View Full Version : Marine Corp life while not deployed
Fender104
11-29-08, 10:05 AM
I know as a poolie my mind need to staying on just earning the title, but I have been thinking recently what the marine corp life is like. Can you purchase a car while on base will you make enough as a Lance Corporal to afford a car? Also how many Marines go to college while not deployed.
Poolie Graczyk
JordanB
11-29-08, 10:15 AM
I'll just answer this one real quick before you bet blasted by the grammer nazis
"Can you purchase a car while on base will you make enough as a Lance Corporal to afford a car? " - Depends how you budget your money, most likely your best bet is to wait till your done your first deployment because you will have 7 months of combat pay saved up (assumeing you arnt a retard and buy a lot of **** online while overseas)
"Also how many Marines go to college while not deployed"- Exelent question, your best bet is to try online college as you will only have time to do one or two courses at a time, but if you are diciplined to your education you can knock out a bunch of college courses (online college and mci courses will help you pick up rank faster)
PaidinBlood
11-29-08, 10:31 AM
I'll just answer this one real quick before you bet blasted by the grammer nazis
"Can you purchase a car while on base will you make enough as a Lance Corporal to afford a car? " - Depends how you budget your money, most likely your best bet is to wait till your done your first deployment because you will have 7 months of combat pay saved up (assumeing you arnt a retard and buy a lot of **** online while overseas)
"Also how many Marines go to college while not deployed"- Exelent question, your best bet is to try online college as you will only have time to do one or two courses at a time, but if you are diciplined to your education you can knock out a bunch of college courses (online college and mci courses will help you pick up rank faster)
Yeah, that's about right. You can look up pay charts online if you are curious. That will show your monthly pay, from which you can deduct savings, cell phone, etc. Don't overextend yourself-too many Marines do. If your unit is deploying to a combat zone fairly soon after you join, just wait. If not, you might just have to suck it up and buy one. When I got to the Bn, we had less than 3 months 'til deployment so I waited until I got back to get housing, buy a car, and bring my other car out here. The Marines that came after me waited almost a year and a half. Just depends on what you need and who your friends are. As for college, it is 100% based on your training schedule and your determination. I took two night school courses here on base and only passed because my teacher was flexible. We were constantly in the field at that time (kinda my job). Anyway, good luck, and don't be afraid to ask. That's why we're here.
:flag:
PaidinBlood
11-29-08, 10:35 AM
FYI - even though there is only one Corps, there is still an 's'. It's not plural; it's silent...
Fender104
11-29-08, 10:53 AM
Thank you Marines for your answers. What was your housing situation like, from what I understand it's alot like a dorm room now where you share the room with two other Marines is this true. Also this question may be really lame but is there wifi on base and in your room and do most Marines have laptops. Thank you
Poolie Graczyk
Echo_Four_Bravo
11-29-08, 04:32 PM
No clue about Wifi, but I'd assume you have to pay for your own internet, unless a neighbor decides to have an unsecured wireless router going.
The living situation is USUALLY a barracks where you'll have a room with one or two roommates. You may share a head with the people nextdoor to you. It isn't that bad- but unlike a dorm room you do have to keep it clean, you will be inspected regularly.
Whether or not you can afford a car depends on you and what you want. Look up the pay for a LCpl and see what you get paid. IIRC, as a LCpl, my take home pay was around $550ish every two weeks or so but that was 2004-5. I highly suggest you don't buy a car that will cost you more than about 30% of your take home pay per month. Above all else, DO NOT BUY A CAR BASED ON MONTHLY PAYMENT, EVER. I've seen Marines buy cars with a 15% loan because they bought it based on monthly payment. Additionally I highly suggest you start an emergency fund before you purchase the car unless you think you can do it while you have the car.
