A 35-year-old physician earning $350,000 a year has saved $1.3 million and is now wondering if it’s time to stop playing it so safe and finally splurge on the dream car he’s always wanted: a Lamborghini.
“I don’t want to look back and think, ‘I wish I had spent more and had fun when I was young,'” the doctor wrote in a popular Reddit post on r/whitecoatinvestor, a subreddit filled with financially savvy medical professionals.
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Wrestling With Responsibility And Regret
“You want to blow 30-40% of what you made in a decade in a single afternoon?” one person asked bluntly. Another said, “Lambo money is $1M a year or more. This is like a barista buying a Birkin bag.”
Still, not everyone was against the idea. Many encouraged the physician to explore the fantasy without committing outright. One of the top responses suggested spending $1,000 or $2,000 to test drive a variety of exotic cars. “Try them all at 150 mph and see if that's enough for you,” the commenter said.
Others recommended a more practical splurge. “A really high-end car will turn heads but it comes at like a $150K premium to something you can use that will also turn heads and drive to what is your likely capability,” one commenter said, suggesting a Porsche 911 or BMW M4 as middle-ground options.
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The Case For Caution
Plenty of people pointed out that while $1.3 million is an impressive savings milestone, it may not justify a purchase as extravagant as a Lamborghini. One financial planner shared that a client with $2.5 million in investments still struggled with the idea of splurging. “She ended up settling on a trip of a lifetime. We still talk about it to this day.”
“If you worked hard your entire life with the explicit purpose to buy a Lambo, then maybe you should do it,” another person said. “However, I like cars quite a bit but would still never spend that much at that net worth.”
A few were more philosophical. “Sometimes it’s not about generational wealth or even wealth beyond need. Sometimes it’s just life. You really only do live once. Let no one influence your enjoyment of such.”
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Used, Leased Or Just Rented?
Even those supportive of the idea urged the doctor not to buy new. “Buy a used Huracan for $200K. The first owner took the depreciation hit. Keep it a couple years and resell for $180K,” one user advised. “Costs you $20K in depreciation vs $100K in depreciation.”
And then there were the skeptics who had been there and done that. One Porsche owner said his 911 mostly sat in the garage and was eventually sold. “I loved my Toyota Tundra so much, the Porsche sat in the garage for six years and only got 20K miles.”
Ultimately, the community's message boiled down to this: Don't let fear of missing out or burnout push you into a massive decision. Rent first, try it out, and if you love it, go for it. Just don't expect the Lambo to solve anything deeper.
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