{"id":6809,"date":"2025-10-16T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/?p=6809"},"modified":"2025-10-17T09:42:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T09:42:27","slug":"target-worker-buys-38k-2025-subaru-forester-on-30k-paycheck-then-she-reveals-how-much-her-payments-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/2025\/10\/16\/target-worker-buys-38k-2025-subaru-forester-on-30k-paycheck-then-she-reveals-how-much-her-payments-are\/","title":{"rendered":"Target Worker Buys $38K 2025 Subaru Forester on $30K Paycheck. Then She Reveals How Much Her Payments Are"},"content":{"rendered":"

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So many crucial financial decisions are made on the wings of hope. Optimism tends to bloom fullest when we\u2019re looking to justify a splurge. We tell ourselves: \u201cOf course, the freelance gig will come through,\u201d \u201cObviously, there\u2019ll be extra shifts,\u201d \u201cI\u2019ll just pick up another class,\u201d \u201cThis year\u2019s bonus? It will be the biggest yet!\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the vibe buying a $38,000 car on a $30,000 paycheck is giving. And yet, one youthful New England Target worker made that choice, and somehow is making it work.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kaitlin Sonday (@kaitlinsonday), a self-described \u201crelatable Target girly\u201d and budget-minded TikToker, recently bought a brand-new 2025 Subaru Forester<\/a> that exceeds her annual Target salary.<\/p>\n

Making the Math to Afford a 2025 Subaru Forester Work \u00a0<\/h2>\n

In a TikTok video captioned, \u201cUpdated 38k car breakdown,\u201d Sonday lays out the method she used to make a new car<\/a> work on a Target employee\u2019s salary.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me explain,\u201d says Sonday. \u201cIf I\u2019m being honest, I thought [the total price] was only $35,000, but then I forgot taxes, registration, and fees were gonna be another $3,000. So, now we\u2019re at $38,000 for my car.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then she reiterates that she barely makes $30,000 at her Target job.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI put about $16,000 down, so we have about an $18,000 car loan, and the payments are about $308, which is really not that bad,\u201d she continues.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With a loan term of 72 months, a 6.29% interest rate<\/a>, and a plan to pay it off early with her TikTok earnings, she\u2019s got a handle on the ins and outs of her debt.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Next, she shifts gears and starts talking about fuel efficiency. \u201cIt holds about five more gallons than my Elantra did,\u201d she says, noting that she can go longer between gas runs. \u201cHowever, it\u2019s a little more expensive to fill up when I do fill up because I have to wait until it\u2019s on E.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s What I Would Have Done\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Few things are more satisfying than back-seat driving someone else\u2019s life. And in this respect, the user comments do not disappoint. Opinions range from how she should have spent her down payment to when she should fill her gas tank.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The first comment hits the parental note: \u201cI understand you like your job at Target, but having a car that exceeds your income is not the smartest idea. Either you work your way up in the company or find new opportunities because this is not sustainable long term,\u201d advises @370zsean.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the majority of the comments focus on the $16,000 down payment. \u201c16k down is sooo much omg, I would have suggested a 16k cash car or use 3-5k and use the rest for payments,\u201d writes @amiahduhh.<\/p>\n

@zev agrees, saying \u201cyou should\u2019ve just bought a 16k car.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a couple of folks don\u2019t care about the financial angle of it all; they\u2019re more interested in motor health. \u201cWaiting for your car to signal almost empty can actually hurt your car if you constantly do this! So don\u2019t wait until e,\u201d says @John.<\/p>\n

TikTok Creator Cashflow: The Side Hustle That Makes a\u00a02025 Subaru Forester Possible<\/h2>\n

One of the main questions viewers have is \u201cHow did she save that up?\u201d And while she admits that it did take a while, as a TikToker with 90,000 followers, she\u2019s been able to monetize her feed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She only briefly mentions her social media money, but a playlist video<\/a> (POV: TikTok Pays Off Your New Car) gives a short monthly breakdown of her earnings, ranging from about $300 to $600. And in an Oct. 3 video<\/a>, she says she\u2019s made about $20,000 in 2025 from her content. That brings her earnings to (about) $50,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That gives a little context to her new Forester: She\u2019s a hustler\u2014in the best sense of the word.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What Should Your Ratio of Income to Acquisition Be?\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n

According to Edmunds<\/a>, \u201cthe total value of all your vehicles shouldn\u2019t be more than half of your annual income.\u201d Why? Because nothing depreciates like a car, \u201cmotor equals major depreciation,\u201d explains Edmunds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But in general, experts agree: Less debt is better for you, with one even going so far as to assert the only people who should be buying new cars are literal millionaires<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Of course, personal finance is never one size fits all. There are many other considerations\u2014from income-to-debt ratio, long-term goals, how much your trade-in is worth, and what you want (or need) a payment to be. Finally, there\u2019s the intangible consideration: What does it feel like to drive?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Motor1<\/em> reached out to @kaitlinsonday via email and TikTok direct message.<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nWoman Says This Trick Will Stop Brakes from Squeaking. Why Are Mechanics Warning Against Doing it?<\/a>
Man Says Dealerships Have More Drama than Love Island. Now Workers Are Sharing Stories<\/a><\/p>\n

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So many crucial financial decisions are made on the wings of hope. Optimism tends to bloom fullest when we\u2019re looking […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6811,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6809"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6809"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6827,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6809\/revisions\/6827"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}