An emergency fund is basically some savings just in case something happens and you need cash quick. The general rule is at least 3 months of living expenses. My initial goal was about $3000 within one year of going in which I met. Saving became addictive and by the time my contract was up I had several times that... I only really had to dip into it once because a relative became terminally ill and I had to fly across the country on short without any problem because of my savings. Yes, there's Navy Relief that may give you an emergency loan or whatever, but I think it's easier to not have to go that route. Besides, this was during a time that I was earning some 6% APY on my savings, days that are long gone.
I know a lot of Marines, LCpl, Cpl, even GySgt, who are broke a week after pay day, every pay day. Don't get yourself in this type of situation. It sucked for me to have to work with these people and hear their gripes about being broke or how paydays were spread a few days apart more than normal due to holidays or whatever. I'm sure it sucked more to be in that situation. I'm glad I was never in that situation and hope to never be in that situation.
College really depends on your schedule. I took college courses but I was unable to finish my BS. Otherwise, I'd have my BS now rather than going to school for another 4 semesters after the current one. The base might have colleges on site, but their offerings can be quite limited because of the attendance. I had to take all my classes online and even then not all the classes were offered when I needed them if at all. I did earn my AA in general education but I really want that BS.
The barracks can vary depending on the unit and the base. Some rooms are 2 man rooms with a head the connects to the next room. So you have 4 Marines sharing the same head. The new standard is 2 man rooms with no shared head, but I've seen 3 man rooms like this also. There are common areas with TVs pool tables and such in the barracks.
Wifi really depends on your unit. I've seen some units provide free wi-fi in the lounge, but I opted to purchase my own Internet service from the local cable company since a desktop isn't exactly portable. In 29 Palms, it was $43/ month for 10Mbps down/1Mbps up for me but I was with that company for a year before they were taken over and I may have been grandfathered in with the old price scheme; some people were paying more. There was DSL also, but it was 400kbps / 128kbps and it was $40 and doesn't give you a public IP.
brian21johansen
11-29-08, 05:18 PM
I'm on my laptop right now....internet is like 40 bucks or something. But here's my advice for you and every other new Marine:
DON'T BE THE IDIOT WHO GOES OUT AND BUYS SOME CAR THAT THEY CAN'T AFFORD
And for everybody's information.........just because you can somehow manage to make car/insurance payments every month with little money left over to save or use to pay for food means that YOU CAN'T AFFORD THE DAMN CAR.
Until you save your money up just keep it simple...a nice car that's under 10,000 (TOPS) is a smart idea. Establish your credit first then when you really have money saved up, maybe after a deployment or two....that's when you cans tart to spend a little.
I think it should be required for all new Marines who want to buy a car to complete the MCI Personal Financial Management.
PaidinBlood
11-29-08, 05:24 PM
I think it should be required for all new Marines who want to buy a car to complete the MCI Personal Financial Management.
What will they get out of borrowing the answers from their buddy? :sick:
The corollary to that rule is don't be the douchebag who spends three grand in town to buy the laptop from the pretty lady. Or spend two to buy his mom a "diamond" necklace. If you want to make a major purchase, mention it to your team leader or an NCO you trust. Scams and predators abound. They take one look at the big backpack and high and tight and see walking dollar signs... :thumbdown
SGT7477
11-29-08, 05:37 PM
One thing look at this capitalize, Marine Corps at all times.
Marine84
11-29-08, 08:42 PM
I think it should be required for all new Marines who want to buy a car to complete the MCI Personal Financial Management.
I think they should have some sort of idea about how to manage their own personal finances before they're let out on their own. And you guys have internet in your rooms?? Who stays in their room (well except Matt's roomie in Hawaii) long enough for that noise? ESPECIALLY in HAWAII!?!?!?!?!?!?! Even in another country, with very little English being said, driving on the wrong side of the road, drinking stuff I couldn't legally drink over here (well, according to the Corps I still couldn't legally), seeing things and places that just befuddled my country a$$, did I EVER stay in my room long enough for the internet. :banana:
My advice is to stay clear of MOST Marines when seeking financial advice. There are some fiscally responsible Marines out there but the vast majority I've met are idiots when it comes to money. Listen to the older Marines here, steer clear of the younger ones. 10k tops on a car or you won't be able to make it? That's one of the dumbest things I've read here in a while.
