Car Mileage after FIRE

[Purron]

For my car only:
Before - about 15,600 a year
After - about 5,300 a year
Reduction - about 10,300 miles a year

This is based on records I have on my purr-mobile. DH hasn't been retired a full year yet, but I would guess his mileage will go down about 5,150 a year based on his much shorter former commute.

Using the current IRS mileage rate of 55.5 cents per mile, our combined reduced mileage equates to $8,575 per year. Not sure if this reflects anywhere near the true savings.

I am sure giving up the commute to work is priceless

 

[FIREd]

Before retirement ~16,000 miles a year
After retirement ~8,000 miles a year

 

[Nords]

Our numbers were a little mixed because of (1) sea duty and (2) I rode my bicycle a lot.

But overall spouse went from 6000+ miles/year (on a 30x40 island) to under 3000.

Sometimes when I do a six-month oil change it hasn't even turned brown yet.

 

[Lakedog]

Before - about 26,000 a year
After - about 7,500 a year

Don't miss the daily commute at all...

 

[FinanceDude]

But overall spouse went from 6000+ miles/year (on a 30x40 island) to under 3000.

Wow, Nords, that's a SMALL island!!

 

[Purron]

Wow, Nords, that's a SMALL island!!

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. My old round trip commute to work was over 50 miles!

 

[W2R]

Before retirement - - - 3500 miles/year.
After retirement - - - - 1400 miles/year.

BUT, we haven't had a hurricane evacuation so far since I retired (keeping my fingers crossed) and have not gone on a road trip yet, either. Either one would easily double the yearly miles driven.

I only live a mile and a half from my former workplace, so that's 3 miles per workday or (assuming 9 workdays every two weeks, times 26 two week periods)only about 700 miles/year directly saved due to not driving to and from work.

Today I drove for about an hour or so around town after lunch. I have started doing that more frequently, to "exercise" my Venza (so to speak) as well as for pleasure.

 

[bruce1]

Before retirement I was about 24,000 and after I am about 18,000 miles.

 

[travelover]

I was getting 33 mpg when I w*rked, but now with more short trips, my mileage is down to 31.5 mpg.

Distance driven per year went from about 15,000 down to 10,500 mpy.

 

[Life_is_Good]

I told my Allstate auto insurance agent that I now drive less than 5000 miles per year... and it was worth a discount on my premium.

 

[Purron]

I told my Allstate auto insurance agent that I now drive less than 5000 miles per year... and it was worth a discount on my premium.

That reminds me...haven't called our agent since DH retired last April. Might be worth a good discount!

Don't have Progressive Insurance but sure do love their spokeslady

 

[Khan]

Was low before retirement (owned '89 Ford Festiva for 18 years - 72000 miles).
Since retirement: less than 2000 miles/year.

 

[Nords]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. My old round trip commute to work was over 50 miles!

At our first house the road/bicycle trail was 11 miles each way to Pearl Harbor. I could usually beat the rush-hour traffic going downhill to the Harbor and sometimes I could even beat it pedaling uphill going home. It was a great way to work off the day's stress before I got home. I'd track the car vs bicycle mileage and for nearly three years I was putting in more miles on the bike.

We moved a few miles up the road and my bicycle commute turned into 13 miles each way, but unfortunately it added one of Oahu's most wicked hills and its most dangerous bridge. It nearly doubled the bicycle commute time. I did the ride a few times and decided I'd been green enough.

These days, among surfing and taekwondo and spouse's weights workout, I haven't ridden for years.

 

[easysurfer]

I haven't had the time (i.e., to lazy ) to calculate the actual milage comparisons. But I know that since FIRE, I've driven a lot more. The major reason is I used to travel to w*rk on via commuter train, so no daily traffic round trips. Also, since FIRE'ing had the time to drive around more. The nice thing is since everyday is a Saturday I can freely pick and choose what time I wish to drive.

 

[meierlde]

That reminds me...haven't called our agent since DH retired last April. Might be worth a good discount!

Don't have Progressive Insurance but sure do love their spokeslady

If you have not done so tell the agent you no longer drive to work or school. That means a significant cut in the premium, since you are no longer exposed to rush hour. That actually may make a bigger difference than the mileage, since long travel does not expose as much as rush hour.

 

[JmfromTx]

My mileage doubled the last six years of employment due to a transfer. I'm back to about 10,000 miles per year now (projecting that figure on how much I've driven the last six months).

 

[veremchuka]

Before retiring 18,000
After retiring 6-7,000

 

[scrabbler1]

I am going to buck the trend here.

Before retiring - 3,100 miles.
After retiring - 3,300 miles.

I did not use my car to go to and from work. I walked to the train then took the train(s) to work. I now drive around more during the day and at night on some of the days I used to work, all local driving so it ain't far.

 

[Koolau]

Wow, Nords, that's a SMALL island!!

Yeah, it's even worse than 30 X 40 miles would suggest (as the island isn't rectangular). The approx. area (sq. mi.) of Oahu is 596. That IS small. About the size of a typical midwestern county.

Having said that, my mileage has stayed about the same since retirement and moving to Paradise. I no longer commute, but almost every place I go on Oahu (shopping, church, restaurants, friends, other businesses) are further away than they were when I lived in a "square" town on the mainland. Old "typical" trips were 3 or 4 miles. Now, they are 8 to 12 for the same things. Here there is always a mountain or bay that gets in the way of a straight point-to-point trip. But, I'm not complaining! Now, getting there is half the fun.

 

[FinanceDude]

Yeah, it's even worse than 30 X 40 miles would suggest (as the island isn't rectangular). The approx. area (sq. mi.) of Oahu is 596. That IS small. About the size of a typical midwestern county.

Having said that, my mileage has stayed about the same since retirement and moving to Paradise. I no longer commute, but almost every place I go on Oahu (shopping, church, restaurants, friends, other businesses) are further away than they were when I lived in a "square" town on the mainland. Old "typical" trips were 3 or 4 miles. Now, they are 8 to 12 for the same things. Here there is always a mountain or bay that gets in the way of a straight point-to-point trip. But, I'm not complaining! Now, getting there is half the fun.

Actually, I thought Nords was saying 30X40 FEET!

 

[braumeister]

Before: 24,000
After: 24,000
I hate to fly.

 

[Walt34]

My mileage (that I paid for) went up since I don't have the employer-furnished car. As another retiree put it "What's this stuff about having to buy my own gas and tires?" I'd wear out a car every four or five years.

So far about 8,200 miles/year on the pickup and 6,400 on the motorcycle. My commute to work now is 3.4 mile. The grocery store is a bit farther.

 

[grasshopper]

Before 15K, after 15K
Traded a commute with 200 mile round trip to Dentist, 200 mile rt food shopping every 2 weeks. 36 mile rt to Post Office once a week. Dinners with friends 2-40 rt priceless.

 

[Brett_Cameron]

Before: 35k mpy. After: maybe 12k.

 

[FIYes]

I was surprised that my mileage went down after retirement, but it did. I had an easy commute, about 10 miles each way. I drive as much as I want to, but I am happy to say my mileage is lower. I was also pleasantly surprised that I was able to lower my auto insurance premium. Makes sense that I would get a lower premium---lower mileage, I avoid rush hour, and I stay home when the weather is bad--no slick roads for me.