Active Military Driving $80K+ cars?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can be a physician or lawyer and be active duty.

They get LOTS of benefits, like crazy generous housing allowances.

The poor military people are the enlisted (lower echelon) service members. That is probably not who you were seeing,

The op is in Alexandria at a private school…So pretty much only officers in that group and likely officers who are fairly high ranking who have at least a decade if not two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s people not good with their money. My husband is former military and sometimes
you’d get a signing bonus to extend your service for another 3 or 6 years or whatever. You could get a chunk of change and then guys would waste it on one nice car or a boat or something.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of military physicians in the area, with bonuses salary can be easily $250k+. Part of that salary (housing) is not taxed and like the other poster said a number claim Florida/TX residency so no state tax. Plus no history of student loans.

Also military (usually younger service members though) are notorious for over spending on cars. That's why there are so many car dealers around military bases

(I'm a former military physician)

+1

Kinda. I’m not a military physician or anything but I have many military friends and they are smart about how they manage their money. Between the residencies, housing allowance is and bonuses they can make a very good income. I suppose some of those same people can then choose to spend on an expensive car. To each their own.

Also retention bonuses in particular for experienced NCO (non-commissioned officer) can be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

[Anonymous]

Active duty military, even the lowest level, are known to blow their money on expensive cars.

And many can afford it, since they receive housing allowances we don't.

[Anonymous]

More VA benefits for PTSD and other mental/stress issues. Lots of ex-mil taking unneeded benefits intending to reduce ex-mil homelessness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Running joke in military circles actually. Many, many have cars above means.

Also, veterans get preferences for fed jobs. So what they typically do is get a fed job after leaving the military. Once their clearance is processed and they start their new job, they will talk to other vets who are collecting 40k/yr in disability. And they will inevitably apply for disability due to their "PTSD" despite never having seen a second of actual combat.

Ok there, Skippy.

Carrying around a lot of weird baggage about veterans… none of which was even remotely relevant to the thread.

Good job, good effort.

They pay for the Raptor with disability payments. Do you now understand meathead?

Honestly, I'm now starting to see Rivian pickups, too. Or maybe these are the physicians

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Running joke in military circles actually. Many, many have cars above means.

Also, veterans get preferences for fed jobs. So what they typically do is get a fed job after leaving the military. Once their clearance is processed and they start their new job, they will talk to other vets who are collecting 40k/yr in disability. And they will inevitably apply for disability due to their "PTSD" despite never having seen a second of actual combat.

Ok there, Skippy.

Carrying around a lot of weird baggage about veterans… none of which was even remotely relevant to the thread.

Good job, good effort.

They pay for the Raptor with disability payments. Do you now understand meathead?

Bro, I can smell your insecurity and self-loathing from here.

You consider yourself bright, but you know your post was a poorly reasoned nonsequitur and it’s eating you alive. Your snappy little addendum here doesn’t help… “40k/yr in disability” (your words) funding a bunch of trucks that start at $80,000? Sure, that is clearly the correct explanation.

Next time sketch it out on your chalkboard first.

Good post. Maybe spend more time/energy chasing chicas instead of arguing with randos on the net.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op checking back in. FWIW the three families I am referring to have 2, 3 and 3 kids respectively, and the parents are around 40yrs old. So I assume they are higher ranking officers with years of military experience. One sometimes comes to school in what appears to be a flight suit type uniform.

One has a spouse that is a teacher, another has a HR type role for a Fed agency, the third I have no idea. I genuinely have no clue what officers make, I clearly don't know their family or personal financial situation. And those details are none of my business. It just surprised me to see the only military parents in my kids classes all driving such expensive vehicles. I didn't know if they got free or subsidized housing, which would be huge. Or that maybe officer can make more than I would have guessed. The only ~$40yo parents (not young people or singles) we know with multiple kids that drive $100K cars are lawyers or doctors So our perspective is clearly bias.

This is my pet peeve. Isn't your perspective "biasED" not "bias?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More VA benefits for PTSD and other mental/stress issues. Lots of ex-mil taking unneeded benefits intending to reduce ex-mil homelessness.