Marines tend to think the best way to spend their paycheck is on chicken wings at BWW and shots at clubs.
Any Marine that tells you what you can and can't afford doesn't know what they're talking about!
I bought a 1998 Camaro z28 with 16k miles in Aug 07. Paid mostly cash for it (yes, if you don't go out drinking every weekend, and buying strippers you CAN save money). Then in Nov 07 I bought a Grand Am to drive when it snowed. After building my Camaro, and having my fun with it I sold it FOR A PROFIT and bought a 2006 GTO. Had my fun with it, then traded in the GTO and Grand Am for a 2008 Trailblazer with only 12k miles on. I owed so little on my GTO and Grand Am that I can go and trade in my Trailblazer right now and not be upside down (if I chose to). I also bought another 1998 Camaro Z28 in October, with only 25k miles on it FOR CHEAP! And I'm about to sell it and make almost 2k profit.
I buy muscle cars, build them, race them, sell them for a profit and move on to my next project. So my car trends are MUCH different than most (You def. don't want to take advice from me, but don't think you're limited to buying a damn 88 Civic either) I also have a wife and 1.5 kids (31 weeks pregnant). I was interrogated back in March after buying my GTO by one of my Cpls about my cars. He asked if my family had food to eat, and if I had cable and a land line at home, etc., etc., etc. He just couldn't understand how I could buy 5 vehicles in 1 year while he struggled to make a payment on a 1996 Toyota Camry. I just shook my head and told him I'm not another stupid kid turned Marine...which only ****ed him off worst...and that I had money before the Corps not because of the Corps.
Don't let anyone tell you what you can't do. If you're smart with your money you can do plenty with it. If you're an idiot all you'll have to show for your paychecks is hangovers and STDs.
It's unfortunately true that a lot of Marines that I came across were not financially responsible. I think maybe it's because the Marine Corps is their first steady income that they may not have had...
Echo_Four_Bravo
11-29-08, 10:14 PM
Br34 makes a good point. If having that nice car is important to you, you can make it happen. For me, a car is just a part of life. I'm not going to sacrifice somewhere else to be able to drive that really cool car. (And I LOVE BWW- I'd kill to have one close to me now!) But you can split the middle. I don't want to turn this into some long boring post about savings that nobody wants to read- but since we've gone that direction I'm going to throw a little in here.
An emergency fund has been mentioned. That is important. You want to be able to cover all of your bills and expenses for a period of time. In the Marine Corps that is probably less urgent than in the civilian sector, because you know you have a job and aren't going to get laid off. But, you may have car trouble or something, and you want to be able to handle that. So try to save a nice "nest egg" of $2,500 to $5,000 to start with. After that, you can either go get that new car with a $400/month payment, or you can plan for the future. Simply put, the earlier you start saving for "retirement" the better off you'll be in the future. Interest is an interesting monster, it builds momentum that simply cannot be matched. If you save 10% of your income starting at age 20, it would be nearly impossible to match the money you'll save if you wait until you're 30 to start saving. How you save is debatable- I'd recommend putting some into a Roth IRA and the rest into solid safe mutual funds or money market accounts until the economy is settled down, and that may take a while.
All of that said, a LCpl under 2 years makes about $1588/month. Once you subtract taxes and the like, I'd guess you're looking at about $1250/month or so. (Sorry, I don't feel like doing math and I don't know your state tax rates.) If you factor out the savings that you should have and basic living expenses, $500/month for a car payment and insurance makes sense. I'd aim for less, but that wouldn't be bad.
