Comments on: one car experiment: part 2

By: Frugal vs. Cheap-Which are you?

Frugal vs. Cheap-Which are you? — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:27:04 +0000

[...] frugal individual finds ways to reduce transportation expenses, and takes advantage of carpooling whenever possible. The cheap individual insists that others [...]

By: 1 car experiment: FAIL — the centsible life

1 car experiment: FAIL — the centsible life — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:01:43 +0000

[...] surviving with 1 car for the past 6 months. It hasn’t always been easy, but there were some benefits to having 1 car for awhile. The main issue has become the weather combined with my daughter’s Kindergarten [...]

By: @centsiblelife

@centsiblelife — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:01:37 +0000

I think that's a great idea!
Our challenge right now is that we are struggling with the cold weather.
I need to pick up my daughter every day, so I need the car every day. It's eating up at least an HOUR of my day!

We are talking about a 2nd car simply because the hubby's schedule is busier, and I need to be able to pick up my girlie even if it's snowing. I looked into carpooling, or paying a service to pick her up, but no dice.

So while it may be inspirational, and we are glad we have done it for 6 months, it's time to re-evaluate.

By: @MainlineMom

@MainlineMom — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:18:12 +0000

Wow this is a bit inspirational. We live in the heart of suburbia, and my husband commutes over 20 miles to work each day, but I work from home and the house we bought is literally a five minute walk from our daycare and our elementary school. When the oldest starts elementary next year I simply refuse to drive him to school because the traffic is RIDICULOUS, so I will be walking both kids to school, rain or shine. (thankfully we have no snow, or even very cold days). I *could* walk the two miles to all the local shopping, coffee shop, etc. It would probably save me money to stay near home, simply because I'm a bit of a shopaholic and I love to wander the mall or Target just to get out of my house. Perhaps I could take this up as a challenge for a month and see what happens.

By: CentsibleLife

CentsibleLife — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:02:15 +0000

Sounds like a great way to make it work!
I like the idea of a pickup as well, but it's not practical for the backup car right now since it wouldn't be safe for the kids.

We have found a service shop that my husband's co-worker goes to, so they agreed to pick up and drop each other off when one of our cars needs service. Certainly makes things easier!

By: CentsibleLife

CentsibleLife — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:59:16 +0000

Patti, so many places in the US (even surrounding neighborhoods near our home) are places that are impossible to get by without at least one car. It's really a matter of poor planning.

Funnily enough our neighborhood was the country 40 years ago when it was built, but now it's a major shopping area. I think it's sort of an accident that we picked this place, and are able to get by without a second car.

It's definitely easier than I thought it would be.

By: King Richard

King Richard — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:49:12 +0000

My wife and I have been a one-car family for two or three years now. We love it because it works for us. My wife teaches school and I am a computer programmer. Fortunately, that allows me to be flexible with my schedule. Her work is on the way to my work . . . if I choose to work in the office rather than from home. My work is 12 miles from home so, on occasion, when the Arizona weather permits, I ride my bicycle. But most days I drop her off and I pick her up on the way home.
The great part is that we get to spend time together. I hear about how her day went. We run errands often on our way home.
The hard part for us, with all of our children grown, is getting the car in for service. But I finally found a reliable shop not too far from my work, where they will take me on to work and pick me up later when the work is done.
Will I ever go back to two cars? Yes, but not the way that you might think. I may buy a pick up so that I could haul things as needed and to use as a back up should the primary vehicle fail or need service, but it would sit at home most of the time.
Doing one car has been a great experience for us. It probably also saved us a bundle on payments, insurance, registration, fuel and maintenance.

By: centsible life update — the centsible life

centsible life update — the centsible life — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:18:22 +0000

[...] one car experiment: part two [...]

By: patti

patti — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:33:25 +0000

i was amused by this topic.
all my life, i've lived in one car or no car homes.
my parents have had one car between them for their entire lives.
actually, they had no car until i was about 12 years old.
my husband and i have shared a car for 20 years. often we had no car, just a motorbike, or even pushbikes.
we all live in new zealand and australia, where it's a lot more expensive to buy and maintain a car….i suspect that is where our built-in car-frugality stems from.
nowadays we could all afford big shiny new cars and one each….but we simply do not need them.
(we do have large shiny motorbikes, but they are truly our only frivolous toys….and after two years, i am already re-considering mine).

one just learns to manage without.
kudos to you guys for realising just how possible it is and how easy it is really.
we just don't have to be everywhere all the time.

By: CentsibleLife

CentsibleLife — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:30:55 +0000

I know you did, Matt. You were in part the inspiration for it!
We had talked about it off and on but I couldn't talk the hubby into it, until it became a reality.
The old us would have gone out and bought another car with a tiny downpayment, but the new us is much wiser thanks in part to the many wonderful personal finance bloggers I know, like you!