If you're an ER, do you own "his" and "hers" cars?

[Nords]

If you're done working and in ER, do you still have "your" car?

Had an interesting conversation with a (still working) shipmate the other day. He wanted to know who our Prius belonged to-- me or my spouse. We said we'd bought it mainly to handle a third driver (our teen) and to be ready for the sudden death of one of our other cars (aged 11 and nearly 15 years).

He said that he asked because a few months ago he'd totaled his old car and bought a new one. However he was a bit disgruntled because his (also still working spouse) liked the new car better than her "old" car and you married veterans can predict what happened next. So he was wondering-- when our kid left for college, who'd take over the Prius?

This question never even occurred to us. Sure, when we were working we each had "our" car, preloaded according to our duty survival needs, and we practically lived out of them some days. Now in ER we don't feel any particular ownership. If we're running errands we take the more fuel-efficient car. If we're hauling then we take the bigger vehicle. When our teen leaves for college (~820 more days!) then we can probably go down to just one car. But he couldn't believe that we didn't have "his" and "hers" cars.

We're keeping our Taurus wagon for now, but I can see that its days are limited. Unbelievably the Prius hauls almost as much and gets nearly 3x the gas mileage. We haven't even driven the Taurus in nearly two weeks and I can see that I'm going to have to worry about dead batteries and rusty gas tanks. All this for a vehicle with a $1495 bluebook value.

Spouse wants to leave the Taurus spotted on the ready, loaded for bombing missions yardwork & repairs at the rental house. (At least that way I can deduct its $425 annual insurance on Schedule E.) I think we have more than enough material possessions to keep track of and in running condition. But like any experienced spouse I'm hoping that the Taurus has some type of catastrophic failure before we have to revisit the "keep it or shoot it" decision.

[bbbamI]

DH has his vehicle and I have mine. I've always had the "hand me downs" and I got a little tired of that. So, with the help of a member of this board, I negotiated a great price on a sports car.

Since I'm so happy with my new toy, DH has decided he needs a motorcycle.

Since everything we own is in both of our names, I guess it doesn't matter much....until he wants to drive my car.

[REWahoo]

Originally Posted by Nords

If you're done working and in ER, do you still have "your" car?

Yep.

After 3 years of retirement I'm embarrassed to admit that between the two of us we have three vehicles - 4 actually, if you include the motor home.

We have a small SUV (hers) that DW uses as a grandkid hauler and we use for road trips. We also have a medium size car (his) which gets 50% better mileage than the SUV and I use for around-town trips and as the 'toad' behind the motor home. And this being Texas, I also have a 10 year old pickup truck. It isn't driven much but living 15 miles from the nearest Lowes or Home Depot, it really comes in handy.

When the car and/or SUV outlive their usefulness we will probably replace them both with one vehicle, likely a hybrid of some variety.

[UncleHoney]

Got his F150 (98 ) and her ghetto glider (92). Since ER I do most of the running and use the truck since it sits out. I had to yield my parking spot in my garage since my shop takes up 3 cars worth of a 4 car garage. Just no respect these days.

I drive both, DW doesn't like to drive the truck.

[Marquette]

Not an ER, but... We have "a" car now and will likely have "a" car for quite a while. Who knows, though, eventually we may need to get "another" car. Which, if it's a manual, will most definately be "her" car.

[SteveR]

We have two cars. Mine and hers. Hers is 1 year old...mine is now 8. Mine is the road trip car, "stuff" hauler, and motorhome toad. Hers is about 80% hers from a driving standpoint. I have no plans to replace either car in the next 5 years. Mine has only 80k (driven) miles so still has at least that many left in it. Not having a car payment allows for more frequent repairs as they are needed.

She rarely takes my car...no surprise since hers is much more fun to drive but takes a toll on the back on longer trips. Her car can't be towed so it gets to stay in the garage while mine gets dragged thousands of miles behind the motorhome. Actually it is better to beat up the older car in this case so hers stays in better shape for the long haul.

[HFWR]

My blow-up doll doesn't have a car, but she saves me money by riding shotgun, allowing me to drive in the HOV lane...

[chinaco]

Not FIRED yet. But when we do, we will have 2 cars. I figure we will have two vehicles until we reach the age where we drive much less... probably when one of us can't frive anymore or drive little enough that 1 vehicle makes sense.

I am afraid if I asked DW about going to one car... she would ask me what I would do for transportation... walk

[Trek]

My wife doesn't know how to drive. She's always lived in the city where there is good cheap public transportation. Never any need to learn.