SlingerDun
11-29-08, 10:20 PM
...will you make enough as a Lance Corporal to afford a car?I can answer this with little uncertainty regardless of the make and model you prefer.....No!
Unless you have a spouse dependent on a POV, then it's a poor investment (fuel, insurance, maint, storage?) for the return. With few exceptions it's an expensive luxury for a a single young Marine and can feel like an anvil around your neck. Whats a bus ticket cost?
--->Dave
Wyoming
11-29-08, 10:59 PM
What's a bus ticket cost?
... or a tank of gas for a friend every once in a while ...
Qwarkeh
11-29-08, 11:04 PM
I'm at my MOS school right now so I don't know the whole scoop on this, but ever since I got of the Island everyone has been telling me to NEVER buy a car near a military base. The people there are former military and know how to screw you over with payments and such.
thewookie
11-29-08, 11:04 PM
At the time, Navy FCU gave me a $10k loan at 3.5% APR .
3.5% - wow that's a great deal for an unsecured loan. That's much better then my cousin Vinny....
I'm at my MOS school right now so I don't know the whole scoop on this, but ever since I got of the Island everyone has been telling me to NEVER buy a car near a military base. The people there are former military and know how to screw you over with payments and such.
Your best bet is Autotrader. 3 of my last 5 vehicles have been bought from Autotrader. I search country wide, and make the travel arrangements when I find a car who's price is low enough to justify the trip.
thewookie
11-29-08, 11:09 PM
You can do anything you want once you earn the title.
My first car in the Corps was a beat-up old VW Beetle, paid $500 bucks for it and it lasted about 6 months.
Problem was we shipped to Oki and I left it at some girls house, and when we came back it was gone.....
But for $500 bucks it was better then the bus for 6 months...
In the Corps, anything you want.......
3.5% - wow that's a great deal for an unsecured loan. That's much better then my cousin Vinny....
That's my car loan; the car is the collateral.
thewookie
11-29-08, 11:13 PM
That's my car loan; the car is the collateral.
Nice, 3.5% for a depreciating asset, what a deal...
Nice, 3.5% for a depreciating asset, what a deal...
Would you rather I be one of those people that buys a car based on monthly payment?
As a Cpl I couldn't afford a Ferrari Enzo or Porsche Carrera GT, a couple cars that might appreciate in value, so I had to settle with a lowly depreciating econobox Toyota sedan that I still owe some $3000 on two years later.
Don't worry though...I'm going to keep my car for the better part of a decade or more so I get some value out of it. It already helped me get to an interview land a job where I earn as much as a Sgt but work half the hours. It's not that I'm lazy...it's more of a school gets in the way of a full time job thing.
As far as appreciating assets...the market hasn't been well these past few months and I've earned some as well as lost some over the past few months.
PaidinBlood
11-30-08, 12:44 AM
Talk about investments. I got my old beat up Ford I bought cash when I was 17, and my wife's not so new Explorer I bought cash when I got home the first time. I don't have ****, and they're bleeding me dry but I don't owe a soul. Can't have it all.. :scared:
Fender104
11-30-08, 01:11 AM
I realize when I signed the dotted line that I wasn't going into a life of Bentleys and benjamins , Although it is refreshing to know I wont be dirt poor and if I want a car I can have one and save my money too, I would take my car i have right now but I don't think i will be able to make it to any base I am stationed at since I'm in the Midwest and any drive would be over 2 thousand miles.
I never really thought about saving my money like you Marines have suggested until now but I definitely will and it will pay off later. I'm not the kind of person to just go and waste my money on stupid things and I plan on bringing that with me to the Corps. Thank you for all your answers .
Poolie Graczyk
PaidinBlood
11-30-08, 03:37 AM
Hell if ya gotta car, get some tires and do your own tune up. There's your answer. :thumbup:
Unless you're trying to drive to Oki or K-bay, I think you may be able to bring your car. It would take a few days, but it's definitely do-able. I've known people who drove from North Carolina to southern California for MOS school and then back to the east coast for their duty station.
