Tesla vs investing: what a $900 payment becomes in 10 years
This is not anti-Tesla. It is pro second number: know what the payment becomes, then buy the car with open eyes.
A $900 monthly payment plus insurance buys a very nice car. It also buys $220,000 over 10 years if you invest it instead, on real market data. This post is not anti-Tesla. It is pro second number: know what the payment becomes, then buy with open eyes.
Payment vs portfolio
$900 a month dollar-cost-averaged across the actual S&P 500 closes, 1995 to 2025: $220,000 in 10 years. The car, meanwhile, depreciates about half in five. One of these curves goes up. Keeping a paid-off car two extra years redirects enough to matter enormously. (See: Lease vs buy, true cost.)
When the car still wins
Sometimes the math says buy: a reliable car that gets you to a better job pays for itself. The point was never “never spend.” Run the number, compare it to what the car earns you, and decide like an owner. (See: Compound interest, explained.)
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