It isn’t that easy.

My dad is a fully service-connected disabled veteran. He had dealt with his issues, which are physical and not mental, for 45 years before he even applied, based on a VA admin encouraging him to apply and helping him with the technology.

There are so many veterans out there with health problems who just deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op checking back in. FWIW the three families I am referring to have 2, 3 and 3 kids respectively, and the parents are around 40yrs old. So I assume they are higher ranking officers with years of military experience. One sometimes comes to school in what appears to be a flight suit type uniform.

One has a spouse that is a teacher, another has a HR type role for a Fed agency, the third I have no idea. I genuinely have no clue what officers make, I clearly don't know their family or personal financial situation. And those details are none of my business. It just surprised me to see the only military parents in my kids classes all driving such expensive vehicles. I didn't know if they got free or subsidized housing, which would be huge. Or that maybe officer can make more than I would have guessed. The only ~$40yo parents (not young people or singles) we know with multiple kids that drive $100K cars are lawyers or doctors So our perspective is clearly bias.

This is my pet peeve. Isn't your perspective "biasED" not "bias?"

NP and this is my pet peeve too 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Running joke in military circles actually. Many, many have cars above means.

Also, veterans get preferences for fed jobs. So what they typically do is get a fed job after leaving the military. Once their clearance is processed and they start their new job, they will talk to other vets who are collecting 40k/yr in disability. And they will inevitably apply for disability due to their "PTSD" despite never having seen a second of actual combat.

Ok there, Skippy.

Carrying around a lot of weird baggage about veterans… none of which was even remotely relevant to the thread.

Good job, good effort.

They pay for the Raptor with disability payments. Do you now understand meathead?

Honestly, I'm now starting to see Rivian pickups, too. Or maybe these are the physicians

The doctors, pilots and higher up officers are paid very well.

The majority of military aren't getting disability payments. Enlisted retirement pay is nothing at 20 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of military physicians in the area, with bonuses salary can be easily $250k+. Part of that salary (housing) is not taxed and like the other poster said a number claim Florida/TX residency so no state tax. Plus no history of student loans.

Also military (usually younger service members though) are notorious for over spending on cars. That's why there are so many car dealers around military bases

(I'm a former military physician)

+1

Kinda. I’m not a military physician or anything but I have many military friends and they are smart about how they manage their money. Between the residencies, housing allowance is and bonuses they can make a very good income. I suppose some of those same people can then choose to spend on an expensive car. To each their own.

Also retention bonuses in particular for experienced NCO (non-commissioned officer) can be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

My spouse never once got a bonus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can be a physician or lawyer and be active duty.

They get LOTS of benefits, like crazy generous housing allowances.

The poor military people are the enlisted (lower echelon) service members. That is probably not who you were seeing,

The op is in Alexandria at a private school…So pretty much only officers in that group and likely officers who are fairly high ranking who have at least a decade if not two.

Exactly. The enlisted are not living the good life by any means. The younger single ones in the dorms can afford expensive cars as their housing and food is covered as they are forced to live on base. And, if they want a nice car, then good for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Living above means

Lease the car, rent house in lcol area

Blew all their hazard pay money.

Family money

Most enlisted don't have family money and go into the military as they cannot afford college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Family money
Spouse has a high income

Also, many active military claim residence in FL and the like, and pay no property taxes

This but officers can make good money. They get a lot for a housing allowance on top of pay.

They also have far less expenses, too, in general. Besides housing, they typically will not spend as much on medical, state income tax, college savings (GI bill plus in-state in their state of residence), retirement, and a whole lot more.

This is, of course, even more true for dual-military families, especially dual-officer.

Also no educational debt.

And throw in lower costs for resources available on base — from seriously lower prices on groceries, shopping at exchanges, recreational opportunities…. It adds up nicely.

Huh? Commissary is more expensive than Aldi's. I rarely shop at the commissary. Same with the exchange. The exchange is only good when they have a clearance. Otherwise the clothing is more expensive than Marshalls, TJ Max, and many other places.