10 Reasons To Go Car-Free

expensivecarI’ve returned to the car-free (and carefree) lifestyle!

Recently, the right buyers came along for my Toyota Corolla and took it off my hands. It was really great because the couple that bought the car struck up a conversation with me about frugality, financial independence, and traveling after finding out that I write about this stuff (and live it) for a living.

Apparently, they’ve already read a few books and were interested in learning more. Hopefully, I set them on the right path after about an hour of conversation on various topics. It’s not often that anyone in “the real world” is interested at all in this stuff, so the discussion was refreshing.

I ended up letting the car go for pretty much what I paid for it. I could have gotten more for it, but I decided to pass along a good deal and perhaps some good karma with it. Not particularly capitalistic of me, however. On the flip side of the coin, the car was banged up on the inside and outside from the elderly woman I bought it from back in 2013. It also needed tires. Moreover, insurance was coming up on renewal in a couple of weeks and I was also going to have to renew my registration pretty quickly. I saved more than $1,000 by getting rid of it when I did after factoring in what tires, insurance, and a tag would have cost me. All in all, I’m happy.

So I’ve been taking advantage of Sarasota’s public transportation once more – by public transportation, I mean a so-so bus system. This isn’t a big city, so I’m happy just to have access to a bus at all. Nonetheless, now that I work from home robust transportation isn’t really a necessity anymore.

But I have experienced a renewed sense of appreciation of living without a car. And I’ve come up with 10 great reasons to consider living without a car, which I’m going to share below. Now, not everyone can live without a car. It’s arguably necessary to own a car in many parts of the US, though some hardcore advocates would tell you that unless you live more than 30 miles away from work, you can bike it up all year long. I’m not making that argument, but I also know that it’s more possible to design your lifestyle around car-free living than some like to let on. And I only say that because I’ve done it.

At any rate, here are 10 awesome reasons to go car-free:

Traffic

I’m a big fan of reducing stress in life. Whenever you peruse the 10 leading causes of death, you’ll notice that quite a few of them share stress as a general risk factor. What better way to immediately reduce stress – and your odds of dying earlier – than to avoid traffic? No more crazy drivers. No more getting cut off. No more driving behind a beige Buick doing 45 mph in the left lane with the blinker on (for all you Florida drivers).

The reduction of overall stress in my life is one reason why I’m not particularly concerned about healthcare expenses in early retirement/financial independence. Stress might not be tangible, but it’s a big factor on your overall quality of life. And quitting your high-stress job is one great way to reduce stress. I know that because I’ve done it and I’ve noticed how much better I feel every single day. Now that I don’t need to worry about traffic anymore my stress is even lower.

Safety

Stress kills. We’ve already established that. But you know what else kills? Car accidents. In fact, it’s the ninth most common cause of death in the world. If you can just scratch that one out, why not?

Traffic is stressful. But it’s also dangerous. There are car accidents pretty much every day here in my city. But over the last five years of living here, I haven’t once heard of an accident involving a city bus. Anecdotal perhaps, but I’ll take my chances. If I can avoid the stress of traffic while also eliminating some of the risk of driving in it, that seems like a solid choice.

Depreciation

Ever bought a brand new car? Well, then you lost money about as quick as it gets. As soon as your car is driven off the lot, it’s worth less. Sometimes a lot less. You could basically take cash out of your bank account and light it on fire, which would accomplish the same thing. Except you’d at least get a nice little light show. But you’d be poorer either way.

Depreciation is pretty much a given with owning a car, new or used. I got lucky with an incredible deal on my last car, which allowed me to drive it basically for free over the last year and a half, but that’s incredibly uncommon. Otherwise, you’re paying a lot of money to own a car. Every day it sits in your driveway or garage, it’s losing value. Cha-ching. That’s the sound of cash disappearing.

Tickets

Speeding tickets. Parking tickets. Running the red – it was yellow! – light. Tickets are expensive and a huge pain in the butt. I’d rather avoid them altogether.

Guess what I’ve never gotten a ticket for? Walking too fast.

Fuel

Fuel was coming up on $4. Then it dropped below $2. Now, it’s climbing again. Who cares when you’re riding the bus or your bike?

Gas is expensive. I remember living an hour away from work and trekking multiple freeways five or six days a week when I was living up in Michigan many years ago. I was spending something like $300 per month on gas. I vowed to never end up in a situation like that again. So I moved to Florida where the weather made it easier to live car-free and then I later designed my life around public transportation. Hopefully, my fuel bill is pretty much $0 from here on out other than the occasional rental.

Insurance

Insurance is also expensive. I was paying less than $70 per month on my Toyota, and that was for maximum coverage across the board. Not bad, but it’s still $70 I’d rather have in my pocket. Auto insurance can easily run over $100 per month, especially if you’re driving a new car. Think about it. $100 per month is $1,200 per year. If you have an investment portfolio that’s generating a 3.5% yield, it would take almost $35,000 just to pay your insurance bill. That’s nuts, right? And that’s just the insurance bill. Not gas or depreciation or anything else.

In addition, there’s liability here. Not only are you paying for the privilege to insure yourself and drive your car, but you’re also taking on a ton of responsibility and liability every time you get in your car and drive anywhere. Make one wrong move and you might be in serious trouble – financially and legally. I’d rather ride the bus, keep my cash, and lower my liability.

Repairs/Maintenance

I worked in the auto industry for about eight years. And I worked at car dealerships – in the service department. I know firsthand how much car repairs and maintenance can cost. Hint: it’s not cheap. One electrical issue on a modern car can run hundreds or thousands of dollars to fix, and typically these aren’t DIY repairs.

Even just the basic oil changes, occasional tire replacements, and minor repairs here and there – your best case scenario when owning a car – can easily run hundreds of dollars per year. Again, it’s cash I’d rather have in my pocket. The city bus service never asked me to pitch in on a set of tires. I just pay my $1.25 to go across town.

Health

I lived for years without a car. Then I got used to the convenience and luxury of car ownership once more. Complacency. It gets the best of us.

But since being without a car again I’ve been walking more than ever. It’s awesome. Whereas before I had the option to get in the car to drive just three or four miles down the road to run an errand or two, I now have to accomplish most of that by foot. My feet are complaining, but my heart and gut aren’t. Riding a bike is another great way to get around the city and stay in shape at the same time. Look, a car is great. It’s easy. You just get in and go – thousands of miles at a time, if you want. But easy isn’t always better. I know for sure my health is already improving. For instance, Florida requires residents to turn in license plates once they sell a car, if they’re not replacing the car. The DMV is about 1.5 miles away from my apartment. What did I do? I threw on my workout gear, grabbed the plate, and jogged there and back. I usually would have driven that distance. Now, I have no choice. Being forced to stay in shape isn’t a bad way to go.

Environment

I’m not going to go on a rant about how humanity is ruining the planet or anything, but global warming is obviously a real trend. I figure if one can help out by driving less, why not?

The buses here in Sarasota feature some hybrids, which is pretty awesome. And walking is emission-free. So is riding a bike. Being car-free is better on my health and the planet’s health.

Being A Part Of Society

It’s easy to get in a steel box on wheels and go where you need to go. You can largely avoid people, turn up the music, and almost completely forget you’re a part of society. That’s good or bad, depending on your perspective. I’m an introvert, so I definitely see the benefits of living like that.

However, it’s not a bad idea to spread your wings a bit and operate a little outside your comfort zone. I can’t tell you how many interesting conversations I’ve been a part of when riding the bus. These are experiences I would have never had had I just got in a car and driven somewhere. Now, these experiences aren’t always good, but they’re experiences nonetheless. Life is meant to be lived, and it’s easier to do that when you’re an active part of the world. I get to actually take in the sights when I’m on the bus. I can pay attention to people, the scenery, the sun, the clouds, and the world around me. That’s just not really possible when I’m paying attention to stop lights, traffic, and signs.

Conclusion

I’m not saying you should immediately sell your car(s) and commence biking/busing/walking everywhere from now on. Like I said, it’s not realistic in many areas of the country due to our infrastructure (or lack thereof). However, I would recommend that you think long and hard about whether the tangible and intangible costs of car ownership are really worth it for you, and whether or not it’s possible to change your lifestyle so as to more easily accommodate car-free living. I was previously living in a rural area in Michigan that made it pretty much impossible to get by without a car. I moved, broadened my horizons a bit, and customized my life.

Freedom from a car now gives me freedom to avoid the monetary costs of car ownership, experience the world around me in a more vivid and visceral way, and improve my health. Doesn’t get much better than that.

