Having a car is so expensive nowadays! But can we live without it?

Hello! When I was living in the capital city I didn't have a car either! I was using the subway or the bus to reach my destination. People with cars could be searching for a parking for hours and I am too impatient to do that! Now I've moved to a small city and sometimes a car is required, for example if I need to go a few kilometers outside of the city, which might take me 10 mins with the car, but without a car I won't be able to reach my destination! Now that you have a car, do you still use other means of transport from time to time, or you go everywhere with your new car?

Hi! Yeah big cities tend to have great transportation. Even though I now have a car, there are times when I still use public transport, like if im going on a holiday or something, but If I'm going to the store or cinema I'll use the car.

Ya, somehow we still need cars...

I guess it is possible to live without a car but not for everyone. I am wondering how people were going to other cities before cars were discovered. My parents have told me their grandaparents were walking for a day or more to reach to other city nearby. I can't imagine living like that, but for now I like it that I am not so much dependant on the car. Parking is another common problem that comes with having a car!

The place that you have describe sounds very nice. The problem with big cities is that you start spending money from the moment you leave the house. But if someone has the access to the places that are necessary to visit regularly (like work, super market, bank etc.) then life would be much simpler and we wouldn't depend so much on cars.

I agree.

yeap you are right all you need is a tire fix kit and you are done for 3-4 years :) And as you said in bicycle friendly cities you can move around fast and safe.

You are right, when the whole family needs to travel, the car is the obvious solution. The best thing about bicycles is that they are also fast, after the purchase you don't have any additional costs, it is environmental friendly and it keeps our body fit.

The big cities in my country have the same problem but I am lucky because I live in the countryside with only a little traffic and closer distances. However, even in the big cities they make efforts to reduce the car use mainly because of the pollution. But even in the big cities, the public transport is very well developed and many people prefer to take the subway or the public buses to go to work which is actually faster and cheaper than using the car with so much traffic.

I live in a developing area that its in the awkward state that doesn't have the open spaces of the countryside but neither have the developed options of a city. While in my country there a type of train, it only gets to the metropolitan areas, and buses everywhere are late, slow and mostly broken down, however, in the area I live there aren't even buses :p. In fact, we are only connected to other cities by two streets, one go through a mountain, which also is in that awkward stage of development so there are traffic jams and its uphill so going in bicycle is asking for a heart attack, and the other doesn't even have sidewalks, so cycling there is asking to be run over, and the problem is, right next to the street are fences of companies or abandoned tall grass, so its not like you can ride outside the asphalt. After you get to the next city there are sidewalks, but they are broken down and not quite leveled, so you can't ride there either. It stays like that for around 6 miles (9.6km) and while that is not a long distance to travel on wheels, walking 6 miles every day to go to work would make anyone quit :p. So in here its either a car, or an helicopter :p. That's one of the reasons I'm trying to work from home, since gas costs around a dollar per litter, and between traffic jams and long distances to get to work, that's around half your check :p.

I live in a small city now, the distances are not far to walk or use a bicycle! But if there is a need to go outside the city, the bus services are a bit poor and a car is necassary! Right now, I can live without a car but I might need it again in the future for my job.

It's cool that your husband can get better deals and paid gas, he is very lucky. It is natural to use public transport, I think that in most cases it is cheaper and the car is not a priority. It's the same with me, right now I can't afford it and I will use it when I decide that I really need it!

I have never thought about how much time people spend driving, it is an interesting question. And I am guessing that each person's answers will be a surprise if we really think about it! I believe that even if you find a slightly more expensive house in order to move close to the university, you will probably find that you still have profit from eliminating the car expenses. Thank you for your comment! Have a wonderful day!

I think I would have to use the car too, in the situations that you describe! Cycling is dangerous in traffic because the drivers don't pay much attention to the bicycles. The only option would be public transport but if it's not convenient it's not worth it! I used to live in a huge city as a student, and I could travel everywhere by public transport. My university was 1 hr away because I had to take the subway until the city center and then take a bus to the uni. By car, it was only 20 mins, because the shortcut was much closer and the 2 areas were very close on the map! But there was no bus service between the 2 areas! Fortunately, my brother had a car and he was driving me to uni sometimes!

Life would be much simpler if people didn't have to move long distances to arrive to work. One additional advantage of walking is that I had the shance to meet more people on my way to work. Many other people do the same as I do and walk to their offices and it is nice to meet familiar faces in the morning before starting the hard work! Thank you for your comment! :)

Some companies also provide private cars to the employees and pay for the fuel if the car is essential for the job. This is a great alternative for someone that works in a field that requires travelling. Motorcycle is a good idea, I was always jealous of the guys that were passing in front of me while I was stuck in traffic!

I agree, when it is time to fully support ourselves and live with what we earn, we need to set our priorities. This is how I decided to search for other alternatives as well. And when I will have the money to maintain my own car, I will have one. Right now I borrow my parent's car when I need it but it doesn't happen very often because I can cover most of my transportation needs with other means.

Unfortunately I can't afford to use it in my daily life with the gas price at 1.7 euros per litre. A few years ago when everything was cheaper I wasn't even thinking about the cost before planning a trip and now it's my main concerd! What's your dream car?

The reality is that a car is more comfortable when travelling, it is warm and dry comparing to a motorcycle. But if the money is not enough to buy and maintain a car, then I wouldn't risk to get one without being able to pay for it. It is also a matter of prestige and social acceptance for some people that want to prove their status through a nice car. Who doesn't like expensive cars? I would like to have one as well, but it isn't my purpose in life. If I could afford it without cutting from something else, I might consider looking for one :)

Sometimes using the car is the only option for people that live far away from their job. I understand your problem, without a car you wouldn't be able to get to your job and visit your family. Therefore you have to pay for fuel, service and insurance no matter how expensive they cost.

I like taking my bike bacause it is a bit faster than walking. On the other hand, it is difficult to go for shopping with the bike, because there is no place to carry the bags. So many time I walk as well. It is very convenient to have a good public transport sustem that connects the cities and with today's prices, it is cheaper to use the bus or the train than taking the car!

Yes, I'm in a small town as well and you can go anywhere by walking for 30 mins max. The problem is when I need to go to a nearby city or for some people that work in the industrial area in the suburbs. Even for the small distances many people decide to take their cars because they feel more comfortable. But lately I have noticed that more and more people prefer to walk or take their bicycles to go around the city and this makes me happy because I never understood my friends that take the car to go for coffee 4 blocks away from their house.

Thank you for your comment! I feel the same, it is nice to walk around the city. Sometimes I even notice things that I had never seen before like buildings, small shops etc. because when we walk we have more time to see the details in the environment that surrounds us. Have a nice day! :)

Air pollution due to cars is a major issue especially in crowded cities. It is very good that you have included bicycles in your everyday life at your country, I wish this would happen here as well.

It has advantages and disadvantages, for example it is fast but there are parking issues. It is still very expensive though to maintain a car in a good condition. I remember a few years ago, every member in the family had its own car. Now, because of the crisis people can't afford having 2-3 cars in a family so they just keep one and sell the others. Personally, I like cycling and I enjoy going out with my bicycle. It is less stressful and expensive for me and I only consider taking the car if it is raining a lot or if I want to travel.