Carless living

[MachineGhost]

At the peak of the housing bubble in 2006, almost half a million people fled the country’s 50 largest metro areas in search of less expensive places to live, many settling in distant suburbs. Then the recession put the brakes on all kinds of migration. Census data released in March reveal that as Americans start moving around again, cities are seeing a different kind of urban flight. This time, hundreds of thousands of Americans who enjoy city living are abandoning major population centers not for suburbs but for more affordable, second-tier metropolitan areas.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/20 ... etro-areas

[MachineGhost]

Convertibles, such as the Ford Thunderbird in the 1991 film Thelma & Louise, have epitomized the promise of freedom that’s long fueled the popularity of the automobile. From James Dean’s Porsche (PAH3:GR) 550 Spyder to Steve McQueen’s Jaguar (TTM) XKSS, ragtops have been associated with rebels of all stripes. Nowadays, however, a sport-utility vehicle with a big sunroof is more likely to be the object of desire as wind-in-your-hair motoring becomes passé.

Worldwide sales of convertibles have plunged 44 percent from their 2004 peak, to 465,800 cars last year—just 0.7 percent of all cars globally—while SUV deliveries have more than doubled, to 15.4 million, according to data from researcher IHS (IHS). Buyers in the U.S. and Europe, the biggest convertible markets, are opting for more pragmatic vehicles as the automobile wanes as a symbol of social status. And consumers in fast-growing markets such as China and India—which increasingly are dictating the strategies of automakers—prefer the enclosed comfort of SUVs and sedans as a barrier to smog and a buffer from crowded streets.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/20 ... eedom-dims

[vnatale]

Zipcars would be great, except that they're pretty pricey for anything longer than a day trip and it's often difficult to find one on short notice.  If that model were to become more extensive and cars more easily available and more reasonably priced for multi-day trips, it would be a terrific alternative to owning, licensing, insuring, maintaining, and housing a car.  Is anyone able/willing to figure out and post how much they spend on car ownership and use?  I'm genuinely curious.

I'm with you dualstow & ps...for whatever reason I really hate driving, makes me feel like I'm in a cage.  It's sometimes necessary, not something to do for pleasure or status symbol reasons - that I never really understood.

Since you asked, I could not resist responding!

As a dedicated Quicken user since January 1, 1994, I can report that from then until December 31, 2019 - 26 full years, I have spent a grand total of $76,411.77

That includes everything..

1) Buying used three fully loaded Honda Accords (present one is a 2004 with 155,000 miles on it and should be good for at least another five years). All following expenses also includes a motorcycle I had from prior to 1994. I think it just sat in my garage after 1994 until I gave it away in 2009.

2) Oil changes

3) Gasoline

4) Tires

5) All other repairs

6) Driver's license renewals and vehicle registrations

7) Vehicle excise taxes

Insurance

9) Fines for traffic violations / Parking tickets

10) Radar detectors

11) Air for tires

12) Steering Wheel covers

13) Towing

14) Winter tools - e.g., scrapers

15) Spare keys

16) Battery chargers / Jumper cables

17) Car rentals while major repair work being done

18) Tire gauges

19) Annual inspections

And, for my current vehicle....In more round numbers....for the six plus years I have owned it, I've only driven it about 32,000 total miles at a total cost of about $16,000. Therefore a cost of about $0.50 per mile, which is quite close to the IRS approved mileage rate during all that time.

However, of that $16,000, about $5,300 was related to acquisition costs so only just over $11,000 for the subsequent six years since that. And, as I said above, at the rate at which I currently drive, less than 6,000 miles a year, and it being a Honda Accord, it can easily go another five years. Finally, even though I live in harsh for cars New England, it spends a lot of time protected in a garage.


Vinny

[Kriegsspiel]

Is anyone able/willing to figure out and post how much they spend on car ownership and use?  I'm genuinely curious.

Since you asked, I could not resist responding!

As a dedicated Quicken user since January 1, 1994, I can report that from then until December 31, 2019 - 26 full years, I have spent a grand total of $76,411.77

That includes everything..