How about you? Ever thought of living car-free? Why or why not? 

Thanks for reading.

Photo Credit: nongpimmy/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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144 Comments

  1. Great to read that you go back to improve your frugality 😉 !
    All this money saved will become dividends, year after year.
    100% a good choice.

  2. We would love to be car free but at the moment it just isn’t a practical solution. However, you make very valid points! Hopefully one day we can do without one.

  3. Where I am at, you need a car. There is no way around it – though I hope my 15 year old car can squeeze a few more years though…

    Now that you sold that car, you no longer have the opportunity cost of the money “stuck” in the car. Those $5,000 – $6,000 could grow to a nice amount over the next 30 years – even at a TR of 7% (yld 3.5%, cap gain 3.50%) that $5000 will grow to $40,000 in 2045. And it would be paying you $1,400 in annual dividend income.

  4. I lived without a car in college. This was easy–there was loads of fun stuff to do on campus and all my friends lived on campus.

    Then I lived without a car for four years later on after getting rid of my first car. This was fine except for parties. I could usually get to my friends’ houses on buses, but the buses quit running before I was ready to leave. Other friends would give me rides home but would refuse payment. (I’m now thinking I should have tried paying in cookies instead of money or gas.) I felt guilty about that, even though they said they enjoyed doing it and it was no problem for them.

    It was odd to do grocery shopping or laundry on the bus, but I counted that as exercise. For grocery shopping, I would put the heavy things in a backpack and carry the lighter things in bags.

    I would occasionally rent a car if I wanted to visit my parents (four hours away by car) or something. Also, I had a friend who would lend me and my roommate his car when he was out of town–he would drive to my house to get us, we would drive him to the airport, then use his car all week to go to far-away places we had been missing or buy large things we had been putting off buying, then fill up with gas and maybe clean it, and pick him up at the airport. It was win-win! I never tried having awesome trailers for my bike, which also sounds like a good idea.

    I seriously considered going without a car last time mine was broken beyond repair. But I decided I value locational independence too much. Most of my friends now live beyond bus lines. And a lot of great parts of my city are far away. I also like lending my car to my boyfriend when he’s repairing his (that way he can take his time and do it himself). And I like taking my less-polluting higher-MPG car when we drive across town. So I bought another highly used durable car.

    It’s true that even the way I do it, car ownership is super expensive. But I’ve decided I’m willing to pay that expense. I try to keep the expenses down by paying cash, buying highly used, buying a reliable model, self-insuring for collision insurance, having high-deductible (though high-maximum) liability insurance, taking defensive driving every three years for the discount, and walking or biking to all close destinations (including my job, when I had one). And so that’s my current situation.

  5. Id love to go go free but with my current having me drive 200+ miles. Looking forward to the day that we can maybe get down to a one car family. Its just so expensive to keep up with a car and keep it running and in good shape. Plus its a lot healthier to walk/ride a bike for whatever errands you can.

  6. Dear Jason,

    Fully in-line with you, when buying a car, nobody looks at all the cost associated and therefore doesn’t account for the full losses they occur, because for me a car is a pure loss of money.

    Here in Switzerland or Europe we have very good public transport so it is easy to move around with buses, train, metro etc. Which is not the same situation in the US, where the distances and connection are poor.

    Something that I have difficulties to understand is why in the US most of the people are using massive HUV or massive engine, which nobody is using as you have very good road with strict speed limitation, so no need for a 4×4 or v12 engines.

    Hopefully in the future we can stop this craziness about cars by having electric cars, buses etc.

    Cheers,

    RA50

  7. Nicola,

    It’s definitely not practical everywhere, though I decided to be proactive by adjusting my life to make it practical. Where I lived before – rural Michigan – it was downright impossible to go anywhere without a car. Hopefully, you’ll one day be able to enjoy the car-free lifestyle! 🙂

    Thanks for dropping by.

    Take care!

  8. DGI,

    Exactly. Not only do I need less dividend income to support a car-free lifestyle, but the capital will grow all by itself and also increase my dividend income. Increase in income compounded by a decrease in expenses. It’s a win-win. 🙂

    I hope that car keeps running for a while over there!

    Best wishes.

  9. Debbie M,

    It sounds like you’ve thought a lot about it, and that’s really important. Being cognizant of your choices is very important. If you go through the entire thought process and all the options and conclude that a car is necessary right now, then that’s just the way it is. Too many people just buy a car and drive everywhere because everyone else is, without even really thinking about the choice and the consequences. And that’s probably a mistake in some cases.

    Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your car-lite lifestyle. 🙂

    Best regards.

  10. JC,

    200 miles? Man, I’ve driven that far only on rare occasions, with the last such occasion being last summer when I drove to Michigan and back. But you’re making the big bucks over there, so it’s worth it. I wasn’t getting paid to drive to and fro. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Best wishes.

  11. FFdividend,

    Yeah, I was becoming a bit complacent. But I also had to think about more than just me, as my significant other and her son are also in the picture. While I work from home, they don’t. There are occasional events that her son attends which are outside the scope of our somewhat limited bus system, but that stuff is kinda rare. So I felt we were okay. Fortunately, Claudia hates driving and takes the bus everywhere anyway, so that made the choice a bit easier. 🙂

    Take care!

  12. RA50,

    Yeah, I hear you. I always marveled at the people who’d come in to the Audi store and pick up an R8 or RS5 or whatever. You can’t go any faster than 70 (legally) around here, so it doesn’t seem to make much sense to buy a car that can go 150 mph+. That said, I don’t think that’s really something anyone logically thinks through. It’s just a matter of wanting something and buying it. And our society/infrastructure largely promotes driving everywhere.

    There are some cities here in the US that are designed around public transportation, but they’re somewhat rare. Like I said, you have to customize your life around what’s important. Always choices and consequences.

    Cheers!

  13. Hi Jason,

    Very nice article! Now that you are car free, can we expect more frequent recent buy articles? If so that’s just great for me cause they are intresting and for you cause it grows your snowball each time. I’m not strictly speaking car free because I use one almost every single day. But it’s my fathers car, so I don’t have to pay insurance or anything, just some gas sometimes. It’s a luxury for sure but I think I could live without one too if I had to. Winters would be hard though. Freezing my butt off in a bus stop with minus 15 celsius doesn’t sound like fun. But it’s different for you in sunny Florida. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!

  14. Sampo,

    Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

    I probably won’t be buying much more than I already do, as this move isn’t saving me thousands of dollars per month or anything. But I’ll be able to invest just a little bit more every month since I won’t have to pay for gas/insurance/repairs/maintenance/registration. Just $150 per month compounded over 30 years at 8% will net you almost $19,000. So it’s a nice swing in the other direction.

    It’s nice you have access to a car that’s basically free for you. That surely makes driving around a car a lot less financially damaging. And I don’t blame you for not wanting to wait outside in the cold for a bus. That’s one of the reasons I decided to move down to Florida. Although, in the summer you kind of “melt” waiting for the bus when it’s 90+ degrees with high humidity. Always trade-offs. 🙂

    Cheers!

  15. If our situation allows us to be car-free I would do it without any hesitation. Unfortunately our current situation does not allow us to be car-free especially considering my daily commute to work is about 60 km. Good for you on letting your car go, this is definitely the right decision for you.

  16. Hi Jason

    We live over in De Pere, WI so like MI the winters can be pretty nasty and a car is unfortunately required at least for part of the year, i’m lucky in the fact that there is a trail basically on my back door step that allows me to bike into work which is 7 miles away (10 in the winter, as its inaccessible and i use the roads) i ride every time i can which can be months at a time. Only thing about my bike is that its electric so it does have a running cost!

    Have you ever considered an e-bike down in FL? It speeds travel up quite a bit and range on a reasonable battery is 35+ miles!

    Thanks

  17. I really like your decision to get rid of the car, Jason. I wish I had the same option. But I need my car for my job at this moment. The 10 reasons are so true. Personally I like riding my bike very much. I do it almost every Sunday afternoon. I envy people that can take a daily bike trip to work.
    When I (hopefully early) retire, my first action will be getting rid of the car.

    Enjoy the purchases with your new budget 🙂

  18. Tawcan,

    Man, I can tell you I don’t envy your current daily commute. I did that for a few years up in Michigan and vowed to never do it again. I believe Pete over at MMM did a comparison/study a while back that seemed to indicate that the vast majority of people would be better off being close enough to work to walk/bike, even factoring in higher real estate. But it’s all really a personal choice. Not everything is about money. And some people prefer living outside the city, although I’m not one of them. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Best wishes.

