Deciding to be car-free

I agree with EcoGeoFemme! It's been far too quiet around here lately. I wrote this post ages ago but for some reason never posted it. There's no time like the present, right?

Living car-free (either as a continuation of your current situation or getting rid of the one you have) can be a way to save on expenses. These days it seems that nearly all of our communities are designed around cars, which can make a car-free lifestyle difficult, unpleasant, or downright impossible. But, it is a decision worth considering especially if you're moving to a new city.

Cars are expensive. During the time I lived in a small town and drove 28 miles one-way to work, in one year (when gas prices are lower than they are now) I spent $4,600 on my car, gas, and maintenance. This amounted to 27% of my expenses. While I loved living in the country, working at a field station, and listening to NPR for half an hour on the way to work, I knew that in the next phase of my life I wanted to be able to walk or bike to work. I love walkable communities and neighborhoods. Recognizing this allowed my partner Jon and I to prioritize proximity to school when apartment hunting.

I think that the best time to consider the costs and benefits of a car-free lifestyle for yourself is when you are moving. Here are some questions to ask yourself when deciding whether or not you really need a car:

1. Where can I live that will be convenient for me to walk/bike/bus/train to work every day? Look at the public transportation system (I'm assuming one exists if you're contemplating this decision). Which neighborhoods are nearby or on major public transit routes? Which neighborhoods can I afford to live in? Can I easily do laundry and buy groceries if I live there without a car?
   
2. If I lived in a place where I wouldn't drive my car to work, what else would I use my car for? How much will I use it? How inconvenienced would I be if I didn't have it for those things?
   
3. How expensive will it be to maintain a car where I am moving? Will my car insurance go up? State/county/city vehicle registration costs? Parking fees? Parking tickets? Gas prices? If you are moving across the country, how expensive will it be to tow/drive my car there?
4. How and how often will I travel outside my city? Can I travel by bus, train, or plane for trips that I might drive if I had a car? How expensive/inconvenient will it be to visit my family/significant other/best friend without a car?

If you're the kind of person who likes to look at numbers (which you probably are since you're reading this blog about money), try adding up how much you spend (or would spend) on your car in a year (or month if that's easier), and compare that to estimates of how much you would spend on public transportation, taxi rides, and traveling you would've otherwise done by car. What value do you place on the convenience of using your car to get around?

In 2008, about 6% of my expenses (combined with my car-free partner) were spent on transportation and travel. In 2009, we've spent about 5% on public transportation and car-related travel (rented/borrowed cars). Financially, it makes sense for us to not own a car and we aren't seriously inconvenienced.

I am looking forward to remaining car-free for the foreseeable future, but it isn't without its inconveniences, and I admittedly rely occasionally on friends and family with cars. Even though I sometimes use cars that belong to other people, I prefer to use the term car-free rather than describe my situation as car-less. I am free from worrying if my car will need expensive repairs, that it will get ticketed, or how much gas costs this week. For me, it is a liberating rather than an inhibiting choice. Would it work for you?