Would you live without a car?

[Radiance]

Between gas, tolls, maintenance, car registration, insurance I spend around $350 and I have a car payment of $300 so that is 650 a month. ugh

Would you live without a car? I have been toying with the idea lately, even if just for fun.
Of course I would need to calculate a transportation budget to use public transportation and taxis for emergencies...

what do you think (outside the box)

[MonkeyMama]

I personally would not live without a car, but we keep our costs significantly down by driving older, gas efficient vehicles, etc.

The public transportation around here is terribly expensive, so I find it hard to come out ahead without a car. (& certainly not worth the inconvenience factor). I am sure if I lived in another area I could do well without a car. But, life is infinitely more enjoyable with a car. Not only is the local transport way expensive, but we like to travel a lot (within a 200 mile radius?) and any transportation outside the city costs a fortune!

When I made $10,000 per year, I figured out how to afford my car. (Was worth it!)

[Radiance]

I'll have to agree...
What I will be doing is reducing my commute to save in gas, maintenance and elliminte the need for tolls.
I bought my car new, I didnt know any better. But it is a honda civic, 30mpg. not bad. I owe 3k on it
Which I plan to keep for as long as I can.
I've tried to save in insurance, but I havent been able to find anything cheaper, especially after I had an accident 2 years ago (crashed against the median, no other cars involved and nothing happened to me)
My concern here with public transportation is safety, very flaky after 7pm...

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I had a car and used public transportation while working. No parking so I had no choice. But my car was cheap to keep, run, and maintain. Big difference. It doesn't have to be an either or proposition.

Having a car that is worth pennies on the dollar is awesome. Just looked it up it's worth a ridiculous $4200

[tripods68]

Probably not! My car is my extension of my life, family, and activities. Full Liberty always comes with a cost no matter where you live.

[photo]

Some people don't have a choice unless they want to walk literally miles a day or pay for cabs. People who live in rural areas have different limitations and opportunities than people in more urban areas.

[disneysteve]

"Would you live without a car?"

Absolutely not! No way. No how. Maybe, just maybe, if I lived in midtown Manhattan, but living anywhere else, not a chance. I'd be spending thousands renting a car every time I needed one. I'd be exhausted from spending an hour or more commuting to and from work instead of a 10 minute drive. Shopping, dining out, getting to and from our synagogue (where I go several days per week for meetings) would be extremely difficult if not impossible. Our lifestyle would have to change drastically to survive without a car (without 2 cars actually).

[GREENBACK]

I would only be without a personal vehicle if I lived in a large city(I don't). If I was young (I'm not) and if I was really trying to save every last cent (nope!). I haven't been without personal transportation in almost 30 years and can't imagine it now. I consider it one of those great freedoms that americans to often take for granted.

[Ima saver]

No, not me! I love my cars!! All of them!! I live out in the boondocks and we have no public transportation.

[jpg7n16]

Um no.

DFW Weather Tuesday: 40 Straight Days of 100 Degrees or Higher and Counting

[krantcents]

I wish I could get around without a car. Unfortunately, I live in Los Angeles and that is not possible, but I have cut down on my driving. I used to drive close to 400 miles in 2 weeks, now it is closer to 400 in 3 weeks.

[jteezie]

I could live without a car and pretty much do live my life as if I do not own a car because I live close to everything. I leave my car parked weeks on end collecting dirt and dust... however, I still own a car because it is very convenient to have it around when I do need to take a trip or to shorten travel or some sort.

My cost of car ownership is very low though. Maybe 1500 annually or #125 a month tops.

[gloriachargersxoxo85]

i think i could. i love my bike and i dont mind public transportation!

[bjl584]

Negative.

[alphadore]

I wish other cities had the kind of public transportation as New York and London have so we would be less dependant on our private cars. But where I live (Dubai) definitely requires a private car. However, to save on maintenance and depreciation in value, I am now renting a car on a monthly basis. Rental of a decent car costs me 400 dollars a month and the owner is responsible for maintenance, tyres, insurance, etc.

I had a pretty bad experience last year. I owned a BMW M3 through a bank loan and bought it for 130k dirhams (local money). It was 2006 model. Then I had to sell it after driving it for two years. The second hand value of the car at the time of sale was down to only 80k.

On top of that, the car was not under warranty anymore so I had to pay large amount of additional expenses for gearbox failure, even for regular maintenance and tyres during those two years of my ownership. All in all I spent another 30k for the car expenses.

Basically, I spent 160k (1 dollar is equivalent to 3.67 dirham) for a car that I could only sell it for 80k after two years... It was a bad experience. So, I decided to be modest with my car choice from now on and in fact I dont even plan to buy a car anymore for a long itme.

[Godwynn]

I am actively trying to sell my car. Fuel, maintenance, insurance, and parking are not worth it. I can get around just fine for $86 per month using the CTA.

Also, Chicago drivers are terrifying.

[scotland]

My wife drives but I dont.
I have always managed perfectly without a car.
Our house is 100 yards from the railway station.
We can do most of our shopping and travelling without the car.

[photo]

Originally Posted by Godwynn

Also, Chicago drivers are terrifying.

I drive to Chicago 3-4 times per year and think that Chicago drivers are a lot more efficient than those in less metropolitan areas, at least in the midwest. It's true that a driver who is slow to move will quickly learn that he'd better not hesitate, which is somewhat amusing to witness.

Where I don't think Chicago drivers are efficient is with their huge SUVs (in a city?!) and with parking. If people would learn to park better, there would be more room for everyone.

If I lived in Chicago, though, I'd probably take the L a lot more than I would drive, and I'd only own a car (and guaranteed parking) for driving out-of-town or to the suburbs.

[dawnwes]

It would have to be the best public transportation ever to get me to even consider it.

I don't know what you drive, but it might be better to trade it for a small compact car that would get better mileage and have smaller payments attached to it.

Dawn

[riverwed070707]

While it wouldn't take away your car payment, would it be worth the savings for you to take public transportation/carpool to work to try to cut costs some? That seems like an awful lot to be spending monthly for an 03 car.