A Little About More Than Cars

It’s been almost a month since I started this blog, and I’m grateful to say that more than 70 people are reading it. Thank you so much for sticking with this rather niche blog. Your support gives me the motivation to keep writing!

That said… when you write every day, you eventually run out of things to say about the Panamera.

I started this blog full of enthusiasm, determined to share my love for the Panamera. But it’s not as if I discover something new every single day. “Ah, what a great car—the planted feel, the commanding presence…” Most of the time, I feel the same way every time I drive it. And each time, I just fall a little more in love.

So from now on, alongside writing about my love for the Panamera and my goal of buying one with my own money, I’d like to share some of the thoughts that cars inspire in me.

Should You Buy Your Child a Car?

When I was in college, some of my wealthier friends would say things like, “My parents bought me a car” or “I’ll drive if we’re going out,” and bring their cars to campus. I don’t know what kind of lives they’re leading now, but I sometimes wonder if they had a hard time adjusting when they entered the working world.

As for me, I’ve decided that I won’t buy my kids a car. (Though they’re only three and one, so maybe it’s a little early to be thinking about this.)

If they want a car, they can start by buying one themselves—something within their budget. If there’s a particular car they really want, they can come to me and negotiate: “I’ve saved ●● yen from my part-time job, so could you chip in ●● yen?” or “I can put in ●● yen myself. Could you cover ●● yen? I’ll pay you back every month.”

Child: “I want this car!”
Parent: “Sure! I’ll buy whichever car you like!”

That’s not the kind of exchange I want to have. I feel this way because I want my kids to grow into independent people who understand the value of money.

When I was applying to college, I had to spend quite a bit on applications and enrollment fees for backup schools. My mother told me:

“Sure, but money doesn’t just come pouring out when you press a button.”

I thought I understood what she meant, but it wasn’t until I started working part-time in college and learned how hard it was to earn 10,000 yen that her words really sank in. When I think about it, parents are amazing.

Money Matters

Making money isn’t easy. At the same time, it’s not good to assume that earning money is impossibly hard. I do think it’s possible to earn well once you understand how things work—but if you want to make a lot, you also have to work on becoming someone with the skills and value to match.

I want my daughters to understand that, too, which is why I don’t plan to buy them a car. They may think, “Mom’s such a pain. I can’t wait to move out.” But that might only strengthen their desire to leave home and become independent—which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.

I’ll support my kids wholeheartedly in whatever they want to do. But I won’t simply hand them everything they want.

That’s the kind of mother I hope to be—one who can stick to that approach.

…And somehow, I’ve ended up writing about something that has nothing to do with cars or the Panamera. I’ll write about cars tomorrow.