[excitedtobeamom]

Okay, we are going to sell our beloved 2004 Toyota Sienna and go to one car. Dave Ramsey has inspired me now I just need to believe that I can live without it and be debt free in 19 months, except our house! That would be paying off $57,000 in misc bills in 21 months. I figure that I have to do it now while the kids are young and we really don't need it. It will make me stay home more, garden more, cook more etc. It is really freeing actually to get rid of these payments. Anyone else done this and lived to tell! I know I can but it will be hard at times!

 

[1growingsprout]

YIKES.... $57,000 over 21 months is approx $2700/month....
If you accomplish that YOU ARE MY HERO.... I wish i had your dedication and budgeting skills

:

 

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

We have never had a second car and most of the time we have lived in areas without public transport.

Some tips that have made my life easier:

Plan ahead!

If you know ahead of time that you are going to need to go somewhere you can't walk you can make arangements.On days when I need the car, sometimes I drive dh to work, sometimes he'll carpool and now that we live here, he'll often walk.

Meal planning means fewer last second trips to the store. This has been great for our budget too.

Plan to do errands on the same day if possible. So when I have the car, I'll do a big shopping trip, go to the library and the bank and maybe take a load to the recycleing depo all in the same day.

It helps that I can walk to the store, my kids school and the post office easily.

You can do this!

 

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Yes.

We did this too (also inspired by Dave Ramsey).

We sold our second car last September.

I haven't missed it. Not even one day.

1. I walk EVERYWHERE. My definition of how far "within walking distance" is has expanded greatly. I will now walk two miles to get to something (pushing a double stroller). Back when we had two cars I drove down to my neighbor's house. My, have times changed!

2. We discovered public transportation. On days I need the car, DH takes the bus.

3. We started meal-planning and going to the grocery store together on weekends -- one big trip every two or three weeks.

4. I stopped recreational shopping. No car = no shopping. That has saved our budget.

We're very happy to be living without that second car and all the insurance, payments, parking meters, tag renewals, oil changes, car washes, etc.

You can do it too!

 

[1happymom]

Can't say that we've done it. But I completely believe that we could do it if it becomes necessary. Go for it mama!! : )

 

[excitedtobeamom]

Thanks so much for your inspiration! I am pumped now! I just wish we had public transportation close by. Once it isn't over 100/110 degrees I will try walking more places also.

 

[rainbowmoon]

hey there stranger!

I have friends in Tuscon who are a 1 car family. they bike alot (w/ a trailer for the kid/s) is that an option for you?

 

[CaraNicole]

you can do this! me and dh only have one car and it just takes planning!

 

[excitedtobeamom]

Hello stranger!

Yes, I have a bike and a trailer that I need to use more often. Once the heat goes away, I plan on doing it.

I think the hardest part of getting rid of it is doing it but once it is gone I think we will be fine and much more frugal. It is hard to get rid of something when you don't "have" to but in the long run we will be so much better off. All the trips I want to go on here I come-in a few years!

 

[Light&Lion]

I would love to have only 1 car, no cell phone, and walk places. Does anyone do that in the LA area? Is California even made for that stuff? Maybe I need to leave Cali?!?!?!

 

[Light&Lion]

My husband used to live in the Netherlands.. they ride bikes EVERYWHERE and in ALL sorts of weather conditions i.e. pouring rain. And they will proudly tell you that even their Queen rides a bike

 

[mama kate]

As soon as DHs truck lease is up in March we are ditching it. He still has a motorcycle that he can ride to work then he can take my car too if it is raining. We use to have 1 car & I loved it. we'll save @ $450 a month

: I can't wait - I'm countig down the months!!! Congrats to you - You can do it!!!

 

[MidwifeErika]

We did the 1 car thing for awhile and it was fine. We only got a second car because I started taking doula clients and got an apprenticeship... so I needed transportation. It was nice though to only have 1 car payment. Somedays I wonder now if we should have gotten a scooter instead of another car.... I could have kept the van and my husband could have taken the scooter to work... but this is Wisconsin and a scooter doesn't work so well for the snowy months.

That is a wonderful goal you have to get all that debt paid off! My husband and I are going to be trying to get ours paid off as well, but I know it will take us longer.... we are hoping 10 years.

 

[lisalulu]

You can do it! We just sold our second car in April and honestly we don't miss it. We share out current car so we all walk a little more and are probably healthier for it. I can't tell you how nice it is not to have a car payment and to be saving on the insurance money too!

 

[Sonnenwende]

I don't think it has to be all or nothing.

I have a paid for used car. It costs me only gas a month to keep it. I pay 165 in liability coverage every six months. Oil changes every two to three months, do them myself. Repairs, as far as I can do them myself, I do them myself (or well, any adult male member of my family

. Car gets too expensive to repair, eh, just get another beater.

If you take care of your beater, could be awhile before you would have to do that. My sister has an ancient pickup from the 80s, but it is still chuggin along like it has been since the day she bought it 4 years ago.

I am getting rid of my beater for another beater within the next few weeks, but it is because my current one is too small for my needs now. I need something just slightly bigger. Thinking a two or four door 1994-97 Civic or 1998-2000 Focus wagon. Both are fairly reliable and are easy on gas. My husband is looking at 1989-1992 CRXs for himself as his commuter. They don't die and get like 40+ miles a gallon. Sell for around 900-1500.

I just can't see ever wanting to have another car payment or being forced to carry full coverage again, but that doesn't mean I can't have a car either.