Dear Carli,
I recently got my license, and I am involved in sports and clubs after school. They are very important to me, but as I get older and become more expected to participate frequently, I am having difficulty with transportation. My parents both work, so it has been difficult for me in the past to find rides to and from practice. Now that I have my license, I really want to talk to them about getting a used car for myself to use. They have told me that they want to know I am responsible before they make a decision, so how can I show them that I am responsible and that a car would help out a lot?
–Eager driver
Dear Eager driver,
You need to show your parents that you are responsible enough to own a car by acting like an adult and calmly explaining your concerns to them. Show them your sports and club schedules, and explain why a car would help you in this situation. Also, think about a reasonable price range and look up used cars on craigslist or usedcars.com to give yourself some basis for what to look for and talk about. Consider if you will be able to contribute to the cost of the car, as well as if you can pay for your own gas. If you talk to your parents about all of these things in a mature way, you will show them that you are responsible. –Carli
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