I got a big promotion at work several months ago. Moved up two steps into Executive Leadership.
Yesterday, for the second time, one of my Colleagues suggested that I trade in my 2014 Kia for a car more befitting of my position. My car is probably worth about $3500 but it’s reliable and paid for.
I am an older guy who works tirelessly for my family and maybe I do deserve to reward myself. But I think it’s better to be rich than look rich and I’ve been paying off debts. What do you think?
Here’s the deal: people who tell you to buy a new car to “fit your position” aren’t thinking about you. They’re thinking about them. They’re projecting their insecurities onto you, trying to enforce some unwritten social rule about what an executive “should” look like. And if you fall for it, you’re not upgrading your car—you’re upgrading their opinion of you. Spoiler alert: that’s a terrible investment.
Here’s what I love about your story: you’re already thinking differently. You’ve figured out something most people never do—that being rich has almost nothing to do with what you drive, wear, or post on Instagram. It’s about freedom. It’s about options. It’s about waking up every day knowing you’re in control of your life, not shackled to a car payment just so your colleagues can nod approvingly in the parking lot.
Let’s break this down:
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You’ve got a reliable, paid-off car. That’s a massive advantage. You know what’s better than “looking the part”? Driving past the dealership every month while someone else sits there signing a five-year loan for a car they can’t afford.
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Debt is the real status symbol. You’re paying off debts. That’s not just financial freedom—that’s emotional freedom. You’re choosing long-term wealth over short-term image, and that’s what actually makes you wealthy. Rich people don’t stay rich by blowing money on things that depreciate the moment they leave the lot.
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Treat yourself with intention. If you want to spend money, do it in a way that aligns with your goals, values, and what genuinely makes your life better. Maybe it’s a vacation, a hobby, or investing in something meaningful for your family. But don’t spend money just to impress people who won’t even notice once the novelty wears off.
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Let them talk. Here’s a hard truth: people will always have opinions about how you spend your money. And they will always spend your money differently than you would. But those opinions? They’re fleeting. They’re not paying your bills. They’re not building your future. In five years, your colleagues won’t remember what car you drove—but you’ll remember whether or not you stayed the course toward financial freedom.
So here’s what I’d do: keep the Kia. Keep paying off debt. Keep building wealth. And when someone tells you to buy a car to “fit your position,” just smile and say, “I prefer to invest in assets, not liabilities.” That’s the kind of confidence money can’t buy. And it’s the confidence that makes you truly rich.
You’ve already won the game most people don’t even realize they’re playing. Don’t let their insecurities knock you off your path. Stay the course—you’re doing it right.