[Maurice]

Interesting question. We don't have a car today, being city dwellers. If we ER and move out of the city (which seems likely) we'll certainly get one. We'll probably try to make due with one, but since we don't have any experience in this department its hard to tell if we'll be ok with that. I would probably buy a Vespa as well, which would give us independent transportation at least in the summer months.

My parents and DWs parents each keep two cars, and we both think it makes no sense in either of their cases. I think it has more to do with their marital dynamics than any transportation needs.

[Ronstar]

Not ER'd yet, but when we do, we'll stay at 4 - my Il SUV, Az SUV, sports car and DW's car. When we get old, we'll start cutting back.

[Cattusbabe]

Had two cars when we both worked. The older one died just after I ER. Good timing. We have had one car ever since. DH has a Scooter and we are lucky enough to live in a city with an extensive public transportation system which we are within walking distance to. We also have the opportunity to join a car sharing program should we want to but at this point we really do not need to go there.

As for the one car we have it is ours. We talk over our plans for the day and work out who gets the car. Better still we go together. We make it a spur of the moment date and have a meal out.

[Walt34]

We have a GMC Sierra (full size) 4WD pickup and a Buick Century, a small/midsize sedan. The GMC is "mine", she has driven it twice in five years but is welcome to any time she wants. She says it's too big to handle and she's not comfortable driving it but prefers it on longer drives because visibility is better. Gas mileage on the GMC is of course only slightly better than half of what the Buick gets so lately its been staying in the garage unless truck capabilities are needed.

In the summer the GMC's A/C works much better because it's got room for a huge condenser behind the grille so that's an incentive to use it on very hot days. In winter with snow on the streets the truck is the one used. Even with FWD the Buick probably wouldn't make it up some hills.

Otherwise the Buick gets used for general running around stuff.

We bought them new six months apart and planned on that, both replacing 14 and 18 year old vehicles. GMC just broke 50k miles, the Buick is about to pass 70k miles, 2/3 of that running back and forth to her family's houses. Barring accident or theft we'll keep them until they're unreliable or we can't find parts so I'm meticulous (some say anal) about maintenance. They are 2003 models, both look like they were delivered yesterday.

I'm one of those people who parks in "outer slobovia" at the mall, even in the rain, so they won't be dinged in the parking lot.

[OAG]

Had 2 or more cars/trucks until 1995 (after DW did not need a car to take my Mother shopping). Since then we only had "our" car which I drive and she rides shotgun and tells me where she wants to go. One registration, one insurance coverage, one to maintain, is good IOO. Also allows for a "nicer" (think Lexus big gas guzzling SUV) vehicle versus two "decent" ones (that turned out to be a consequence of the one vehicle syndrome).

[kcowan]

Still have the same 2 cars we ERd with in 2002 - my BMW convertible and her Explorer. No problems (except she likes to drive the Explorer when we travel together and this is often hard on her).

But this fall we are driving her car to Mexico and leaving it there. So will the convertible be adequate for both of us (trips to Costco when it rains)? And she prefers not to drive a standard. So we will probably sell the beemer and buy a used smaller SUV sometime between this fall and next summer. I suppose it will become "ours".

When conflicts arise that cannot be handled with public transit (very good in both places), we will use taxis (also very good in both places). This will be another positive step towards LBYM.

[Tiger]

Since my wife still works we have two cars ('98 Windstar & 2000 Camry). When she retires next year and we move west we will see if we still need two vehicles.

[yakers]

Missed proper choice, one car is hers and one is ours. Not to mention that younger son has an'our' car at college which he somehow thinks of as his.

[youbet]

1996 Sable, 98k miles, mine.

2000 Civic, 117k miles, hers.

1999 F150, 35k miles, ours


They're all mine if there are issues to be dealt with.

[calmloki]

I've provided hers for quite a while, to spec. Has to be fun and cute.
Currently hers is an '89 BMW325i that racked up less than 4000 miles last year - she's spent a lot of time out of state w/ her Mom.
Mine is the rental work truck, a chipped '93 525it BMW station wagon with back seat removed and supply rack and boxes added.
O - and then there are the '56 VW oval garage space filler, kinda mine, and her '56 Chevy 210 wagon, sucking $$ on it's way to becoming an ornamental.
They are all in both our names, and any can be used by either, but there are settings and minor rules/wishes that get observed.