  19. Anthony,

    That’s awesome. Sounds like you have a great setup going on over there. Nothing wrong at all with a car-lite lifestyle. Bike when you can, and then drive in when the weather is particularly brutal. I know what winters can be like up there, so I hear you there.

    I’ve actually looked into e-bikes quite a bit, but they don’t seem to really offer a lot to like for me. The nice ones seem to range from $700 on up to around $1,200 and there are only a couple of places around here that can fix them, and even then the selection on repairs is limited. I think I’d be better off with a used 49cc scooter if I really wanted a more independent way to get around. I scooted around for a while down here and really enjoyed it. The costs are similar, but a scooter can go a lot further/faster. And I’ve never found myself particularly comfortable on a bike. That’s just me. All in all, however, I’m quite okay with walking and taking the bus. It seems to be the safest and cheapest combo I can come up with while still being pretty convenient.

    Cheers!

  20. Jos,

    More motivation for you to retire early – getting rid of the car. 🙂

    Good for you for riding the bike as much as you can. I don’t find myself particularly comfortable on bikes, but that’s such a great, cheap, easy, and healthy way to get around town.

    Getting rid of your car one day will be an awesome milestone!

    Take care.

  21. Mine’s just coming up to 199,000 miles, and has been totally reliable. Even so its surprising how much it costs annualy to keep it on the road. Wish I could do without one.
    Are we going to see the reappearance of….. The Scooter 🙂

  22. Ah, just seen the comment above.. so maybe that’s maybe a no on the scooter front..

  23. Definintely. A car is not necessary for me, though–I can still get what I need without a car. It’s just a luxury that I’ve decided is worth the large expense. (It was not worth the large expense during those four years that I was without a car or when I was in college in a town with awesome mass transit.)

    I do have to try harder to remember not to take a car everywhere just because I have one, but it’s getting to be a habit.

  24. I don’t personally plan on giving up my car anytime soon. But now that I am only 4 miles from work, I am contemplating riding my bike to work at least a few days a week.

  25. If my situation let me be car free I would do it in an instant! Congrats DM , enjoy saving money, time and stress without a car 🙂

  26. nickgreen,

    I loved riding my scooter. I really did. But I’m not sure it’s really necessary or prudent to own one anymore, as the original purpose behind buying a scooter was so that I had a way to get to work if/when the bus was late or didn’t show up. We’ll see, but I’ll probably forgo buying another scooter.

    Cheers!

  27. CG,

    Thanks so much! 🙂

    I hear you over there. It’s not possible in a lot of areas here in the US. It certainly wasn’t possible for me in many of the places I lived at up in Michigan, which is partially why I moved down here. Though this isn’t a mecca for public transportation, it checks some of the boxes. Maybe one day you’ll be in a position to drive less or not at all. You never know!

    Thanks for dropping by.

    Best regards.

  28. I owned a car for 10 years. I just couldn’t picture myself without it. For some reason, when you are so used to rely on a car, you don’t question the rationale anymore.

    I started reading MMM and that gave me pause. Eventually got rid of the sucker.

    Best. Decision. Ever.

    In fact, I should have gotten rid of it way sooner.

    It was ridiculous for me to have a car because I live in the core of the city and work downtown (My place is 2 miles away from the office). I wasn’t even driving it for work but kept it around for convenience or just ‘in case’ I would need it. Now, I seriously doubt I will ever own a car again.

    I use Car2Go (about 40 cents per minute) if I really need to drive somewhere otherwise BMW (Bus.Metro.Walk) usually does the trick.

    Great post and good form as usual Jason.

    Best,

    HD

  29. Dividend Mantra,

    I am already car free. I have not had a car in 4 years. The bus takes me everywhere that I need to go such as work or grocery store. A lot of people I know keep asking me , “did you get a car yet” or “when are you going to buy a car “. I tell them I would rather buy companies instead LOL. No car to me means a lot less worries.

  30. Jason,

    It is true that letting go of a car free yourself. I am not free myself from a car since it will be extremely difficult especially with two kids but I bike to work every now and then and it is a freeing feeling. The smell of the fresh air, my mind is sharp, I am thinking of productive things to do while I am biking whereas when I drive I am on auto pilot. When I bike my lungs open up catching my breath, heartbeat fast. Maybe someday when i reached early retirement I can let go of my car.

    How much do you think your monthly transportation will going to cost now with public transportation?

    Take care,
    FFF

  31. Nuno,

    Haha! You already saw them. I had a tax bill that approached in amount what I received from the car, so they largely offset each other. If it weren’t for selling the car, I would have had to be much less active on the stock purchasing front, which is something I mentioned a few times toward the end of last year and the start of this year. I kinda had the idea of selling the car in the back of my mind, so I didn’t really let my foot off of the accelerator like I planned.

    Cheers!

  32. HD,

    That’s awesome! Congrats. 🙂

    I know exactly what you mean. Once you’re used to a car, it’s difficult to imagine life without it. It’s a real paradigm shift, that’s for sure. But once that shift has occurred, the possibilities open way up. And living without a car, if possible, is far better than relying on one.

    I’ve heard good things about Car2Go. I’m glad you have access to something like that up that way. Sarasota doesn’t really have many options like that, but our bus systems works okay enough to get by with. I’d eventually like to live somewhere where public transportation is more than an afterthought, however. All in due time.

    Thanks for stopping by. Appreciate the support!

    Best wishes.

  33. IP,

    That’s fantastic.

    “No car to me means a lot less worries.”

    Couldn’t have said it better myself. 🙂

    Keep enjoying the car-free and carefree lifestyle!

    Cheers.

  34. It is great to be able to do that. But with kids and family, it isn’t an option for people like me. I would definitely like to get rid of the car and take a bike/public transportation to work, but it is not an option for me due to the distance and also due to lack of public transportation. Also, it gets even more inconvenient in winter.
    But if I can do that and save lot of $$$ in the process, I am would love that.

  35. FFF,

    Exactly. When driving, you’re basically just on autopilot, which is no way to live life. I’m able to be much more productive on the bus, even if it’s just in thought. I’m able to clearly think through some ideas, make plans, and generally enjoy the trip to where I have to go. No worrying about traffic, signs, lights, or anything else. Just get on and get off. Biking is even better in that you’re getting exercise at the same time. How much better can it be?

    As far as costs go, it’s tough to say. I’ve never worked from home before while taking the bus. It’s $1.25 one-way. Factoring in the occasional taxi/rental and I can imagine it running somewhere around $50/month, on average.

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best regards.

  36. Rarely is anything a verifiable “100% a good choice” decision.. And obvs I don’t wish anything bad but for a measly $70 a month in insurance, plus whatever other tiny monthly cost you add in due to depreciation and whatever else, you may have killed yourself.

    If you have a heart attack, an aneurism, a massive loss of blood, get poisoned, etc.. Time will be of the essence, and waiting around for an ambulance could literally kill you. Clearly you, me, and anybody else with an ability to make conversation can site the many things that “could” happen to kill u everyday, which would be the lamest reaction to this comment but I’m sure somebody with huge vision will site it anyways…

    My point is this; You could do this whole routine and still have a car that you don’t drive save for emergencies, but having a car on standby for emergencies is one of the safest securities you can have. Period.

    Sometimes being cheap can be expensive, and losing your life/safety would be a bad way to realize that.

  37. DM,
    I’m in an area that requires a car. Moving to a place nearby that didn’t require one would be quite costly because being able to walk to the train system increases the cost of real estate by quite a bit. We’d have to downsize considerably, and still pay a lot more for a home. I drive an 11 year old Honda and it is showing few signs of slowing down (knock on wood). It still would resell quite well too.

    I have at times over the years relied entirely on public transportation. It really does make you part of society. This is particularly true when traveling overseas. You get a much better feel for a place riding with the locals instead of on a charter bus. I traveled entirely by bus and boat all over South America, and from Panama to Tijuana, including a 42 hour bus ride through Mexico (rough!).

    This is a good list. I think health would be on top of my list if I could do it, driving hurts my knees and shoulders. Walking instead is obviously better. I’m lucky that my commute is fairly traffic free. I can take a public transport system to work, but I’d have to pay to park AND ride the train, totaling about $15 per day and it would take 90 minutes. Driving costs much less and only takes 40 minutes. Moving closer to work isn’t really an option. I do have some flexibility and can work remotely at times, so that cuts the cost of everything.
    -RBD

  38. oliver,

    Your comment is hilarious! So people living in areas where they’re largely using public transportation must just be dying in droves from…umm…poisoning? Really?

