BAM! The car is gone! After months of work trying to rid ourselves of this leech, we have turned over the keys! I cannot describe my happiness. The sudden feeling of freedom and sudden wealth. No more $300 car payment or $125 insurance bill each month, along with the other hidden costs of having a car--parking, maintenance, gas, more gas, fines, registration, fees, and more gas. I think we're living within our means for once. Amazing!
We did have to fork over $950 to sell our car (ridiculous, right?) but within two months, we'll be back on top.
Obviously, our main form of transportation is our bikes. We had already transitioned to 95% carless mobility. Now, we are forced to fill up the last gap with mostly car free methods. We don't have the easy fallback of a car at our front door. Being car-free does take an extra step of planning to make sure our trips are covered as needed. We have not tapped into the bus network here in Sacramento yet. Our Light Rail system is decent for specific longer trips but have limited directions and stops. We have a Zip Car spot close by but we are going to hold off signing up until we can see if we really need it or not. Our real car-sharing program is with my parents. They have a Prius that is completely paid off and barely used and because they live just three miles away, it's a pretty convenient option. We have gotten rid of our anchor but gained plenty of options. One of my favorite things about being car-free is the fact that we are more dependent on our community. Also, when you're not paying $500 a month for car related expenses, a $100 car rental or bus ticket every once and a while seems terribly reasonable.
I know we'll be just fine. We're following in the footsteps (literally walking the walk) of some fantastic inspirations. ibikeubike proves that going car-free is the best option for her family, check out this great write-up by her 12-year-old. My uncle, Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, and his family have lived car-free for most of their married lives, they even funded their boys' elite university educations with their savings. Tim Castleman, co-owner of Practical Cycle has lived car-free for almost three years, commutes 20 miles a day on his self-built BionX'ed and Xtracycle'd cruiser. I just learned that Vincent Kartheiser of Mad Men fame rides the bus (full disclosure, I have no idea who he is, I just Google'd "car free celebrities").
Stay tuned for our new adventures of Car Freedom!
We did have to fork over $950 to sell our car (ridiculous, right?) but within two months, we'll be back on top.
Obviously, our main form of transportation is our bikes. We had already transitioned to 95% carless mobility. Now, we are forced to fill up the last gap with mostly car free methods. We don't have the easy fallback of a car at our front door. Being car-free does take an extra step of planning to make sure our trips are covered as needed. We have not tapped into the bus network here in Sacramento yet. Our Light Rail system is decent for specific longer trips but have limited directions and stops. We have a Zip Car spot close by but we are going to hold off signing up until we can see if we really need it or not. Our real car-sharing program is with my parents. They have a Prius that is completely paid off and barely used and because they live just three miles away, it's a pretty convenient option. We have gotten rid of our anchor but gained plenty of options. One of my favorite things about being car-free is the fact that we are more dependent on our community. Also, when you're not paying $500 a month for car related expenses, a $100 car rental or bus ticket every once and a while seems terribly reasonable.
I know we'll be just fine. We're following in the footsteps (literally walking the walk) of some fantastic inspirations. ibikeubike proves that going car-free is the best option for her family, check out this great write-up by her 12-year-old. My uncle, Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, and his family have lived car-free for most of their married lives, they even funded their boys' elite university educations with their savings. Tim Castleman, co-owner of Practical Cycle has lived car-free for almost three years, commutes 20 miles a day on his self-built BionX'ed and Xtracycle'd cruiser. I just learned that Vincent Kartheiser of Mad Men fame rides the bus (full disclosure, I have no idea who he is, I just Google'd "car free celebrities").
Stay tuned for our new adventures of Car Freedom!
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