A week from today I hand my brother the keys to my Ford Explorer. Then it will be his car, and I will have no car. Or, rather, I will no longer have my own car. We will be a 1-car family.
I really should have given it to him a few years ago. Except for a few longer car trips (because it is a comfortable vehicle to travel in), it has spent much of the last five years parked in my garage. What a big waste of money that has been. The darn things are expensive even if you don’t drive them much — especially if you don’t drive them.
This morning I took it to the local Ford dealership for a good once-over so that it will be ready to give away.
Today is day 5 of Bike to Work Week. I’ve been putting in a lot of miles doing errands. School is out. Grades are in. I’m ready for summer.
I’ve seen many bicyclists today.
Comments 4
Well done you. Being car free (or car lite) is really freeing…
Posted 16 May 2009 at 4:31 am ¶Thanks! I’m looking forward to the extra cash
Posted 16 May 2009 at 8:43 am ¶We went to one car in February 2007 quite by accident. A 3 inch thick sheet of ice slid off our attic dormer (3 stories up) and landed on our little Mazda, which was parked in the driveway below. Total loss. We shopped around for a few weeks, decided that the insurance money was better spent elsewhere, and I bought a used bike and a trailer for the kids. We had intended to buy another car in the fall of 2007, but it never happened and I’m still pulling the girls around by bike.
I guess it’s easier for me than for most, since I’m a stay-at-home Dad. Two trips per day to school for the oldest adds up to 2 miles. There’s a supermarket about a 1.5 miles away. There are 3 parks within a mile. I try to go on a bicycle club ride once or twice a week. I’d say I ride about 50 weekly miles on average. I’ve not experienced any significant weight loss, but my heart rate and blood pressure are both much lower than they used to be.
If I need the car I can drive my wife to work. And we typically rent a second car 2 or 3 times a year for special events or when one of us has to travel without the rest of the family, which is significantly cheaper than owning and maintaining a second car that we don’t really need.
Posted 18 May 2009 at 8:02 am ¶Scott… Cool story. I did the Mr. Mom thing when I was in grad school — a great experience! I am really excited about giving up this vehicle. I feel like I used to when getting a new vehicle back in day
Posted 18 May 2009 at 8:45 am ¶