Why Buy a Porsche With Your Own Money?

I recently bought a Porsche 911 Carrera T with my own money, and today I want to talk about why I was so set on buying a Porsche myself.

Fortunately, my husband already owns several Porsches, so I could have driven one whenever I wanted. If all I wanted was to drive a Porsche and enjoy being behind the wheel, there was no need to buy one in my own name.

My husband asked me more than once, “But seriously, why go out of your way to buy one? lol” I was also happy with my previous car, a Suzuki Swift Sport, so there really was no practical need for me to buy a Porsche of my own.

So why did I do it?

Because I wanted to experience what it would be like to buy a Porsche myself—and discover the world that might open up as a result.

I believe you get something very different from an experience when you pay for it yourself rather than having someone else foot the bill.

Of course, there are plenty of things you can experience without buying them yourself. But I’m sure there are also many experiences that only come from owning something you worked and paid for.

I’d often heard other Porsche owners say that buying a Porsche with their own money had changed their lives: they wanted to earn more, enjoyed their commutes more, or found themselves setting their sights higher. Hearing that made me want to experience that world for myself.

I genuinely wanted to know what that world was like: What does it mean for your life to become richer? What is it like to feel more driven to earn—and then actually earn more?

Spending a lot of money to find out might sound extravagant or wasteful, and I know people will have different opinions. But that was the biggest reason I bought a Porsche.

How Porsche Ownership Changed How I Think

So what has it actually been like? It’s only been a month and a half since I bought the car, so my life hasn’t changed dramatically. But I have noticed three significant shifts in how I think.

The first was that my financial inhibitions seemed to disappear.

I’d never bought anything that cost ¥20 million before (obviously!). I’ve never been particularly materialistic, and I tend to use shoes, wallets, bags, and coats until they’re worn out. I think the most I’d ever spent on something for myself before was around ¥30,000! (lol)

So making a ¥20 million purchase was a staggering experience. I found myself thinking about all sorts of things: “What will it be worth when I sell it?” “Is the guaranteed future value on these loans really that low?” “Should I save up a bigger down payment to keep my monthly payments down?”

But once the car arrived and I actually started driving it, I had a surprising thought: “Wait—why was I so nervous when I bought my ¥2 million Swift Sport?”

My income hadn’t changed all that much since then, but making one big purchase seemed to remove a mental barrier. I realized I didn’t have to be quite so afraid of spending money on something I truly wanted.

That doesn’t mean I’ve suddenly started spending freely. My monthly loan payment is over ¥200,000, so I can’t afford to waste money, and there’s not much else I want to buy anyway…

But I’ve started to think that if there’s something I truly want, it’s okay to take the plunge, even if it costs a lot.

In the case of my Carrera T, I’m reassured by the expectation that it won’t lose too much value if I sell it in a few years. But I’d still find it scary to buy a model with less predictable resale value.

Maybe being able to buy a car without worrying about resale value is the next level.

That’s probably still a long way off, lol.

The second change is that talking with other Porsche owners has become even more fun. I’m starting to feel like I can join the conversation on more equal footing—though they’re all far more experienced than I am, so I’m not sure I’m quite there yet.

Before, I drove my husband’s Porsches. When people asked about the details of the cars, I often didn’t know the answers, which made it hard to take the conversation much further.

This time, I chose every detail myself. So when someone says, “The monochrome look is fantastic!” I can reply, “Thanks! I went with Chalk and black throughout!” And when someone asks, “Has the engine changed since you first got the car?” I can answer from experience: “It really started to feel different after about 300 km.”

I’ve been reminded how much fun it is to talk about your own car. And honestly, I had no idea how happy it would make me to hear someone compliment my Porsche.

The third change is that I’ve become much more careful about keeping the car clean. When I drove my husband’s Panamera or Cayenne, I didn’t worry too much if they got dirty (sorry!). It’s different when it’s your own car.

Now, if I spot even a little dirt, I wipe it off right away. Even when I take the kids to McDonald’s for burgers, I tell them, “Wait until we get home!” and put the food in the trunk so the smell doesn’t linger in the car. (lol)

Although I did get a faint scratch on the center console, and now I can’t stop noticing it…

So Glad I Bought a 911!