Has anyone gone to one automobile?

[dumpster56]

Just wondering if anyone has decided to go with one vehicle when they said enough of full time work.

I figure if I did I could cut insurance and other costs by about 1,000 dollars a year.

If i needed another ride I could rent a vehicle for that time.

 

[Robert the Red]

Both of us still working FT, but went to 1 car 3 years ago. I walk about a mile to work (what a luxury!), and the second car ended up only being driven about once per two weeks. Sold it to a med school resident. When it's pouring rain, my wife drives me to work.

 

[crazy connie]

I only have 1 now. But as a single gal who is currently in the burbs, I plan to keep it. Were I to partner up, I would be comfie sharing a single ride.

 

[Nords]

Just wondering if anyone has decided to go with one vehicle when they said enough of full time work.

Parents in law did and it's working fine, but my MIL doesn't like to drive.

We've talked about going down to one car but spouse still has the occasional Reserve workweek and we'll be training a new teenage driver in a couple years. So we're going to stick with the beaters we have (~$420/year each to insure) and maybe add a third used car when she's licensed. When the kid is off to college and spouse retires from the Reserves then we'll go down to one... whichever one carries a longboard better.

 

[OAG]

Been doing it for about the past 11 years. Works fine because we both go almost everywhere together. DW does not like to drive so I drive virtually all of the time. I do all my repairs, oil changes, tire rotations, etc. We have kept a newer car for all of that time, in that they were never out of warranty, so major problems always got fixed by the dealer/mfg. A bit more costly to keep a new car all of the time but not having the duplicate costs sure makes it easier and sort of makes up some of the higher costs to drive newer cars. Had my share of junkers and as many as 5 vehicles in the driveway/garage when the kids were still around. I sure do not miss that much.

 

[Gone4Good]

Went from zero automobiles to one about four years ago.

Disclosure: I live in an urban area where owning an automobile is a luxury.

 

[Brat]

DH and I are retired and had this discussion recently. We have two vehicles. Oldest car looks and runs great but.. what do do when it dies. I voted for one car. Neither of us likes the other's driving habits but it hasn't yet come to the point of driving two cars on a joint journey (but I have been threatened that at least once).

The only time we are routinely single occupancy is when he golfs. To replace the second car doesn't make economic sense IMHO.

 

[SecondCor521]

I have just one, but like crazy connie it's just me, so not a problem.

My parents, interestingly, have 3, even though they're retired and all their kids are grown. I think it's because they don't agree on which car to get rid of -- my dad would get rid of my Mom's primary ride, and she would get rid of his luxury ride. But they can afford it, so that's what they do. I doubt they could go to one because of their current lifestyle which requires heading in different directions at different times too often.

2Cor521

 

[sailor]

He he,
when I sold my truck last Saturday in theory we went to zero vehicles and live in suburbs of Atlanta without public tranport available.
I bicycle to work and DW drives her sister's car if she needs to go somewhere (we used the truck only for towing the boat or business needs)
But I'm buying a new truck because the family is expanding soon and I need second row of seats.

 

[Cattusbabe]

DH and I are down to one car and did that before I retired. I was working 12 hour week-end shifts so DH would just drive me back and forth to work. Saved a lot on car insurance and maintance of the second car by getting rid of it. After I FIRED we each got scooters, mostly for recreation, however if one of us has the car the other is not really stranded. The car gets used if we have packages to carry back home or if the weather is bad, otherwise the scooters get us back and forth most places and in most situations.

 

[shiny]

We went down to one car when we moved to Seattle. No problems usually, we just have to plan around when he needs to go to the airport... either he has to take a cab or I drive him or, if its a short trip I do without the car. There have been no occasions of conflict yet, but I also have a neighbor who would let me borrow his car if I needed it, so I don't worry. Once DH quits I can see there being even less hassles with only one car.

 

[shiny]

After I FIRED we each got scooters, mostly for recreation, however if one of us has the car the other is not really stranded.

Cool. We'd like a scooter, but our area doesn't seem like a good place for one. Where do you live?

 

[uncledrz]

During the summer and nice weather in the fall/spring, I bike almost everywhere. But during the winter and other times of inclement weather, I feel a car is a necessary luxury. So for us, it'll be two cars for just about forever, or until they take our licenses away!!

 

[jazz4cash]

Before you ditch the second car, call insurance company to check on how much you'll save. A few years back I decided to sell a spare truck that was seldom used and cost $60/mo to insure. When they adjusted my premium, the actual savings was more like $36/mo due to 2nd car discount or whatever. For 36/mo, I woulda kept the old girl around.

 

[kumquat]

Down to one car? Uh no, but just downsized to three. Before you flame me, two are 'toys' and 50 years old.

 

[audreyh1]

Yep we did!

Within a year of retirement, we got rid of our second car because we noticed that we had only put 50 miles on it! So we sold it and bought my husband a 600mm F4 image-stabilized camera lens - LOL!