Now whether you can bring your POV to MOS school depends on the school.
thewookie
11-30-08, 07:14 AM
Would you rather I be one of those people that buys a car based on monthly payment?
As a Cpl I couldn't afford a Ferrari Enzo or Porsche Carrera GT, a couple cars that might appreciate in value, so I had to settle with a lowly depreciating econobox Toyota sedan that I still owe some $3000 on two years later.
Don't worry though...I'm going to keep my car for the better part of a decade or more so I get some value out of it. It already helped me get to an interview land a job where I earn as much as a Sgt but work half the hours. It's not that I'm lazy...it's more of a school gets in the way of a full time job thing.
As far as appreciating assets...the market hasn't been well these past few months and I've earned some as well as lost some over the past few months.
I hear what you are saying, I was being a little sarcastic last night and it didn't come across like I hoped.
I do not recommend financing cars, any cars, because they are a depreciating asset AND in this case, it puts young Marines in a hole. But if you have to, and you get it at 3.5% APR then you're not doing so bad.
But never buy new, even if they give it to me for 0% - YOU'RE STILL TAKING A HUGE BEATING ON THE DEPRECIATION. Buy used.
I do recommend buying a beat-er for cash once you get to your first duty station. I didn't buy my first "nice" car until I had been in for four years, and was permanently assigned to a range as Corporal - making some mad loot by the way! All the cars I had prior to that were "beaters" for $1,000 or less, but worth it to me to have my freedom.
I hate waiting on buses or for other people for rides.
Sure enough though, I saw a lot of Marine finance all these "nice" cars, but spend half there time deployed. And most of them weren't paying 3.5% - more like 10+
Buy it cheap and for cash, if/when you're going to get it.
I knew a CWO4 that drove this old-beater Ford pick-up. I got to talking to him one day and found out that he was retiring a millionaire. Told me that he never had a new car in his life.
But, he had mad loot.
The question about what you do when you are not deployed? You're doing the same thing in a different place. Deployed to the war you are using live rounds instead of blanks.
Marine84
11-30-08, 08:56 AM
A lot of times, you can get an even sweeter deal from another Marine that may be transferring somewhere. I bought a little Toyota Corolla in Japan from a Marine that was getting ready to transfer back to the States and all he needed was $100 to get him out of a little bad check thing. SOLD! It was my Flintstone Mobile - you really could see the road around the gear shift and the muffler had been jury rigged with a freakin clothes hanger to keep it attached but, I drove the $h!t out of that car for the 10 months I had it. Drove it over stop signs and into guardrails..................them little bitty streets just weren't wide enough - LOL!
bgsuwoody
12-01-08, 02:33 AM
Don't buy anything until you have the money for it. Save it until you have enough to purchase it because if not either the loan shark loan companies around here will give you a 31% loan or you will be using 50-90% of your lowly paychecks to pay for it. I have seen some ridiculous people get in some tight spots and they dont even have the 5 dollars to get a haircut on Sunday.
YOU DO NOT NEED A 20,000 CAR!
YOU DO NOT NEED A 1700 60 INCH LCD HT PLASMA SCREEN HOME STEREO SYSTEM TV
YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY YOUR GIRLFRIEND A 3000 RING
YOU DO NOT AND I MEAN DO NOT NEED A WIFE
You do however need enough money to purchase enough weekly booze, get drunk with your boys, have a few extra ones for the strip club, a 20 for the cab back home, some cash for a nice steak dinner after weeks in the field, the ability to buy some electronic (IPOD, PSP, Portable DVD player, etc.) so you can waste your pointless hours away when not doing actual work, some extra money for gear to make your life and your job easier, and every once in a while a hundo or so to take that random trip to Myrtle Beach get a hotel, get some new clothes, and get some tail. Other than that put some away for an emergency flight back home if something was to happen to your family.
