Car-Free Decision

Thank you all who commented on my post yesterday about going car-free. Your input is helpful and appreciated.  This morning I did wake up with a little anxiety about the decision - as someone who has been continuously insured for  43 years it is kind of scary - I won't lie!

So many people think that what they drive reflects on who they are and how much money they make. My daughter bought a Jeep as it appealed to the type of lifestyle she wants to live. (I hope she'll figure out that the high monthly payments she is currently making aren't worth the sacrifice) - but she'll have to figure that out herself.

Personally I've ever only owned two BRAND NEW cars in 43 years of driving. I've always looked at a car/truck as a means of getting from point A to point B.  I appreciate air conditioning but that's about the only thing I've insisted on when purchasing a new or used vehicle. The first new car I purchased was a l979 or 1980 Datsun F10 which I then sold a year or two later when I moved out of province. And then I once leased a Cobalt from 2002 to 2006; I turned it in when the lease was up and purchased a used car. I do not get any car-induced high when I drive new vs. used.

Today I face my first challenge - I visit my brother every Thursday afternoon (travelling by bicycle usually) and there is a 40% chance storm watch in effect. Yesterday it was a 40% chance as well and here in NE London that amounted to about 5 minutes of mostly light rain. I don't have to decide for a couple more hours but I don't like having to cancel plans because of the weather. Let's see what happens!

Dougie the Dodge

I want to thank those folks who commented on my previous post about going "car-free" for their well-thought out remarks. It's not an easy decision and no option is perfect. You've given me a lot to think about.

London has a transit system which I used when I was in university. I had sold my orange mini in order to cut back on expenses while in school. The reasons I disliked city transit then was because of grocery shopping and doing laundry. Those are no longer issues as I can walk/bike to several grocery stores and now I have a washer and dryer. I tend to shop several times a week once I decide what to have for supper. Within 20 minutes I can make my list, walk to the store, buy a few things and walk home. I would have to plan to buy all the heavy stuff (cat litter, laundry detergent etc) when I either rented a car or used Car Share or Zipcar.

To travel further I don't mind taking a bus or the train. In fact, I prefer either of those options to driving myself. And there's Robert Q if I'm going to the airport.

I've done the math as to how much I would save over the course of a year.  My insurance is going to change a bit as Kazi is buying a car and is going to get her own policy. But not sure how much my outlay would be for renting/sharing per year.

My biggest concern is "spontaneous" outings, convenience, visiting friends/family and getting to places across the city. I would have to plan everything out and I don't really like to do that. Trying to get to volleyball on Friday nights would take at least an hour, likely more as there is no direct route. And, if I take a notion to go somewhere I don't really want to take 2 buses just to get to the rental place.

Rats. I don't think I would really like being car-free. But I am going to continue to think about it. Most rental places will pick me up and drop me off after. There is a Zipcar location just a few blocks from me. For a good portion of the year I barely use Dougie the Dodge - instead I walk or cycle and pay very little for gas. Unfortunately I don't think you can get insurance on a part-time basis. Too bad. That would suit me very well - have insurance from November to April. Bike or walk the rest of the time.

There's a business idea for somebody!!

Can I Live Without a Car?

Good ol' Dougie - we've gone through a lot together!

Oops, was supposed to post about this and then forgot. I forget a lot of stuff these days. My head is much busier than my hands. Ideas galore - implementation not so good.

I've spent some time recently wondering if I could manage being car-free. The object of this "wondering" is to save more $$ for travel which is highly motivating for me. And then there's the environment and fossil fuels argument.

My options are:

• selling/giving Dougie the Dodge away for a tax receipt and renting a car from my daughter when I need one (she works for Enterprise now and tells me lots of people just rent a car occasionally when they need one; or a family has just one car and rents another as needed)
• use CarShare or Zipcar when I need a car (you can rent by the hour or longer as needed for a small monthly fee. Gas and insurance included.
• trade Dougie in on a smaller car (no $$ savings)
• Go completely car-free and use transit system (not thrilled with this idea)
• keep Dougie and maintain the status quo

Thoughts? 

Have you experienced living car-free? How did it go? Is it really cheaper having to use buses, trains, and taxis?