My husband doesn't really care to drive (but will do so for small errands, etc.) But seriously, it was obvious that we didn't need a second car, and being able to make all that space in the garage was GREAT!

Audrey

 

[Andre1969]

My grandparents on my Dad's side of the family only had one car their whole life. They worked fairly close to each other and carpooled in. They both retired around the same time as well. Never seemed to bother them, having only one car.

Now on my Mom's side of the family, they always had a car and a truck. Grandmom drove the car and Granddad, who worked on a farm, used the truck. In the late 70's when inflation started running rampant, and cars were getting too complicated to work on, Granddad bought an additional car, a 1953 DeSoto Firedome, to use as a spare car. I think he did it to keep the miles off their '72 Impala, but as time went by, Granddad just lost interest in that DeSoto. It finally sat too long and wouldn't start anymore, and right around the time I was nearing 16 and showed an interest in it, he suddenly decided to sell it!

In 1976, Granddad bought a big GMC 3/4 ton crew cab truck, with the intent of using it for camping, but it was really too unweildy to drive around for daily use. So they also ended up landing a used 1972 Chevy LUV around that time to beat around in.

I have a co-worker whose mother remarried after her father's death, and they tried to go down to one car. But then her mother ended up hating the loss of independence that came with it, and having to depend on her new husband. I think that he did it as a ploy to control her...from what I've heard in conversation he's the type to pull something like that. After a few months though, they ended up getting a second vehicle.

I guess some couples can make it on one car, but it just depends on the situation. As for me, I have 7! But 4 of them are toys, one of them really needs to be sold for parts, hauled off to the junkyard, or something, and then I have a daily driver car and a truck. And they're all bought and paid for, and I think insurance for the lot of them is only about $1300 per year.

 

[Martha]

We went to one car when we got the rv. Partly because there was no more space to put an extra vehicle. I live close to work. I either walk or Greg drives me. It is nice not dealing with the parking, getting dropped off and picked up right at the door, and a warm car in the winter sure is pleasant.

 

[MasterBlaster]

We have three cars for 2 drivers.

The third car paid for long ago only costs us about $50/year registration and maybe $400/year repair/maintenace costs a year plus gas of maybe $500/year. Insurance on the third car (liability only) is less than $200/year. So the total cost of keeping the third car around is only around $1150 a year.

If, by dropping down to one car, you are just going to drive the primary car more then the gas cost indicated is a wash and the net cost of keeping the extra car is only $650 a year.
That amount of money is not chicken feed but it won't break most budgets either.

- So if saving that kind of money will make or break your budget then go for it and get rid of the second car.

Otherwise balance the savings you get with the lifestyle and convienience that a car provides.
Keeping an older car around isn't really that expensive.

 

[yakers]

Like MB said, it doesn't cost a lot to keep an older car around. We have 4 vehicles for 3 drivers. Now my wife did retire this spring so she doesn't need a car--you tell her that. I am still working, unless I want to wake my retired/sleeping wife to drive me to work, I obviously need a car. Our younger son, the last kid at home, is a senior in high school, he drives our old Cherokee--YOU tell him he doesn't need a car, one of the few things that would waken him from his mental fog (other than girls & music), then there is our 1985 VW camper. Long in tooth, slow to run but it will remain for purposes of camping, hauling s&%t from Home Depot and backup vehicle.

 

[macdaddy]

Actually I have gone to zero automobiles also. I sold my car and I just use zipcar to get around now (Boston). It's pretty cheap, convenient, and best of all, there are no parking hassles... I use it about 1x-2x per week on average, for grocery shopping and stuff like that.

 

[Corporateburnout]

Had three cars just got rid of one. We are both still working and I commute 40 miles to work. Chances are we will keep two cars when we retire.

Actually I have gone to zero automobiles also. I sold my car and I just use zipcar to get around now (Boston). It's pretty cheap, convenient, and best of all, there are no parking hassles... I use it about 1x-2x per week on average, for grocery shopping and stuff like that.

How does the zipcar thing work? My daughter just moved to Boston (from Southeastern MA) and I am not sure she is aware of it.

 

[My Dream]

When my wife stops working we'll go down to one car. This will help our overall expenses. I'm amazed at the costs in owning, maintaining and insuring a car. I believe I saw once that the average in Toronto was about $8,000. per year.

 

[audreyh1]

I can't believe people say that it doesn't "cost that much" to keep extra cars around. Don't just look at the direct $$ spent. Take a look at the space it occupies, the chores and hassles it creates, the fact that there is one extra thing to look at every day. Extra stuff costs a lot more than just money.

Of course if keeping and maintaining cars is an enjoyable hobby for you - then that's a different story.

Audrey

 

[Lusitan]

Both of us are still working full time, and we've only had one car for years.