    And if I’m dying of a heart attack or “massive” blood loss, I’m probably not driving myself anywhere anyway.

    Seriously, man, you must be kidding. You’re comparing safety of one’s life driving in a car (THE 9TH LARGEST KILLER WORLDWIDE) to…the risks of getting poisoned and waiting for an ambulance…

    I’m speechless.

    Make sure you avoid poisoning over there!

    Take care.

  39. Hi DM,
    I was wondering what you think about walk ability scores from websites. Are you living in what’s considered to be a very walkable area? My current area in buffalo ny rates very highly (91 on walkscore.com) and I’d say it saves me a couple hundred on gas each month to be so close to activities… Keep up the great work – you are a great inspiration!

  40. RBD,

    That’s an awesome experience to have had. And you’re right in that it’s hard to really be a part of your local society when you’re just in a metal box on wheels going to and fro. Some people might like that. I personally don’t. I feel like I’m just in my own little world. If I wanted that, I’d just try to find some cabin way out in the middle of nowhere and ignore society altogether.

    I’m surprised that public transportation isn’t a better option for you where you’re at. You’re in the DC area, if I’m not mistaken? I thought they had pretty robust transportation options up there. $15 per day is pretty expensive, unfortunately. I might be willing to live car-free even if it were the same in costs or even slightly more as I personally think it’s just more enjoyable. But $300 per month is quite a bit. A 40-minute commute probably adds up to a decent gas bill; add in insurance and all the rest and that might approach what you’d spend on public transportation. But it’s a personal call.

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Best regards.

  41. George,

    I’m a huge fan of Walk Score. I’ve relied on it before when looking up potential places to live, like when I was looking at Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids last year. A 91 is really, really high. That’s fantastic. You must have a ton of amenities nearby. Nice! 🙂

    My address only scores a 46, which is weird because we have a grocery store, movie theater, mall, Target, and multiple restaurants within a mile. And then we have two major bus routes that run along our street. That said, this isn’t really “urban” by any stretch of the imagination, which isn’t really to my liking. We moved here a few years ago because it was really our best option here in Sarasota for living in a walkable area while also having access to the two bus lines that we needed to get to work. It’s almost suburban in nature, but accidentally accessible for living without a car. Not optimal, for sure. But it’ll do for now.

    Thanks for the support. Enjoy the lifestyle up there!

    Cheers.

  42. DGJ,

    I can imagine it’s tougher with a family. I understand a lot of people with families in Europe do it, but their options are far more plentiful and robust. The infrastructure here in the US just isn’t up to the task in a lot of places. Although, we have a family over here (my fiancee has a son) and still do it. But you have to really kind of build your life around car-free living if you’re going to make a go of it. Otherwise, it’s really difficult. When I initially went car-free back in 2011, I had to ride my bike for miles to the closest bus stop and then ride the bus to work. Wasn’t easy, but I did it. Later that year, we moved closer to the bus stop to avoid the initial stretch, which made it a lot easier.

    But if the car is easily affordable, you enjoy that lifestyle, and you’re still able to save/invest enough for your long-term goals, then it’s probably not a big deal either way. 🙂

    Best wishes!

  43. I love the fact you have gone car free again! Putting the pedal to the metal in a new way sort of way. Having additional capital to invest after saving money on gas, insurance, etc is a great way to get back to your roots and really pursue financial independence in the extreme ways that we all know you are capable of.

    Perhaps one day I will join you in this pursuit to be able to live and survive being car free, but for now I must have a vehicle. The costs are pretty significant when you think of all the expenses that go with having a car but for now, I still have to bite the built.

    Congrats on saving money and enjoying life!

  44. Hello DM!

    You have an excellent blog here! I found it recently when looking for dividend investment strategies. I have low risk tolerance and good patience so dividend investment strategy is probably for me.

    I started my portfolio a month ago with modest $14,000. That all my savings and I am 37 years old. Yeah sad… I moved to US with my family (wife and 3 kids) a little more than 2 years ago. We will try to add to portfolio $3000 each month and according to my calculations I hopefully can retire before my 60 birthday 😀 :D.

    We live in suburbs and I think it is impossible to be here without a car. We actually had to buy two cars. In my old country we lived in city and managed to go by without car many years, but there we had good bus system.

    Good luck in achieving your goals!

  45. DM,

    I must have missed your initial article discussing it, but congrats on being car free! I am extremely jealous and would love to be in your position one day. As your list of reasons progressed, all I could keep think was “man, that is a lot of money you will be able to invest in the market going forward.” There was one point I want to add as well if you don’t mind. In addition to not dealing with the stress of traffic, you can also put the time spent on the bus to good use. If you want to learn more, read more articles, post some comments (you get the point!) you can because you aren’t a slave to your car for the time spent in traffic. All of this can easily be accomplished while riding as a passenger on the bus!

    At least I believe karma will serve you well for the transaction. Way to help your fellow soldiers in the financial freedom army out and avoid the selfish money grab! As ridiculous as it sounds, you probably could have gotten a few hundred more but risked blowing up the transaction/negotiations and having to pay the extra $1,000 you described. The trade off was not worth it, so way to work out a fair deal for all parties.

    Now the big question is….how do we know that you aren’t using Claudia’s car! Just kidding. Congrats on going carless, It seems like a no-brainer in your life situation. Enjoy the extra cash in your pocket and the better health that will result from this move.

    Bert

  46. Um, I don’t think someone who’s in the middle of a heart attack while bleeding out a few pints of newly-poisoned blood would be in the best shape to drive a car. I’m not sure if the person would be able to call an ambulance, let alone get behind the wheel of a car.

  47. DM,

    Your dedication knows no bounds, my friend. I am 34 miles each way to work so not an option at the present but would love to forego all of the high costs of vehicle ownership. You are doing s great thing for your future self with this one.

    Keep up the great work.

    FD

  48. ADD,

    Yeah, getting back to extreme frugality a bit. I suppose I’m coming full circle, though I didn’t really even do this to save a lot of money. The depreciation was already figured into the Corolla when I bought it and the monthly costs weren’t that bad. That said, this’ll save money, improve my health, and really just increase my quality of life. 🙂

    Hopefully, you’ll be able to join in some day. The benefits are definitely beyond just the monetary concerns!

    Best wishes.

  49. I agree with all your points. For me, add in fear/hatred of driving and living in a major city and I have no reason to ever drive a car anywhere.

  50. zmag,

    Glad you found the blog! 🙂

    I have a similar risk tolerance and patience level, which is why I enjoy this strategy. It’s definitely not going to get you rich quick, but it’s highly likely you’ll be wealthy over time. $3,000 per month will build out that portfolio fairly quickly. Stick with it, reinvest the dividends, and give it some time. You’ll be amazed.

    It’s unfortunate that our infrastructure here in the US is largely lacking when it comes to public transportation, but our country was built around freeways. It is what it is. It’s definitely not impossible to get by without a car in small cities, but living way out in the suburbs probably makes it impossible. I hope you guys can find the right balance between quality of life and savings, which will surely propel your ability to retire earlier.

    Stay in touch!

    Take care.

  51. Bert,

    That’s a good point about using the bus. You can definitely be more productive via reading, thinking, or doing something else. I can’t post comments or anything like that because our buses lack Wi-Fi services and I have just basic cell service. But that’s definitely an option for those that have a more robust cell plan or access to Wi-Fi on board.

    As far as using Claudia’s car, you can be rest assured that I won’t be using hers because…she doesn’t own a car. We’re a zero-car household. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by. Hope all is well up in Ohio!

    Best wishes.

  52. FD,

    I am 100% dedicated, no doubt about it! 🙂

    I’m confident you’ll get there one day as well. Eliminate your work and you eliminate the need to commute 34 miles each way. Then you can eliminate the car.

    Keep it up!

    Cheers.

  53. ARB,

    I’m with you all the way. Traffic in major cities is crazy. I don’t know how people drive through/in that crap every day. I’ve been through Chicago on a few occasions during rush hour and it was absolutely nuts. Not just stressful but scary. You could pay me $200k/year and I still wouldn’t deal with that traffic.

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best wishes.

