Cars for hire, Cars for sale.

Consider the options when it comes to economy car hire. You can ‘suffer’ in a small and cramped Citi Golf for the month or blow it all on a Lamborghini Diablo for one single day’s worth of driving. In an ideal world, the best [read: sexiest] option would be the Lamborghini. Honestly though, how many people out there are considered this frugal with their cash? No one I know and certainly, know one I care to know. A person like that would be able to buy me and sell me for a packet of peanuts if they so desired. I have digressed long enough, so consider this: Why do the rich hire the proverbial ‘rust buckets’ and the middle-class choose a far more desirable car for hire? This is a statistically proven phenomenon with a perfectly logical answer.

Let’s first discuss status. Status signified which group you ate with at the lunch tables during break time. Status means a country club for some or a gold chain for others. Either you are a big shot or you are no-one. Yet, this is not entirely accurate. Within each group the levels of status vary wildly, meaning that the millionaire with one private jet is frowned upon by the millionaire with a private jet plus a luxury yacht. Now, what about status relating to car hire? The low to middle class income groups, the ones who are perpetually stuck in a cycle of credit card debt [well, some at least] want to flash their cash. They need to prove, not only to themselves but to the whole world that yes, I can afford to drive this car. Hell, if I can hire it, it’s basically mine! The steady cycle of payday splurging, credit spending and the eventual blacklisting is becoming as common as the green grass on a tennis court.

This next sentence may offend some and make sense to others. The rich think differently therefore when they spend, it is with a mindset unlike the average human being. There are levels of wealth, varying stages in a person’s ‘rags to riches’ tale. Firstly, money is earned and spent without a care in the world. Then there is acceptance of personal wealth and the move from a normal way of life to a luxury lifestyle. Finally, status is no longer an issue and the individual will no longer flaunt their cash with reckless abandon. It is a slow process to reach this level, taking upwards of 30 to 40 years of being truly wealthy, according to statistics.

So here is my answer to the question. Why do the wealthy hire budget cars while the less-fortunate only hire the best? One cares about looking good while the other couldn’t care what anybody else thinks. Not only is this a decent summary, but a pretty decent mindset to have regarding all forms of expenditure. Speaking about those statistics, did you know that the total amount of money spent on car rentals in2007 was in excess of $7.1 billion dollars? Regardless of social status, rich or poor, everyone loves renting a snazzy car, it seems. Here is my personal advice for the future, keep it simple and curb that excessive credit card usage. Rather than trying out for that exclusive car hire, rent a standard 1.4 litre vehicle and see how far your money and fuel can go.

I have been considering car hire Durban south Africa and I enjoy browsing economy car rental websites.