Do you "need" your car?

excel30

Hi,

As part of my money saving (On other bills Ive made savings total of £96 a month) I'm now looking at whether I actually need my car and have started looking at the savings I could make by simply not having it.

What savings can you make and can you do without your car??????

Well, first off I have 2 cars in my family (which includes a 2 year old child).
I'm not looking to sell both (how will I take get my daughter over 25 miles away tomorrow hopefully see some baby lambs???!!??) But who knows if lots of you go car-less I'll maybe consider it.
I like my wife and child to have a car and a newish one at that so I know they can get around safely and not worry about them breaking down etc. (its a Zafira)

Anyway my second car.
First off, if I sell it I would hope to get £500 (P reg Corsa 1.4 , about 55k miles, 4 dr, 6 months MOT) (let me know if Im asking to much or NOT ENOUGH..doubt it)

I work from home so don't really use the car often, approx 1000 - 1500 miles a year while we have had 2 cars. Ive kept it as Ive had it from nearly new so I know its good running history. Alot of the times I use it my wifes car is sitting there. Sometimes we use it for taking the dog out further afield to muddy places, wheras dog isnt even generally allowed in the other car.

First benefit of selling the car is that £500 could be placed in Barclays ISA 6.5% and make £32.50 in 12 months.

Then I save on the following car running costs:
MOT: Approx £32 (Varies)
Car Tax £115.00
Maintenace: £250 I think this is a fair estimate of what Ive spent on avearge the last couple of years and what I would expect to continue. If anything its on the low side.
Insurance: £240 (fully comp, sure if I didnt sell I should look to change this and most likely could get cheaper even if i didnt ((Im new to moneysaving and did other bills first)))
I havent included any cost for fuel consumption, for me I dont use car that often and I assume I would use other car instead.

So annually without the car I look to be £669.50 better off, assuming I keep the other car and don't incur any other added transport costs. Thats a nice £55.80 a month.

(somtimes I like to look at a saving as what it costs me to earn it, and Id have to earn around £900 to take home £669.50,,, see now Im nearly a 1k better off )

Now, if I saved all the savings over the year you would also earn interest on it.(minimal I know). Also I will get cashback if as I still have time to run on my insurance, which again can be banked, would be approx £100.

What do you think??????

OberonSH

My FIL has offered to take over payments on our car for the time being, and let us have use of it if we need it. We've worked out we pay out £450 a month not including any repairs etc. Without it and before we move closer to work we'll only spend £160 on a train season tcket, and after we move closer to work we'll spend about £25 a week on a bus, so we'll be a minimum of £290, and a maximum of £350 better off a month.

Considering we only use it to go to and from work and for him to go a club based in the same town as us it's a bit of a no-brainer.

Mozette

Have a think back, how many times over the past year have you used both cars at the same time, how many times was it unavoidable, and how much would public transport/taxi cost for that? Very probably a lot less than a second car! But that should give you the answer.

jordylass

I've just given up my car I haven't sold it yet, as I want to use it to pull the caravan to Glastonbury (if I get tickets). I'm going to sorn it and cancel the insurance until then. It's a jeep and I've conservatively estimated it's costing £56 per week running costs. A weekly bus pass for my area cost £13, the children are 40p a journey or £1.10 for a daily area pass.
I don't go out every day and with the children on holiday the car becomes more cost effective with more of us in it. As I don't work outside the home I usually have time for buses, just as well as they seem to take a lot longer than when I was younger.
The children are enjoying traveling by bus, although I expect that's a novelty and will quickly wear off.
I had thought about giving up the car for some time and it was only that it has been without an alternator that has forced me to try it, and for the most part it's been OK. I live in an area just outside town and only one bus an hour which is OK when I go out but a pain for coming home.
My partner has a car for work and for us both to use that one I think he may be better going back onto the company car scheme as there is a fair amount of mileage with his job and a monthly trip to East Anglia.
I intend writing to the bus services and local councilors, they have an agenda to cut down on carbon footprint, but some of the public transport is pretty dire.

GirlRacer_2

I take my hat off to all you people who are even considering getting rid of the car. I know I just couldn't do it. I rely on the car on a daily basis as our public transport is appalling. Would need 2 buses just to get to work and I only work about 6 miles away from home!!!

System

I cant imagine life without our car. If we didnt have the car, if we simply said 'right I'm gonna manage without it' - I think we would. It would mean carrying shopping bags - more exercise and rely on public transport. It would also mean we would have to shop more sensibly thereby probably saving more money. Id love to do it but I just cant make that step.

immoral_angeluk

Considering I've got a 2 year old and a 2 month old I couldn't give up the car. The public transport round here us rubbish and the buses will only let so many pushchairs on before they refuse you. That's if you could get on the bus in the first place and trying to control 2 children and stopping my 2 yr old running off into the road while folding up a buggy and carrying shopping makes my blood run cold.

Bestthingsinlifearefree

We are a one car family.

Mrs Best and baby best (5 months old)have the Car and I get on my bike to work and back, get a bus / taxi if need be.

I think a one car family is certainly a realistic aim. When we were first married we were a zero car family so it can be done.

Best,

snails's_pace

i def need my wheels, i live in the country, a bit rural, the bus comes once a week (exaggeration but hey)...my kids would never get to school on time if we relied on the bus BUT ihave been kinda moneysaving and chopped in my 2 litre estate car 3 weeks ago and now got a 1.3 ford ka :j

bigpaws23

we run one car (2 adults, 1 six year old). We 'need' our car because of a rural location and no bus service to school. School is along a main A road that has lorries using it, so there is no way we could safely walk or cycle.
Also, we use our car to collect wood to save on heating costs.

I would never consider running 2 cars though; there is no need for us.

Excel, from reading your post, I would say you most certainly could manage without 2 cars (and it looks like you are trying to convince yourself of that too ) Why not sell - you can always pick up a run-around at a later date if you really cannot manage.

Bigpaws x

crawley_girl

I thought I 'needed' my car. I have been advised my my GP and DVLA not to drive for the time being on medical/ health reasons and I thought my life had come to an end when I was told this.

3 months on, I use public tranport and am quite enjoying it. I guess I am lucky in that the bus service in Crawley is fantastic and I can get into town at anytime night or day (not that I do this!!!). I have 'lent' my car to my dad whilst the enquiries are being made into my fitness to drive and I am paying the insurance until it runs out next month.

What I'm trying to say is that I walk to places that I would have hopped into the car for and use buses all the time. Sometimes I have to be mega organised and I often get to places a lot earlier than I need to be, but I used to be like that anyhow!

Saying all of that, should I be told that I am fit to drive, I shall be calling my dad and demanding my car be brough back to me pronto!!!!

I didn't think it would be possible to live without a car, but I have proven to myself that it is!

:heartpuls CG :heartpuls