  54. DC is pretty good for public transport, especially for singles or couples in the city. But the suburbs aren’t always as accessible. It’s a big place and jobs are really scattered throughout the region. So changing jobs can really throw a wrench in your commute. Excellent locations for work/life balance, where you can walk to transport and have all the necessities within a few blocks, carry a big premium for buyers and renters. With a family, there’s also the schools to consider. Quality of schools vary drastically. It is a tough equation, but worth it for us for now, as long as the car is working!
    -RBD

  55. These are very good reasons not to have a car. I’ve recently discover I could walk .9 mile to the near by park that lead to the river, and the upscale mall with great restaurants and activities. So, I’ll be walking to the park more.

    I live on the bus line, but I’d rather pay >$1k/yr in parking $30 every 2 weeks for gas, $500 insurance, plus maintenance than spending 2 hours traveling by bus to work. Work is as draining as it is. I want to go home fast. So I can out my feet up, go for a walk, garden, etc. I can wait until retirement so I can turn my car in, and stop bleeding money on a car.

  56. Vivianne,

    Oh, nice. It’s great you have a nearby park. A mile is nothing. 🙂

    I hear you there on the time spent on the bus. I initially went through a similar thought process back before selling my car the first time in 2011. But then I realized I’d rather save money now and have a lot more time later down the road, when I could actually fully enjoy it. Although, I didn’t have a two-hour commute like that, but I imagine that if it’s two hours by bus, then it’s still quite long even by car. Good luck reaching FI as soon as possible so you can ditch that commute!

    Cheers.

  57. Actually, if he doesn’t drive and walks everywhere instead, he’s much less likely to NEED an ambulance in the first place.

  58. Hello DM! I am a new reader and really have enjoyed your blog so far. I am inspired by this post and really am cooking up ways to get my boss to let me work from home – or change to a job I can – as I really really really hate my commute. All points above speak to me but really the health costs and of course money are the loudest. I live in San Diego, CA and commute about 25 miles each way and I can rarely get that done in less than an hour. But we have busses, trollies and trains! I seriously want a change!

    Thanks for the great post!

  59. I’d love to go car-free and wish more cities would focus their long term planning on public transit. I do own a Corolla and love it, but cars are expensive no matter what you drive. I have much respect for those who make due without a vehicle as I think it helps the environment and sets a good example

  60. Well, congrats on going car free again! I remember the days when you rode a moped…seems like ages ago =). I very much agree with the list you’ve compiled, I’ve been looking forward to ditching the car for years, and it looks like I’ll finally have the chance when we move to Montreal.

    I commuted to work via public transportations for two years before I quit the job, so I’ve gotten lots of practice not having a car. However, I have a feeling I might tear up when I sell the car, which I’ve had for nearly 9 years.

    Are you thinking of getting another moped?

  61. Karen,

    Hey, thanks so much for stopping by. Really glad you found the blog! 🙂

    If I inspired just one person to improve their life by saving more money via living car-free and zooming along to financial independence and freedom even faster with this article, then I did my job. Best of luck with making some changes. Hopefully, your boss lets you stay home occasionally. That would be fantastic.

    Stay in touch.

    Best regards!

  62. Dan,

    I agree. It’s a shame that more cities across the country don’t take public transportation more seriously. But our infrastructure is what it is and it’s expensive to build those networks out. In the meanwhile, you just have to make do with what you’ve got and maximize your lifestyle.

    Great job there with the Corolla, though. Those things last forever. I hope to never own a car again, but a Corolla would be my first choice if I had to go back.

    Cheers!

  63. Spoonman,

    Excited to see how Montreal turns out for you. Looks like a beautiful city. And you’ll have an excellent opportunity to try out the public transportation out there. That’ll also give you a better opportunity to really explore the city. I find it hard to see where I’m going if I’m driving around somewhere new. I’m too busy focusing on driving, not on enjoying and learning my surroundings.

    I understand Portland is pretty awesome for public transportation, and you were out that way for a bit so you’d probably know. That may be my next destination after Sarasota. The more I look into the city, the more I love it. The state income tax is a bit of a bummer, though.

    It’s a tough call on the scooter, but I’ll probably forgo getting one again. I really enjoyed riding one and they’re super convenient/cheap. Plus, the weather is great for riding one down here pretty much all year long. But the reason I initially bought one was so that I’d have another way to get to work for those times when the bus was late or didn’t show up. I don’t need that backup plan anymore, so I’ll probably just make do with my feet and the bus. Cheaper and healthier anyway, and lower risk.

    Best wishes!

  64. Just because someone chooses a different path from yours Oliver doesn’t mean that you need to be offended. He even stated that its not something everyone can do.It’s not like he’s trying to ban the rest of us from driving.

    My step-dad had a stroke, I think it was a massive stroke, and he and my mom lived in the country, she ended up called 911 and they sent a helicopter. They came in pretty fast and took him to a great hospital in the city, he got a bit stable before dying a few hours later. He was 81 years old when he died and had lived a long and fulfilling life. Obviously I wished that he had lived longer but sometimes life happens.

    My point is that in a state of emergency there’s nothing wrong in relying in an ambulance. My mom wasn’t in a mood to drive or do anything serious at that point. She was worrying about his condition. Cars on the road usually respect emergency cars so they can get through. You can’t get that kind of respect by speeding in a normal car.

  65. I think its awesome that you are able to live without a car. I wish I could do that but I can’t due to the fact that I live in the mid-west. I remember that when I was a teen that I wanted to get my license, a car, and then you get these things and realize that they’re not worth it. I try to drive as little as possible. I do a lot of things online like use Amazon to get things I need.

    I think the reason why so few people talk about this in the real world is because most people have been convinced that financial freedom is not possible unless you’re born into a wealthy family, win the lottery, having some kind of talent or business where you can earn millions, or work hard for 45 years and save/invest during the entire time.

  66. I think this is right. One interesting point of note is that living in China, you see fairly wealthy foreigners (businessmen and professionals in suits) take the subway sometimes, but you never see that with wealthy Chinese. I think that’s because when you are in your “home” society, you feel more pressure to fit in with your social status. Less so when you live abroad.

    It relates to how immigrant groups are rather less susceptible to advertising, as well.

  67. Love it. Congrats on selling it so quickly too! And, I like that you went the karma route in the sale :).

    We were car-free for a number of years when we lived in NYC, DC, and Boston. We do have a car now, which is a hand-me-down 1996 Honda Odyssey from my parents. I don’t think we would’ve bought a car at the time, but, we didn’t want to turn down a free one! It has actually ended up being a wonderful thing for us because it enabled us to start our hobby of hiking–which is now our favorite activity in the world. We aren’t able to reach trails by public transit, so we are truly thankful for our car.

    We still walk, bike, and use public transit quite a bit though and are able to get by on about 1 tank of gas/month. It helps that Mr. FW bikes to work every day, all year long, regardless of the weather! I don’t think we’ll be going car-free again (especially not on the homestead), but I do like to live the reduced car-dependency lifestyle 🙂

  68. I had my last car 5 years ago. I live in Germany and I think, public transportation is much easier than in the States. But you have to live in the right place as well, otherwise it is not possible to live without a car. All of my friends except one does have a car. We both have enough money to afford it, but we don´t need it. I live 3 minutes away from a station 20 kilometers outside of Munich and it is quite easy to live without it. The funny is, that most of my friends always asking me, why I don´t have a car. Like you said its healthy and I make all my shopping on foot. This is real a big advantage to save money as well and invest it.

    In the near future transportation will change anyway. When we will get the self-driving cars in five or ten years, it doesn´t make really sense to buy one if there is a service to call a car by phone for a fee. I think, in twenty years this will be a matter of course and quite cheap. It is really useless to own a car and using it only a very limited time and have all the costs like insurance and whatever.

  69. DM Didn’t you have a motorbike before? I’ve never owned a legal one but aren’t expenses much lower on them?

  70. I am currently car free as I sold my car when I moved to NYC last year. I am less than a 15 minute walk to work which makes it quite convenient, plus obviously I have NYC’s public transportation system if I need it. It does get a little annoying when I want to visit family or friends outside of the city, as I have to rely on them picking me up from the transportation. I don’t like feeling like a burden, but it doesn’t seem to bother people too much! I usually return the favor with booze or something 🙂

  71. I couldn’t do my job without a car, but I substitute walking or biking for shorter errands when I can. Our local library is about a mile and a half from our house, for example. Why drive that? Besides, when I get there, I can read all the magazines I want for free! Talk about frugal…

  72. To have a car in my location is an option, one of the few advantage to live in a city. I keeping updated my driver’s license because it is not a right I want to lose. But yes, there are so many short term renters that is easier to rent a car for some days than to have one a full year.
    I don’t talk even of the “joyce” to park a car during our long Canuck winters, the traffic and so on 🙂 If you can afford to not have one it’s a win-win situation and better for the health.

