Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Tammy Strobel of Rowdy Kittens.
Americans have a love affair with cars. Cars symbolize freedom, wealth, and a carefree lifestyle. Consumer culture has created an illusion that we “need” cars. Rather that giving people freedom, cars saddle us with incredible debt, constrain life choices and hamper good health.
Going car-lite is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. Below are a few options to get you started.
1. Start small.
Selling our cars was part of our downsizing process and it was one of the best financial and health related decisions we’ve ever made. It took over two years to shed our cars and downsize our debt. So if you’re thinking of going car-lite, start small.
Micro-action: Leave your car in the garage for a week and do all your local errands by foot, bike or via public transit. Go for a test ride and see how you do.
2. Do a cost-benefit analysis.
Even if you’ve paid off your car, do you really know the true cost? According to “How to Live Well Without Owning a Car”:
- Americans spend 1/5 of their income on cars.
- An American Automobile Association study pointed out that the average American spends $8,410 per year to own a vehicle. That’s $700 per month.
- The figure includes car payments, insurance, gas, oil, car washes, registration fees, taxes, parking, tools and repairs.
Car ownership is the second largest household expense in the U.S. According to Bikes at Work, Inc. “the average household spends almost as much on their cars as they do on food and health care combined for their entire family.” One of the best money saving strategies available to you is going car-lite.
Micro-action: Add up the true cost of your car(s). How much do you spend every year on car payments, maintenance, gas, insurance, etc.?
3. Consider your health.
The rates of active transportation have declined significantly in the U.S. People are more likely to jump into their car and drive 2 miles to the store, rather than walking or biking. As active transportation rates have declined “we’ve seen a dramatic increase in childhood obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other health risks. In fact, our children may be the first generation to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.”
Micro-action: Think about how much time you spend sitting everyday. Can you change this behavior by biking or walking more?
4. Going car-lite with kids.
Going car-lite with kids is challenging. But don’t let that stop you. There are many people who have gone car-free or car-lite with kids and rave about the benefits.
- You don’t have to spend $5,000 on a bike to get around safely. There is an abundance of family cargo bikes, child seats, and trailer options to consider. Totcycle.com is a great place to start poking around and exploring options.
- Don’t forget to connect with parents who have gone car-lite or car-free. Ask questions about bikes, gear, challenges and successes.
Micro-action: Read What is this thing we call safe? and In Praise of Car-Light Families.
5. Go multi-modal.
Biking isn’t the only way to get around without a car. Consider taking the bus, train, or walking to your destination. Taking a multi-modal approach to transportation is a great solution and will make your life a lot easier. For instance, on days when it’s pouring rain or snowing you can take the bus.
Micro-action: Research the types of public transportation options in your home town.
6. Truly experience your city by walking and biking.
You don’t have to travel the world to go on an adventure. There are adventure opportunities waiting in your backyard. Going car-lite is an amazing way to see your city in a new light.
For instance, as a result of selling my car(s) my world view has shifted. Rather than rushing from place to place, I slow down and observe my surroundings, patronize local business and say hi to my neighbors.
By biking and walking your city, you can truly experience it.
Micro-action: Tour your city by foot or by bike.
7. Get connected to your local community.
The U.S. has seen a resurgence in cycling. As gas prices continue to rise, new community groups have been founded in cities across the U.S. So get plugged into your local community. If your community doesn’t have an organization devoted to cycling, maybe you should start one?
Closing thoughts…
Going car-lite or car-free is possible. Changing my transportation choices has been large part of my simple living journey and it’s improved my life for the better. I’m happier, healthier and finally have a savings account.
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Tammy Strobel blogs at RowdyKittens about social change through simple living and is the author of You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap).
I know this article was written a while ago, but the title caught my attention and the reasons/opportunities to Go Car Lite have only increased. I started a small business in 2009 with the website of http://www.GoCarLite.com and many of my customers now use electric bicycles to commute 20 or more miles each way. Electric bikes are catching on slowly in the U.S., but it is a growing segment; albeit, a far far cry from what it is in Asia or Europe. I have also seen people that are moderately disabled or sedentary change their entire life with the use of this up and coming mode of transportation. Some of the replies I have read above mention that it is just “not doable” where they live…electric bicycles are really helping to change that in a lot of areas.
