How did you come to afford your raptor?

[Whaler27]

I work. A lot, as I have for decades.

Now I’m old and my work weeks are down to an average of only about 50 hours per week, sometimes less, which feels very manageable for us after 30+ years of averaging well over 65 hours per week.

When I was 20 I financed my truck, my truck payment was a heavy lift, and my truck was my only possession of any value. I felt like SOME-body when I was out driving around in my cool truck ...until I pulled up to my dump of an apartment and parked.

Now, after a full career of working at or over time-and-a-half, the truck I drive isn’t significant. I love my Raptor, and it’s more fun than any other truck I’ve owned, but it’s a very small part of my life, financially and otherwise.

Home ownership has been MUCH more expensive than Raptor ownership. Wife and kids have been more expensive than Raptor ownership too, as have vacations, and retirement funding... Now I’m getting depressed...

I do love reading on these forums. (It has replaced reading the newspaper, which ****** me off and raises my blood pressure... Truck, Jeep, and Boat forums are protecting my sanity — and costing a lot of money, as I buy the cool stuff I learn about.)

 

[B boyes]

GIVING ZJ's. JK, I started a family owned machine shop. Lots of hard work and no glory, but it did get me a super cool truck

 

[Sgt Beavis]

I’m a Systems Engineer for a big software company. It’s basically a sales engineer job. 2019 was a massive sales year for me. I blew way past any earnings from previous years, in part because I helped close one of the biggest deals ever done for my business unit.

So I rewarded myself with a new Raptor. It was something I had always wanted.

 

[Swaddict]

I own a landscape company

 

[dillard09]

Oil and gas consultant. Drive on dirt everyday i work. Some days its more than others.

 

[GWBush]

Stock market. Play those ebbs and flows

 

[GWBush]

I paid about 6-8k more than I would have a new Lariat...vehicles aren't cheap anymore. Been boat shopping lately? I was willing to spend more because it holds its value a bit more than a regular truck. My price was $66k, i just couldn't spend over $70 out of conscience.

No shit on the boat Brother. Damn... was into boats years ago. 2 Best days in that life: Buying the Boat and Selling the damn Boat.

 

[WhereAreTheBrakes]

It's very possible the reason I own a Raptor is because of this thread specifically. Found the one I want and was trying to figure out how to justify the purchase... After about a month found a piece of commercial real estate that my current truck could buy if I sold it. so, having lots of equity in the old truck it made sense. (the underside of the story is, years of working and buying property and working on the property after work and weekends, taking side jobs, being diligent, etc.) its cool to see lots of people here that the raptor they own carries pride in their work. seems like lots of us its a pride and reward to own one. cheers.

 

[Jaymare404]

I am currently a system engineer currently working as a consultant for a Navy program. Previously, a manufacturing engineer working for Masterbrand cabinets, and before that I was a quality engineer and test equipment engineer for Jasper Engines and Transmissions. Then my first job out of college was a field engineer for E&P Wireline in Midland Texas. Each time I changed jobs I had an increase in my salary but kept living on the salary of the previous job. EXCEPT when I took a pay cut to go from the oilfield to Jasper Engines.
I bought my raptor because i drove a 2007 nissan xterra through all those jobs and saved my pennies.
My wife and I paid off her 2016 explorer, and kept putting the same payments into the bank account. After a few months, we found my raptor, and bobs your uncle here I am today.

 

[AzRim]

Trust fund kid.

Seriously though, self employed consultant.