  73. We aren’t car free, because we value the freedom that having a car buys us, but we certainly took a step in this direction when we got rid of our second car a few years ago. We realized that the things we do use our car for (camping trips, vacations to visit family, etc.), turning a 1 hour commute into a 15 minute one and saving me seven and a half hours of commute time per week, etc. are valuable to us–but NONE of them require us to be a two car household, so we simply let it go!

    It was a little weird at first, but it’s been two years now and we haven’t missed it in the least–and saving several hundred bucks a year in ins. and maintenance is certainly nothing to scoff at!

  74. When I went back to University I parked my pickup and didn’t get back in it to drive for 3 months. I walked everywhere. After about 2-3 weeks my body adapted and I had CRAZY amounts of energy. You nailed it when you said cars are dangerous. Just think about it, we are in giant metal and glass boxes that weigh thousands of pounds, hurling ourselves down the road at high rates of speed and only separated by a a few measly feet.

  75. I’d love to go car free! When I lived in Pittsburgh during college, I took the bus everywhere. They have a fantastic public transportation system and even though it took me a little longer to get where I needed to go, it was always worth it. I’m living in Florida now smack dab in the middle of Orlando and Tampa and unfortunately the infrastructure just isn’t here. The area is starting to build up and I’m considering getting a bike to go to the store, nearby restaurants, etc instead of driving. But work and other entertainment is just too far away currently. I admire people like yourself who are able to take that plunge and I know it’s got to be great for your health too! I hope I can get to a point of not having to rely on a car someday. Congrats on being car free 🙂

  76. I would love to be car-free, but I would also like to live out in mountains. With two kids I can’t do both (I would die trying to bike my kids to school!!). Choices, choices. Maybe one day once kids are grown i can live in my mountain cabin and ride my bike (or horse, or donkey, or husband…whichever) everywhere.

  77. nooooo way haha, there’s a lot of conveniences I will concede in my life, no vehicle will not be one.

  78. Lila,

    Yeah, unless you live in a pretty large city, it’s pretty difficult throughout the Midwest. It was certainly possible to live without a car up in Michigan, but not very comfortable. I’ll never forget how cold I was one day when it was something like five degrees below and I was outside waiting for the bus for about half an hour. That sucked.

    And you’re right in that, as kids, we can’t wait to get that driver’s license and car, only later to realize that it’s really imprisoning us more than its freeing us, financially speaking. I’m much freer without a car than I ever could be with one. 🙂

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best wishes.

  79. innerscorecard,

    That’s interesting. I wasn’t really aware of that trend in China. I suppose it makes sense, though. If it’s cheap and convenient, why not? And you’re right in that they don’t really have anyone to impress. Funny how much we do just to impress neighbors we don’t really care about.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Cheers!

  80. Mrs. FW,

    Nothing wrong with a car-lite lifestyle. 🙂

    A 1996 Odyssey? That’s from way back in the day. And a hand-me-down is a major score! I can imagine the winters up there are brutal on the car, as I worked in the auto industry for years up north…we’d have cars pretty much start to rot out after about 15 years. That thing is going really strong there, though. I’m sure you guys will keep it rolling as long as you reasonably can.

    One tank of month isn’t bad at all. That’s about what I was doing there for the last few months. I know some people spend hundreds of dollars per month on gas, which is such a cash drain.

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best wishes.

  81. olli,

    That’s fantastic. I’m glad you’ve been able to customize your life and get by just fine without a car. It’s somewhat similar in the US as you have to be careful about where you live, even in cities with solid public transportation. You can’t just live anywhere and expect to be just fine. I’m currently in a very small city, so I have to be even more diligent about that, but it works great if you go into it with a plan.

    Self-driving cars are coming at some point. It’ll be interesting to see how regulation and laws affects all of that, as in who’s liable for an accident if/when one occurs? Maybe buses will also be self-driving as well! Crazy stuff.

    Take care!

  82. frankz,

    Yep! I’ve actually owned a few different scooters. All of them were 49cc, which didn’t require insurance or a special license. They’re really cheap to own and operate. You figure somewhere between $700 and $1,200 to buy one used (low mileage, great shape), and then $50 for your annual tag. Then it’s maybe $5 per month for gas. I don’t really have plans to get one because I can get by just fine by foot and bus, but they’re definitely a nice option if you have decent weather all year and public transportation is somewhat limited where you’re at.

    Cheers.

  83. FF,

    I’m guessing with booze in hand they don’t mind too much. 🙂

    NYC is probably one of your best bets for living without a car here in the US, though it’s fairly expensive up that way. Never been to NYC. Been to Chicago a few times, and even that was a little overwhelming. But it does seem incredibly exciting up there.

    Enjoy the car-free lifestyle. A 15-minute walk to work is just a great setup.

    Best regards.

  84. Jim,

    1.5 miles from the closest library is really nice. That’s not a bad walk at all. I just mapped out our closest library, and it looks like we’re 2.5 miles away. Not too shabby, though in the summer it might be a bit much.

    Libraries are really great. I was at the library in Ann Arbor, Michigan last summer and you wouldn’t believe how many Blu-ray movies they had for free rental. It was a massive library of movies. All for free. Gotta love it!

    Take care.

  85. farcodev,

    Yeah, cities are really great in that it’s often better not to have a car, after factoring in parking fees, tickets, traffic, etc. Typically easier just to walk or take the bus. But if you’re the type of person that prefers rural areas, that makes it more difficult to get by without a car, or maybe even impossible depending on where you’re at.

    It’s great to have the option of a car. The health and wealth savings are wonderful if you can get by without one. 🙂

    Cheers!

  86. Charles,

    Nice job there. Cutting your car exposure in half is a great way to save money while still retaining the flexibility that owning a car offers. That’s basically what we were doing, as my car was our only car for quite a while. But we realized that even a one-car household seemed to be too much.

    Enjoy the extra savings! 🙂

    Best wishes.

  87. sjodom,

    Right. I think people really underestimate how dangerous cars are. Driving down the highway at 80 or 90 miles per hour is just incredibly risky. One bad move by someone else and that might be it for you. And that’s why it’s one of the biggest killers worldwide. It’s always funny when I hear about how some people are scared to fly because they fear a plane crash, yet they have no problem getting in a car and doing 70+. They have no clue that the latter activity is far more risky than the former.

    Walking is highly underrated. Even if you own a car, it’s great just to get around locally on your own two feet. I can only imagine how much healthier our country would be if people just walked a bit more.

    Best regards!

  88. Stephanie,

    Ahh, being between Tampa and Orlando is kinda rough. I once looked into living in Tampa and it seems like you could get by without a car there if you lived in one of three areas: downtown, South Tampa/Hyde Park, or Ybor. Otherwise, it’d be tough. But living outside the city would definitely be impossible.

    Hopefully, you can get to that point one day. If not car-free, at least being able to get to local events or grocery shopping by foot or bike. Even just a minor change in your reliance on a car can have a pretty big effect on your health and wealth. 🙂

    Best regards!

  89. kline01,

    A donkey! There you go. 🙂

    Living right up against the mountains must be beautiful. Never lived in an area like that. It’s always been flat everywhere I’ve been.

    Good luck getting there!!

    Cheers.

  90. Dan,

    I hear you. Once you have the mindset of living with a car, it’s tough to let go. And our infrastructure/society here in the US isn’t conducive to car-free living. But there are a lot of people all over the world that get by without a car. And it seems to me they’re typically healthier, wealthier, and happier. Count me as one of them. 🙂

    Best wishes.

  91. Car free in Sarasota, FL is much more doable than in Fargo, ND. We have 6-7 months of pretty tough walking/biking with the winters. Our bus system is ok, but you have to live in the “downtown” corridor.

    If I was single I could do it, but with 3 kids. Meh. Not going to happen.

    Heck, if I was single I wouldn’t live here. 🙂 I’d live somewhere warmer where perhaps car free would be an option.

    I do love biking and the thought of being car free or perhaps just owning an old Ford pickup with only liability insurance is good to think about.

  92. Wade,

    Agreed. I wouldn’t want to attempt car-free living in Fargo. Actually, I wouldn’t want to attempt any kind of living up in Fargo, but that’s just me.

