It’s hard to go a day without reading or hearing about the
cost of living, rents being raised and the concept of “quality of life”. Most of us wake up every day with a list of
bills and responsibilities that we need to honor and uphold, spending all of
our time battling the growing debt we acquire through living beyond our
means.
Personal experiences have placed me on both ends of the
spectrum. I’ve been able to have a lot of money at my
disposal, but I’ve also experienced poverty and the reality of living pay check
to pay check. What I learned by being in
both situations is this. You don’t have
to over extend yourself and your finances to live a rich and fulfilling
life.
I will admit whole-heartedly that I love nice things. I love
expensive, quality pieces that last a lifetime and bring beauty into my
environment. That doesn’t mean that I
need to rack up a handful of credit card debt and take out that second or third
on my house or condo. It simply means
that I need to budget for the items I know will cost me the most, and find
creative alternatives for the “would be nice to have, but I really don’t need” items.
For me, driving a luxurious car with all the bells and
whistles is one of my “MUST HAVE” items.
My job requires me to travel quite a bit, all while lugging around bulky
production equipment. Being in a vehicle
that has good gas mileage, full surround sound, navigation and plenty of
storage room are my requirements.
I’ve found that for my in-town events, The Lexus CT200h is my
car of choice. A zippy hybrid with ample
storage in the back (the rear hatch door is ideal for easy load/unload accessibility)
makes for a fun drive over the bridges and onto the city streets. The sleek, stylish design keeps me looking
sharp as I cruise down the Embarcadero.
But it’s the eco/sport modes that really sell me. Knowing I get amazing gas mileage without
compromising the power and speed I’m so addicted to makes this a millennials
dream car.
When I need to go on longer road trip, the all-new 2015
NX200t is my SUV of choice. As I’ve
mentioned before, my road trips require Tetris level packing skills with all
the luggage and equipment I need for my job.
I found that the NX offered me
the eco/sport mode handling I loved in a compact car, while giving me the
ample room to load even the bulkiest of tri-pods and lighting equipment.
Both cars offer me the hybrid engine, power and speed I desire along with room for my crew, and with the price for each just low enough for me to justify the spend, I come out with money left to
take myself out for dinner when my work is done. Living the big city dream only works when you
have the right tools, and for me, the car I drive is a huge part of that.
To learn more about the CT or the NX, click on the link
below!