Yeah, that's about right. You can look up pay charts online if you are curious. That will show your monthly pay, from which you can deduct savings, cell phone, etc. Don't overextend yourself-too many Marines do. If your unit is deploying to a combat zone fairly soon after you join, just wait. If not, you might just have to suck it up and buy one. When I got to the Bn, we had less than 3 months 'til deployment so I waited until I got back to get housing, buy a car, and bring my other car out here. The Marines that came after me waited almost a year and a half. Just depends on what you need and who your friends are. As for college, it is 100% based on your training schedule and your determination. I took two night school courses here on base and only passed because my teacher was flexible. We were constantly in the field at that time (kinda my job). Anyway, good luck, and don't be afraid to ask. That's why we're here.
:flag:
I just want to say that a private in boot camp makes more than I made as a Cpl when I first picked up in 2003... and a LCpl makes more than I did as a Sgt when I picked up in 2004!! if you can't afford a car on that, you have some serious issues...
The question about what you do when you are not deployed? You're doing the same thing in a different place. Deployed to the war you are using live rounds instead of blanks.
the Commandant is actually getting live fires started for ALL Marines to participate in... like CAX but for everybody. I can't really tell you how he's gonna do it but it's going to be in Afgan style terrain and all Marines are expected to participate not just Victor Units.
thewookie
12-01-08, 12:09 PM
the Commandant is actually getting live fires started for ALL Marines to participate in... like CAX but for everybody. I can't really tell you how he's gonna do it but it's going to be in Afgan style terrain and all Marines are expected to participate not just Victor Units.
Get it going. Why not. There are no true front lines anymore, or not in the current conflicts that we face. All Marines that are not in a victor unit need to have a little more training in them besides only MCT. Send them through a 10 day package at CAX, or PTA on the Big Island, for those overseas CTA or NTA. Whatever, the list goes on, we are not lacking the training facilities, but the thing you have to anticipate is some budget cuts coming down the pike and those training exercises chew through cash. So, it will be interesting to see how they get it done from a budget standpoint.
But I think the Marine Corps has gone above-and-beyond in proving their worth to this country, and so they should be able to fight for the budget they need. The next few years are going to be lean spending years for the military. Perhaps not rightfully so, but it's gonna happen.
Maybe, just maybe, Billary and Obama can milk some ching-a-ling-aling from the Iraqis and their oil.
SlingerDun
12-01-08, 06:22 PM
YOU DO NOT NEED A 20,000 CAR!
YOU DO NOT NEED A 1700 60 INCH LCD HT PLASMA SCREEN HOME STEREO SYSTEM TV
YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY YOUR GIRLFRIEND A 3000 RING
YOU DO NOT AND I MEAN DO NOT NEED A WIFEAgreed. Why doesn't a young Marine need the above items? Because they tie a guy down and drain his modest resources before he's ever had a chance to gain a little luft. Try learning how to swim while your sinking! If it works out you are very talented.
Once you have money saved and a little knowledge, better deals are easier to negotiate in your favor because you have what everybody wants. But you gotta save or acquire it first.
A slave to the lender is an Owned man with a weak position to gain leverage, and 'they' know it. Same holds true in relationships, don't live on credit.
Hell if ya gotta car, get some tires and do your own tune up. There's your answerA guy can learn alot from an old beater and as the Wookie elaborated on it's the sensible way to purchase early in a Marine's career, if you just gotta have wheels. If it's such a heap that it repels women (easy to do in SoCal) you're saving money and gas that your fellow Marines should have helped kick in for hauling them to town, If it dies in the Mojave? it's not an expensive funeral.
From owning my share of temperamental pickups and jeeps comes confidence knowing that if a vehicle quits on a cold morning in my driveway or on the highway outside of Squatandropit, Nevada... I may not always be able to troubleshoot it back into motion but i'll likely know where the problem is.
--->Dave