    Florida has no state income taxes and car-free life is somewhat realistic down here. Families move every day. Just saying… 🙂

    Hopefully, the thaw is coming for you guys up there.

    Best wishes!

  93. Rich,

    1. If you’re truly in dire enough shape to need an ambulance, it’s unlikely you’ll be driving anywhere anyhow. If I just need to get to the hospital in a hurry but I’m not dying there are easier and cheaper ways to do that.

    2. I’ve seen ambulance bills quoted on average somewhere around $1,200. But it will obviously vary quite a bit depending on how far you’re going and where you’re at. If you think an average car only costs $400 per year I have a bridge to sell you!

    3. The odds of needing an ambulance and having to pay for it – especially in young age – are quite low. The odds of paying for a car if you own one are 100%. I prefer the former odds.

    Hyperbole is fun, but it’s not realistic. I imagine it’s fear like this that keeps people chained to their cars, desks, and big homes…

    Cheers.

  94. I support your decision to not have a car. However having living in NY which has the best public transportation in the world. It still is not saving you as much as may think it is.

    Time= money. SO how much is your time worth? Since following this blog which is awesome BTW. You value your time more than anything else. SO let say this adds 2-3 hours per week of wasted time waiting on public transportation. That $70.00 per month for car insurance is small potatoes.

    Like you I work from home. I do not use my car for much so it seems like a waste until you consider it takes 30-45 minutes to walk to the store. So I take that time X’s my hourly rate.

  95. Rich,

    Right. I value time more than money. But money buys time, which is why we invest in stocks which will hopefully fund our lifestyle via growing dividend income. And the money that would otherwise be spent on a car could be used to save/invest and buy more time. And, like I’ve discussed ad nauseam, the benefits of not owning a car are far beyond just the monetary concerns. Whining about how it might take a little longer to walk somewhere rather than taking your car is completely missing the point. But I’m a fitness enthusiast and you might not be, so we’re probably coming from very different perspectives. I remember Pete over at MMM tweeted about walking like 10 miles or something from the airport in NYC recently. Some might think “But it’d be quicker to take a cab and my time is worth $X/hour (as if you’d be making money with the time saved, which you wouldn’t), why not just take a cab?” Those people would be completely missing the point.

    But not selling my car way back when just to get home quicker or whatever would mean I’d have far less wealth and dividend income today. And I need a car even less now that I work from home, thus saving even more money and buying more time.

    Sounds like you don’t get it. And that’s okay.

    Cheers.

  96. Hey DM,

    Good article. I don’t have a car. I have an old motorcycle (1970’s), a Honda CB. I bought it 2K$ and could still sell it at the same price. It’s one of those things. If the bike gets old enough, it turns back the clock. I guess it’s like that with many vintage articles.

    Just like finances, I have learned basic mechanics myself. I do all the maintenance stuff. It’s great to ride around the city, it’s cheap to full and girls dig it (!). Only downside : I live in winterland half of the year. The other half I walk or I ask rides from the girls that I have met with my bike (just kitting).

    A car is a spending machine, no doubt.

  97. Kudos to you. This takes great dedication and resolve. Thanks for daring to be different and in doing so inspiring us all.

  98. MD,

    Nice move over there. I relied on a scooter for quite a while. Great way to get around, and fun to boot. I prefer walking and using the bus, however, simply due to safety concerns. But a cheap bike is a ton of fun and pretty cheap. 🙂

    Thanks for dropping by. Have fun over there!

    Cheers.

  99. Josh,

    Thanks so much!

    I guess I enjoy living on the fringe sometimes. It’s fun coloring outside the lines. 🙂

    Appreciate the support.

    Best wishes.

  100. Actually that’s what emergency funds are for.

    Try to anticipate what the future you will need and plan accordingly. Dave Ramsey says that when you’re broke that’s when Murphy moves into your house (that’s when emergencies happen the most).

    According to the New York Times an ambulance bill is pretty high, one person got charged $900 and another person said theirs was $1772.42 for a 15 minute ride. But that’s why finance gurus encourage you to have a savings account. It’s not as if you would need an ambulance every day and emergencies don’t happen all the time. That’s why they’re called emergencies.

    http://nyti.ms/1DDQ7IR (my source)

  101. I personally need a car but I really dont want one either. I cant tell you how much I have lost dumping money into silly cars. Easy over 200k, maybe closer to 250k. ouch.

    If I lived downtown in a major city I really dont see a point to a car. I will be more inclined to using a car share system when I really needed one.

    Honestly more people should use good ole fashioned pedal power and get a bike.

  102. A-G,

    Ouch, bud. I haven’t wasted that much money on cars, but relative to my wealth I’m probably in a similar boat as you. I don’t even want to add up how much money I’ve wasted on cars and associated expenses over the course of my lifetime.

    I hope to live in a major city at some point, which would further the case for walking and public transportation. Sarasota will have to do for now, but I’d love to eventually live somewhere with more robust options for car-free life. We’ll see.

    Thanks for stopping by. Hope all is well!

    Best regards.

  103. Exactly a year ago I was buying a new car. I mean a ‘new’ car, which actually turned out to be someones old car. I thought several times that new car is new and definitely better than some random used one, but finally (somewhat reading this blog helped) I decided to go for 2004 Toyota Avensis (you in USA have some other model for representing this I guess). Currently I’m happy because the value has dropped only slightly and I could almost sell it with price I bough it. Can’t compare with new car, which price would have dropped significantly in absolute terms.

    The other thing is communication between people. I haven’t noticed that in Estonia people would chat with random people in public transportation. Maybe we are just cold people who doesn’t care about others? Anyway it’s cool that it is possible to meet people like that in there.

  104. Jason,

    Great points and great job going car free. The long term results from this decision on your health, fitness, and retirement portfolio will be greatly improved. Some of the comments were quite entertaining and reinforced the point that fear is an expensive illusion.

    Thanks for sharing,

    Robbie

  105. Jason,
    Your topic is timely (even though you posted 2 days ago). I have to turn in one of the 2 vehicles that I lease as part of my employment benefits. Why? Because today is my first day of RETIREMENT! YAY! I made it 3 and half weeks before my 58th birthday. Didn’t quite get their at 50 like I wanted, but not too bad.

    One of the things that I plan to do not that I have some time is get more exercise. My favorite way is to pedal my bike. It can be tricky in suburban Detroit because of traffic and a lack of sidewalks, but I can still get to a lot of places. Not sure about biking 12 months out of the year, though. It was minus 20 for several days here last month. Hard to bike in that kind of cold.
    KeithX

  106. DM,
    Good for you for getting rid of your car. The reinvested money will add to your dividend machine!
    Unfortunately, not having a car is impossible where I live. Maybe, I should move? 🙂
    Div4son

  107. As much as I agree with your other posts, I should disagree with this post.
    The convenience of car is way beyond money. Yes it costs money to maintain the car – insurance, gas, maintenance etc but I can’t imaging myself without a car in the place I live in.
    good look !

  108. I got stuck on the death scenario comments. Just get a defibrillator. If you’re having a heart attack an ambulance might not be enough time. That and having someone to help you (not living alone) are probably more of a life saver than having a car around.

  109. With three kids and all the activities we (spouse and I) and they (the kids) are engaged in, I couldn’t see how we could manage the schedule without a car. Not to mention bus system in my city is impaired. However, we did go from two cars to only one about a year ago and I surely don’t regret it! We’re saving A LOT in related expenses are you clearly wrote and we found out there’s always a way to manage (walking, bike, carpool, etc.). Taking a taxi once in a while when needed won’t kill us too! 😉

    Cheers!

    Mike

  110. I think it’s great that you can live a car free lifestyle. Our family has one car and that works very well for us. No car just wouldn’t work for us right now because we need to take the kid to school and run various errands. I know if we try hard enough, we could do it. We like having one car though.

  111. Tauri,

    Buying used is definitely the right way to go. The depreciation is already largely factored in, so your monetary costs will largely be limited to everything else (which is still substantial): insurance, fuel, repairs, maintenance, etc. Though, as I’ve tried to point out, it’s just as much a lifestyle/qualitative decision as it is a monetary/quantitative decision. At least, in my view it is. 🙂

    Yeah, I’ve had some interesting discussions on the bus before. Not always good, but they generally add some color to my day.

    Best of luck with the Avensis. Toyota makes a great product and I’m sure that’ll last you a while!!

    Cheers.

