I'm thinking of selling our vehicle and walking/taking the bus places. Has anyone here done this? How has it worked out? I think my biggest hangup is that a car is a status symbol - "what you don't even have a CAR?" and all that jazz. Need to let go of that somehow. Thoughts?
I don't work - hubby walks now anyway even with a car. (His work is about a half mile away.) We're within walking distance to several grocery stores, etc. Only really need the bus to get to the mall, etc. I could walk there too but not with the kids. I think we might try not using it for a set time and see how it goes.
i drive very rarely.i'll rent a car a couple times a year to take a road trip....day to day i get by walking,biking,busing it or a combination of the three.it makes for some good relaxing exercise.i live in a city though out in the country where it is far away from the nearest town it would be harder to do it.cars do come in handy though especially for families.but there are so many cars out there these days.i've noticed in the last ten years or so cars constanly and not just at rush hours and on insignifigant streets.and i've noticed alot more hostility in the drivers.but i enjoy walking.i use a backpack to pick up groceries a couple times a week.sometimes the weather makes it a little tough but it's kind of a fun challenge.you could keep the car for a back up but then there is insurance,maintanace,liscence fees etc.on the other hand you can always buy another car if being without one didn't work out for you.oh decisions,decisions.everybody has differant situations but not driving very much works pretty good for me.
I'm completely car-free.. never owned one, don't plan to. Of course it's different in England, our public transport system is pretty good, there's usually a bus or a train for where I want to go.
Car free.. got rid of it about 4 months ago... just a bicycle now It does save a lot of money, but real pain when you need to get groceries Monthly bus pass is $20 and they take bikes
lol i gave up on owning a vehicle for now. ive had 5 vehicles since i was 17. i always find a way to get around. alas i live in a little town with no buses and no taxi either!
$20 a month is a good price.where i live it's between $60-$80 a month.but they have the bike racks too.
Yeah - I ride one of these : http://www.poweredbicycles.co.uk/photos/1.584164izipcbg10241.jpg I know the roads can be dangerous, but perhaps get a bunch of bikes for the kids too. Keep fit, save the environment and look erm, well not very cool, but your heart will be in the right place.
Thanks...yeah I can get a monthly bus pass for $15 here. But I really can walk almost anywhere I need to go. The car is just sitting there, I figure I may as well sell it and bring some $ in. It's just a big headache...repairs, insurance, gas - car free would save me loads of $.
It is untill you forget to charge the battery and you have to lug the thing home - DOH! - heavy, very heavy. It was only £375 (about $650)- a bargain really. I've saved loads of money too. http://www.izipusa.com/ The positives deffinitly outweight the few negatives.
i did it for 3 years, i only have a car now because it was a free gift, i almost never drive it. i walk or take the bus , roller skate too . i have had no problems living w out a car except the part of the city i live in now has a crappy bus line .
I'm almost two years car free, and two years car lite before that. I have a reasonable bus system and my home is close to light rail. Since only a few artery bus lines run all night and I work late, that's an issue. The biggest pains are groceries and laundry, since I use a laundromat. I bought a winnie wagon, a folding cart that can hold a few bags of groceries or two small loads of laundry. With kids I'd be considering these factors: where are the best recreation spots? libraries, parks, any place they like to be? How convenient are those places without a personal car? what about school? if a kiddo gets sick, can you catch a bus/ have a neighbor give you a ride/ afford a taxi call? Can you afford to rent a car for a day for big haulings, special activities, etc if you need to? How convenient is the car versus the insurance and other costs? (I pay about 2/3 of the gas money in the form of passes and ride books for two people. That means my actual savings per month is the insurance and a smaller bit. I think it is close to $100 per month savings. That is three-four emergency taxi rides, two-three weekend rentals. Since I have yet to do either, that is money in the bank, and given to charities)
Now does that have any kind of generator on it that recharges say when you go down hills? or is it plug in power only? also how well does it run going up a hill.... does it draw the battery down real quick?
Quit driving 4 years ago. One of the best decisions I ever made. All that expense and anxiety is gone. Ride the bike or walk everywhere. I haul a cart like to the store for groceries. I hope I never go back.
Moondaddy , me too i use a little red wagon for my groceries ..and a back pack for small trips. i hate to ride in a car if at all possible.
Glad to see it working out for so many! Library/parks/etc. just a few blocks. Same with hospital. I really am in a terrific location distance wise to most things. We homeschool so school isn't an issue. We wash clothes home, so laundry isn't an issue either. We do one large grocery trip a week with several "small runs" that can be easily walked. For the big trip we've been walking then taking a cab home, the cab runs $5 - so $20 a month. Not bad.