1) Buying used three fully loaded Honda Accords (present one is a 2004 with 155,000 miles on it and should be good for at least another five years). All following expenses also includes a motorcycle I had from prior to 1994. I think it just sat in my garage after 1994 until I gave it away in 2009.

2) Oil changes

3) Gasoline

4) Tires

5) All other repairs

6) Driver's license renewals and vehicle registrations

7) Vehicle excise taxes

Insurance

9) Fines for traffic violations / Parking tickets

10) Radar detectors

11) Air for tires

12) Steering Wheel covers

13) Towing

14) Winter tools - e.g., scrapers

15) Spare keys

16) Battery chargers / Jumper cables

17) Car rentals while major repair work being done

18) Tire gauges

19) Annual inspections

And, for my current vehicle....In more round numbers....for the six plus years I have owned it, I've only driven it about 32,000 total miles at a total cost of about $16,000. Therefore a cost of about $0.50 per mile, which is quite close to the IRS approved mileage rate during all that time.

However, of that $16,000, about $5,300 was related to acquisition costs so only just over $11,000 for the subsequent six years since that. And, as I said above, at the rate at which I currently drive, less than 6,000 miles a year, and it being a Honda Accord, it can easily go another five years. Finally, even though I live in harsh for cars New England, it spends a lot of time protected in a garage.


Vinny

That's not bad (about $2,940 per year). Are you not counting depreciation in there? Or maybe you still have all 3 Accords Depending on your situation and choices, depreciation could be the biggest expense. I've made some (in retrospect) dumb car decisions that really killed me on depreciation because I wasn't considering it as a factor.

[vnatale]

Is anyone able/willing to figure out and post how much they spend on car ownership and use?  I'm genuinely curious.

Since you asked, I could not resist responding!

As a dedicated Quicken user since January 1, 1994, I can report that from then until December 31, 2019 - 26 full years, I have spent a grand total of $76,411.77

That includes everything..

1) Buying used three fully loaded Honda Accords (present one is a 2004 with 155,000 miles on it and should be good for at least another five years). All following expenses also includes a motorcycle I had from prior to 1994. I think it just sat in my garage after 1994 until I gave it away in 2009.

2) Oil changes

3) Gasoline

4) Tires

5) All other repairs

6) Driver's license renewals and vehicle registrations

7) Vehicle excise taxes

Insurance

9) Fines for traffic violations / Parking tickets

10) Radar detectors

11) Air for tires

12) Steering Wheel covers

13) Towing

14) Winter tools - e.g., scrapers

15) Spare keys

16) Battery chargers / Jumper cables

17) Car rentals while major repair work being done

18) Tire gauges

19) Annual inspections

And, for my current vehicle....In more round numbers....for the six plus years I have owned it, I've only driven it about 32,000 total miles at a total cost of about $16,000. Therefore a cost of about $0.50 per mile, which is quite close to the IRS approved mileage rate during all that time.

However, of that $16,000, about $5,300 was related to acquisition costs so only just over $11,000 for the subsequent six years since that. And, as I said above, at the rate at which I currently drive, less than 6,000 miles a year, and it being a Honda Accord, it can easily go another five years. Finally, even though I live in harsh for cars New England, it spends a lot of time protected in a garage.


Vinny

That's not bad (about $2,940 per year). Are you not counting depreciation in there? Or maybe you still have all 3 Accords Depending on your situation and choices, depreciation could be the biggest expense. I've made some (in retrospect) dumb car decisions that really killed me on depreciation because I wasn't considering it as a factor.

I only have one Accord. And, the amounts above include full depreciation since they include the amounts I paid for the cars. Therefore the assumption is that my current car is fully depreciated and worth nothing. On the other, hand if I sold it today for $2,000, then the amounts above would be reduced by $2,000.

Vinny

[Smith1776]

A thread about car-less living.

Way to rub salt into my wounds, guys.

[vnatale]

A thread about car-less living.

Way to rub salt into my wounds, guys.

If you read through all the posts here you will see that it was not a few who were already doing it. And, some others who wanted to do it.

I live in a rural area and I'd not be able to leave my house and get anywhere without a car.

Vinny