Sharing a car with girfriend

trojan10_om

This is a complicated one, and i wasn't sure which forum to put it in either.

The background is my girlfriend and I are are moving in together, we work 22 miles apart and instead of finding a place in the middle we are living in the town I work as renting is cheaper.

I currently own a car (but don't need one for work, mainly social) and my girlfriend doesn't but pretty much needs a car for work regardless of where she lives.

I am happy to let her use my car for work, seeing as we decided to live so close to my work. Whats the fairest way to share the costs of running the expense of the car?

My insurance is £1,300 and costs £30 to add her until the end of the policy (August)

The car I own has done 75,000 and is worth approx £1000.

Petrol to her work is going to cost about £30 a week I think.

Its not quite a simple as slitting it down the middle for 3 reasons

1. I own the car
2. She will be using the car and doing all the miles
3. We chose to live close to my work not hers
4. She is worried about paying for repair costs

Gloomendoom

Sell her the car and rent it back from her when you need it.

Problem solved.

Gordon_Hose

Just let her put the petrol she needs in it. Cover the rest yourself as it's your car.

But you may come unstuck with insurance. If she's going on as a named driver, she can't be the main driver of the vehicle. Obviously that risk is down to you, but if she has an accident and is found out as the main driver, but only on the policy as a named driver, then it'll void your insurance.

rev_henry

If she's going to be the main driver as Gordon says then do this with the insurance company - it'll probably reduce the cost rather than increase it by £30. Also remember to change your marital status to cohabiting - that will save you quite a bit. If you work out that extra £30 for the whole year that's quite a big increase for adding a female partner. Wouldn't surprise me if your insurance dropped into 3 figures if you do this. Not sure about how to share costs. I take it you're not just combining all your finances?

trojan10_om

No we dont intend to to combine all finances.

What I didnt explain (as I didn't want to initially overload with info) is that the job is a new one and she is starting in June and the job is teaching. Therefore she will only be using it for a few weeks as the main driver. Then its her summer holidays and will only be using the car for social until the policy ends.

The £30 I think was mainly an admin fee.

The headache is when its comes to deciding who pays for what when she goes back to work in September. I cant expect her to pay for all the petrol as the only reason she lives 22 miles away from work is for me. And insurance, should she be the main driver even though I own the car. and would it be more fair to split the insurance cost between us?

cutandshut

You sound like a tight git. She's your girlfriend for goodness sake.
My advice to her would be to get as far away from you as possible.

trojan10_om

cutandshut wrote: »

You sound like a tight git. She's your girlfriend for goodness sake.
My advice to her would be to get as far away from you as possible.

very funny.

were only trying to work out a fair way of doing it together. Were both on pretty tight budgets, and this is a money forum not a relationship forum you know.

she offered to buy a car herself which is another option , but it will be a strain on both of us funding a car each

Svenena

I think you should split it all half and half (except the insurance from now until September, as she hasn't had the full year's worth). I think that petrol should be split half and half, because this is effectively a living cost of being in the town you're in. It would have had to be paid for by whichever one of you lived away from your work.

I think insurance should be half and half because you are both using the car, which it what it covers you for. Definitely look in September for cheap quotes with her as the main driver (doesn't matter if you own the car) and you as a named second one. This way is bound to be cheaper. I think repairs should be split because her extra mileage is likely to mean more repairs will be needed. If she bought a car herself, she'd have to pay all these costs in full herself, and so would you. Splitting them in half will save you both money. You get the benefit of owning it, she gets the benefit of using it the most.

Incyder

I'd say she pays for all her fuel and she gets it serviced fully each year and services you fully twice a week. If a part breaks such as an exhaust then go halfs on it.

Sambucus_Nigra

I'm with cutandshut - she is using the car and you aren't because you will soon be moving to the place where you work - just put the fuel on the joint expenses and be done with it.

McKneff

If you dont need a car and she does, and she is quite happy to buy one, sell her yours or just sell it to anyone
and tell her to buy one.

For the record I think youre being a bit nit picky