Electric bikes with room for 3 kids and groceries for the week in the snow? When you live on the outskirts of the burbs just not doable. I like the idea of being car free but in the stage of life and location it’s not possible to walk or bike and we don’t have access to public transit. In a city sure.
Hello. I enjoyed reading this article about being car lite/car free. I have been car free for all of my life, mainly due to economics. I work as a data entry operator, so I do not have the income to afford a car payment, plus rent, food, etc, especially since I am a single woman. I live in Columbus, Ohio, until recently, has not always been friendly to people like me who don’t drive. I was always considered an “oddball” because I did not own a car. I have even had people refuse to speak to me because I use the city bus system. Our bus system has improved over the past decade, with more frequent routes and better service hours. I live very close to 2 bus lines, within a 5 to 10 minute walk. I enjoy walking and using transit because it saves me a lot of money and stress. It does take me longer to get to places on the bus, but since I don’t have any kids, I can manage OK. In order for me to afford a car, I would need a 2nd full time job making at least $15-$20 an hour. Our city bus system plans to implement a BRT route (bus rapid transit) in 2016. I also hope that Columbus will finally get some light rail in the near future. I can do most of my errands using one bus route, or by walking. Columbus has also become a good city for bicycling. We have many bike lanes. The city buses have the bike racks in front of them, which many people use. I think that it is great that more people are trying to simplify their lives.
I also wanted to add that here in Columbus, we have the car sharing program called Car2Go, and we also have the bike sharing program. It has become very popular here. Our bus system had the biggest increase in ridership in 2011-2012.
We have gone down to 1 car now for the past 3 years, and it has helped us tremendously on scheduling our errands very carefully. It has been a challenge for the 8 of us to get to all the places that our lives require with the one car, but nice not to have a car payment anymore!
For the first two years, we literally lived beside our dentist, across the street (3 min. walk) from a shopping plaza with almost every kind of store we could need (Starbucks, grocery, Dollar Tree, Walgreens, Post Office, Bank), down the street from our gym, and our doctor was a 10 min. walk. It was very easy to live with one car there. My husband’s work was only a 7 min. drive, so if I ever needed the car, I would drive him in.
Now our situation is so different, with an hour commute both ways,so we could live within walking distance to our extended family. It has been a new challenge for the past year, to work out all the rides we need. We do find ourselves walking to our relatives, taking advantage of the local parks, and getting out more around the neighborhood just because we don’t have the car there all week. Our biggest obstacle has been the doctor. But even that, we have just used urgent care when we had to, to work around the schedule.
I have a love for challenges, and I definitely like the thought of being less dependent on a vehicle again. When we get a chance to move, we are looking forward to the chance to use the car less!
Thanks for the challenge, Joshua.
And thanks for the post, Tammy!
Because of this post (and seeing a guy in a suit walking to work yesterday), I walked the 3/4 of a mile to work this morning in my suburban town. Only took 12 minutes and a short “cool-down” time, and I ended up enjoying a brief conversation with my neighbor for the first time ever (though we’ve lived 2 doors apart for 5 years).
Instead of calling unknown situations “impossible,” perhaps we should try them out before coming to our own conclusions.
We are 5 miles from town….and over a hour drive to the city…would you suggest my 2 and 6 year old walk all day to get to appointments? Public transportation isn’t reliable this far out.
Sold my car two weeks ago. I currently live within walking distance of any shopping I need to do and this weekend I’m moving to a smaller apartment (720 s.f. down to 440 s.f.) that also has shopping nearby and is within 3 blocks of my office. I travel most weeks for work, so I was rarely using my car anyway. I’m saving over $500/month with the change, so even if I occasionally need to take a cab or rent a car, I’m still way ahead. This is definitely outside the norm for Phoenix, so a lot of people think I’ve lost my mind, but I’m excited about the savings and additional exercise I’ll get. I do think I’ll get a bike, though, once it gets really hot again – a two mile walk in 110 degree weather is brutal! =)