is a big part of life in a squadron, not everyone is expected to buy drinks for the bar every night or blow $100 on every meal but if you are anti-social and/or exceedingly cheap it is noted by your peers and sometimes the bosses.

Not saying any of the above this applies to you but just a friendly note of what will be expected of you money-wise.

Being social is a big part of real life regardless of whether you're in a squadron. Saving all your scratch for the future is missing out on life today.

 

[Flash]

Being social is a big part of real life regardless of whether you're in a squadron. Saving all your scratch for the future is missing out on life today.

Few 'real' jobs have some of the 'obligated' social expenses of some military units though, and if they do they can often be written off as a 'business expenses'. The costs are not really that big, especially when compared to how much you are making, but they are there.

 

[Tobe]

Do you need a car?...stupid question....

How are you going to have nasty sweaty sex with a Pensacola skank if you don't have a back seat?

Only good reason I've seen so far..

 

[zippy]

Do you need a car?...stupid question....

How are you going to have nasty sweaty sex with a Pensacola skank if you don't have a back seat?

Truck cabs and roadsters are good enough for that. Some dudes keep smash bags (with pillow, blanket/ towel, condoms etc.) in the cargo compartment of their SUVs for easty access and use (there's a lot of room for fun with the back seats folded down).

 

[ChuckMK23]

I'm thinking of living close to the NAS and riding a bike (bicycle) or something to save money.

A quick primer - as an officer you aren't "paid" for your service, your pay is there to allow you to live commensurate with your stature as an officer (and a lady/gentleman).

You will need a car - even if you live in the Q. Uncle Sugar has ensured that you can afford a car. Buy something. Does not have to be an "ensignmobile"

You are about to have a social life - you will have classmates, and friends - you will need to go places as a young officer. People like it when you are on time. Oh and if you don't already, the local community will ensure you have a dating/hook up companion. Another reason to have a car.

 

[DanMa1156]

Only good reason I've seen so far..

If there's nothing else to convince you, if you're like most, you'll have to do IFS. For me, IFS meant commuting over an hour each way to Jack Edward's Airport in Alabama. Despite the fact I'm pretty sure they were required to either give me transportation or gas money for having to go that far (at the time, I had to know the JTR a little bit for my stash-ENS job, but can't remember if I was right or not on this), they didn't. But guess what? The dream of the wings was real so I wasn't going to let penny pinching on gas money get in my way of the gold wings. You'll need a car man.

Again, my situation... Towards the end of API, I got told I was going to Corpus. Sweet! I wanted to. But, I got told I was moving to Corpus on a Tuesday the Friday before it. I wouldn't have wanted to figure out the ass pain of having to buy a car to get to Corpus in 1 weekend along with preparing for the move. I can't imagine. Or, if you continue to be Captain Skimpo, you buy a last minute plane ticket to Corpus with 4 days notice, costing you an arm and a leg, taxis from your home to the Pensacola Airport, then a taxi from Corpus airport to base, where you hope base housing is available immediately (it probably won't be) and your bike doesn't get delivered until 8 days after you arrive, so you're stuck in Corpus relying on taxis. In the end, while you may not be burning as much as you would on a car, at least with a car you are buying an asset that allows to get to places reliably.

Look, I get it, sometimes I've been known to pinch pennies. I invest a ton of my money. I've had the same car that I bought new as a MIDN back in the summer of '09 with a 10 year / 100,000 mile warranty and it's moved me from MD to FL to TX to FL to CA and again will bring me back to FL. I paid it off in about 2-3 years and made sure my car payment was added to my automated investing once I was done. The only work I've had to pay for so far has been regular oil changes and a new radio. It's been a worthwhile investment. I promise you, I couldn't have rode my bike to Jack Edwards Airport.

 

[zippy]

CNATRA commands conveniently find ways to circumvent the JTRs so don't feel bad for not knowing the ins in outs... TW-5 got away with shorting dudes on lodging by saying that even though they wanted them to fly weekends, it was the individuals choice to leave the local area so they were only going to pay $50/ night for lodging instead of Govt rate.

 

[Tycho_Brohe]

Only good reason I've seen so far..

Then you weren't paying attention when someone said "weather." Florida has more lightning strikes and more hurricane landfalls than any other state. There will be times (probably most times, actually) when waiting for the rain to let up is not an option, and wet khakis smell like wet dog.

Better reason: when you check in, and people find out you don't own a car and you ride a Huffy in your khakis to muster, you're gonna get a whole lot of this:

Check out USAA's car-buying service. Get a used Honda Civic and drive it till the wheels fall off.

 

[scoolbubba]

CNATRA commands conveniently find ways to circumvent the JTRs so don't feel bad for not knowing the ins in outs... TW-5 got away with shorting dudes on lodging by saying that even though they wanted them to fly weekends, it was the individuals choice to leave the local area so they were only going to pay $50/ night for lodging instead of Govt rate.

The IG took exception to that practice, strangely enough.

 

[zippy]

The IG took exception to that practice, strangely enough.

Someone IG'd it? If so, good for them.