  112. TMS,

    Indeed. People like to live in bubbles. Unfortunately, those bubbles can often be expensive and limiting. Most of society lives in a bubble that says you can’t do things – live without a car in the US, retire before 65, have more time to enjoy life, etc. I popped my bubble a long time ago. 🙂

    Appreciate the support. The benefits of living car-free should extend benefits to both health and wealth. We’ll see!

    Best wishes.

  113. KeithX,

    CONGRATS! You may not have made it by 50, but 58 is a lot earlier than most. Enjoy your newfound freedom and the lifestyle perks it comes with. 🙂

    Yeah, I don’t think I’d want to bike all year long up there either. I didn’t even like waiting for a bus for 30 or 40 minutes outside, but I guess maybe biking might actually be easier since your core is warmer. There are a lot of hardcore bicyclists that do it all year long – snow and all – but I’d prefer to just move somewhere warmer…which is why I moved to Florida.

    Have fun up there!

    Best wishes.

  114. Div4son,

    People move every day, and sometimes for worse reasons than to save a lot of money, get more exercise, and retire earlier. Of course, that’s tongue-in-cheek as you should be happy wherever you are. I would never move somewhere for just for monetary concerns. I love living down here in Florida regardless of everything else, but I did specifically pick this city based on a lot of criteria that I thought would make it easier to do what I’m doing.

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Take care.

  115. cxr,

    Right. Well, it depends on where you live. As I mentioned in the article, not everyone can get by without a car. Really depends on where you live and what kind of infrastructure you have in place. Getting by without a car in NYC, D.C., Chicago, or Portland is a lot different than getting by without a car in Kansas City. But I moved many years ago away from a place that couldn’t really offer this type of lifestyle to somewhere that does, and I couldn’t be happier about that. Cars are a huge money suck. And I would know since I worked in the car business for almost a decade. 🙂

    Cheers!

  116. DivGuy,

    Nice move there. Downsizing to just one car cuts the expenses down quite a bit while still allowing you the freedom/flexibility of having a car to whisk you away in a hurry. It’s definitely not possible to get by without a car in many places throughout the US, but I also think that this is something that a lot of people just aren’t open minded to due to our car-obsessed culture. If I can get by without a car in tiny Sarasota, then I know it’s possible in larger cities. Hopefully, I enlightened a few people. 🙂

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best regards.

  117. Joe,

    You live in a public transportation mecca over there in Portland. I’ve looked into Portland quite a bit, as I think it has some of the qualities to make it kind of a perfect city in a lot of respects, and the public transportation over there is excellent. With you guys living downtown that would make it even easier. But I hear you – having a car makes things a lot easier. If you’re okay paying for the convenience and can easily afford it (you guys obviously can), then it’s really no big deal. But I think it’s important to be at least cognizant of the expense and exactly how necessary or unnecessary it really is. It pays to question things like this, in my opinion. 🙂

    Best regards!

  118. Dm.

    Pay your house off first!!!!!! then continue saving towards retirement. Weather you own or rent/lease, your home is your biggest expense. Just my opinion, but sure nice not to have a mortgage payment.

  119. j-harr,

    What is this comment directed toward? I don’t own a home, so I have no idea what you’re talking about or why you directed this comment at me? Furthermore, this is completely off topic.

    Cheers.

  120. DM,
    Comment wasn’t directed in any way to you. I’m saying we all have monthly budgets we follow. It would be nice to be debt free, so we can reach our goals a lot quicker with less stress. Love being debt free!

    Thanks,

  121. Mike,

    As I’ve mentioned quite a bit over the last few months, I’m not particularly interested in the energy sector due to my weighting there. And I’m specifically not interested in any of the supermajors, XOM included.

    Best regards!

  122. I purchased an used 1997 Lexus back in 2006 (1997 ES300) and its truly one of the best investments I have ever made. People in general (including my own mother) has tried to convince me over the years to “upgrade” my car to something ‘better’. I just look and nod and go on my merry way. Having financial independence is far more important to me and makes me a lot happier than driving a 2016 luxury car or whatever else people drive these days. I love my car.

    Random side note– I always tell myself my next car will be a Mercedes Benz but I know for a fact I wouldn’t get a brand new model. I would get a certified pre-owned vehicle. I love having a car around but i personally feel that driving the latest model of anything doesnt make any sense financially (in my own humble opinion)>

    I read a book when I was 21 called “the millionaire next door” which taught me so much about these type of things. I TOTALLY get you and TOTALLY agree with your decision to get rid of the car. People have different ways in how they wish to spend their money and i’ve learned to not judge anyone and simply do what makes me happy :). I think you made a great decision for yourself. Cheers!

  123. Teach,

    Nice move there with the old Lexus. There’s absolutely no need to buy a new car you don’t need to impress neighbors that you don’t care about. And that’s a great book, which is why I have it on my recommended reading list. 🙂

    If I’m not mistaken, The Millionaire Next Door actually cites Toyota as one of the most popular car makes among millionaires. I remember Lincoln being high up on the list as well. Gotta love cheap, reliable cars that allow you to continue saving up a ton of money!

    Best wishes.

  124. DM,

    I have a feeling that one day your snowball will be paying you enough to the point where you won’t have to worry about a car payment.

    Best,

  125. investor21,

    Thanks! I think I’m kind of at that point now, but, as I mentioned a few times before, this really was less about money and more about freedom and lifestyle. I could buy 31 of the Corollas I just sold (one for each day of the month!) and still have money left over. I’m living a richer life without a car, both in terms of health and wealth. 🙂

    Cheers!

  126. I wish I could get rid of car. I hate paying $140 every month for the car insurance even though I only drive 8 times a month (only during the weekend). I just can’t give up the freedom of convenience of whereever and whenever I need to go. I admire your solid decision of getting rid of the car for sure.

    BSR

  127. BSR,

    I hear that. Insurance isn’t fun to pay because there isn’t really a tangible return there. You don’t really see anything in return for your money until/unless an accident occurs, which, obviously, one hopes to avoid. Of course, if such an event occurs you have higher insurance rates to look forward to anyway. Pretty much a sunk cost there.

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best regards.

  128. I probably won’t replace my ten year old car when it dies because I bike in nice weather and bus to work in the winter. We have a car share company where I live and I can join that as there are plenty of cars near my apartment.

    Is there any car sharing companies in your neck of the woods?

  129. murielchesterton,

    Nice. It’s great to be able to take advantage of the nice weather like that. Biking is free of emissions and burns calories rather than gas. 🙂

    We unfortunately don’t have any car sharing services here. I hope to move to a larger city at some point in the next few years, and that’s always something I look at when evaluating cities. We’ll see!

    Thanks for dropping by.

    Best regards.

  130. I agree with DGI. Sometimes you need a car, but if you must, do it as cheap as possible. I bought a new Corolla, and I regret it. Higher Insurance and stuck with a payment. I won’t do that again… I will get something in good shape, used, and save a bunch of money!!

  131. steve,

    Right. It’s tough for a lot of people to live without a car. Though, I think a lot more people could live without a car, but most people just don’t want to.

    That said, buying a new car is usually a bad call. The depreciation hits you almost immediately. Buying a gently used, high-quality car that has low miles a couple years out of the gate is probably the best way to go. Either that or buying something super used/cheap and doing your own repairs. Depends on how handy you are.

    Cheers!

  132. I have also given owning a car. But have not given up entirely on using a car. I did the math on just how often i could rent a car (especially on weekends) or use a car share for the cost of owning. It was far more often then Id need a car, Though its surprisingly cheap to rent (often $10 for a car for a day, less then a couple DVDs at blockbuster used to be), paying the full cost of use vs just gas (on top of the fixed cost of owning) is a great incentive to think about a car really being necessary for the trip or not.

    Anyone who doens’t use or could do without a car for “9-5”, and doens’t have kids to ferry around should do the math on renting as needed rather then owning

  133. MB,

    Great point there. For people living in an urban area that don’t have the traditional 9-5 routine, renting a car for occasional trips could work out quite well. If you have access to car sharing services, even better. There’s also Uber out there if you live in a fairly large city.

    All I have available to me down here in Sarasota is the traditional rental car facilities. They’re unfortunately fairly expensive – I’ve never been able to land $10 – and they require the insurance they sell when you don’t have any. So that adds up pretty quick.

    But living in an area where you have access to Zipcar or something similar means it’s very likely that living without a car isn’t as expensive as you think. And the intangible benefits are really extremely valuable anyhow. I also believe that once you start living without a car, you’ll find it’s far less necessary to even rent one than you might think. We get by just fine without any car at all and we don’t even live in a big city.

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Best regards.

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