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Live Without A Car
Living without a car can be pretty tough, especially in the U.S., where public transportation is frequently lacking and where questionable urban planning has caused the average person to live far away from workplaces, schools, and markets. That said, it's certainly possible, as long as you're willing to change your lifestyle. Some of the suggestions below are easy for anybody, while others require more sacrifice. The sacrifice, however, may benefit you immensely once you consider the staggering cost of owning a vehicle:
$300 per month or more on car payments;
$100+ per month on gas;
$300-600 per 6 months on insurance;
over $500 a year on maintenance and repairs.
over $50 a year on parking
over $50 a year on license plate renewal and fees.
Steps
Bike to the bus, and bus to work. Sure beats fighting traffic.Try using public transportation. If you live in an area with public transportation take advantage of it. Research routes, find out about special fares and programs, bookmark the local trip planner on your computer, and save the customer service number on your cell phone. If you have a car already, try to abstain from using it, and test your local transit system while you still have a backup. Once you find a location with suitable accessibility (you may already live in such a location) you can get rid of the car.
Research the accessibility to transit of different places when looking for a house or apartment. Choose a home that is within biking or walking range to all the important places, such as grocery stores and bus/train stops or public transportation hubs. Get a map of the city's transit system or use an online trip planner, and find out how quickly you can reach a variety of destinations from your prospective home. It's always good to have at least a small grocery store within easy walking distance for quick trips.
Choose your workplace. People most often choose housing that is near their place of business, but if you like a particular neighborhood or house, you can do the opposite. Make sure that your workplace is located within walking or biking range to a bus stop or train station. Also find out how difficult it is to reach your workplace from your house--if you can only get there by taking three different buses over two hours, it's not really accessible. If possible, avoid the commute altogether by working near (or from) your home.
Buy a bike. The cheapest ones at discount stores may go as low as $45, but you can probably pick up a decent used bike for as little as $10 at a garage sale.
You might even be able to find one free on craigslist.org or freecycle.org. Remember -- besides being free, environmentally friendly, and usually immune to traffic congestion, bikes also give you a free daily workout.
Buy a shopping cart or foldable wheeled tote so you can haul hefty loads from the grocery store to your home without breaking a sweat.
Make friends. Sometimes, for example when you're moving or need to pick up a piece of furniture, it really helps to have a car. In these situations, it really helps to have a friend with a car.
Consider participating in car sharing programs, such as i-Go, FlexCar or ZipCar. There are a variety of programs that enable you to use a vehicle when you need one. If you just need to get to work, you might be able to arrange a vanpool from your local transit service.
Move to a city with a good public transit system, such as Chicago, New York, or Portland, Oregon. Alternatively, relocate to a small, yet still sizable city like Madison Wisconsin, where you can cross the whole city by bike in a reasonable time.
Tips
If you think relocating is expensive, consider the money you'll save. Sell your car either before you leave or when you get to your new home, and you'll probably easily pay for relocation, even if you have an older vehicle.
If you plan on riding your bike everywhere, research the climate of the area in which you plan to live. Bitter cold winters aren't much fun to ride in, so be sure to have plenty of cold weather gear if necessary. Also be sure to check out the bike accessibility of the area: does the city or neighborhood have well-marked bike lanes, or will you be brushing up against cars on a narrow shoulder?
In most places, you're allowed to take your bike along on the train or bus.
If you do not yet already have a bicycle, don't scrimp on the price you pay for one - every dime you spend comes back to you in years of good service if you purchase a high quality bicycle. If you settle for a cheapie bike, you will not enjoy riding near as much, and the bike will need continual repair.
Consider buying a used bicycle - many people buy really nice bikes and then let them go when they don't use them, or sell them inexpensively if they are flush; buying used should save you at least thirty percent, likely more, over the cost of the same bicycle purchased new. Buy a high quality used bike for the same money you'd buy a cheezy walmart bike new. If you don't know how to buy a bike, what to look for and what to avoid, find a friend that does know, and ask for their help.
If you have troubles biking, consider an electric bike.
If absolutely necessary, don't hesitate to flag down a taxicab, or rent a car or truck -- after all, you're probably saving at least $4000 a year by not having a car.
If you need to take a trip outside of the range of inexpensive public transportation, try to get a rideshare. You simply find a driver who's going your way and give them gas money and/or help them out with the driving. You can find rideshares on the Internet at sites such as craigslist.org.
Warnings
Don't take advantage of friends who have cars. You should try to be as self-sufficient as possible, and try to reciprocate favors, or they'll quickly get annoyed with you.
Buses and trains do sometimes have trouble staying on schedule. If you have to be somewhere important at a certain time, give yourself plenty of time in case something goes wrong. You'd do the same even if you had a car.
Things You'll Need
Willpower
Flexibility
A bike
A shopping cart
A friend willing to drive you around or let you borrow or rent his car every now and then
A place to live that will agree with this lifestyle
$300 per month or more on car payments;
$100+ per month on gas;
$300-600 per 6 months on insurance;
over $500 a year on maintenance and repairs.
over $50 a year on parking
over $50 a year on license plate renewal and fees.
Steps
Bike to the bus, and bus to work. Sure beats fighting traffic.Try using public transportation. If you live in an area with public transportation take advantage of it. Research routes, find out about special fares and programs, bookmark the local trip planner on your computer, and save the customer service number on your cell phone. If you have a car already, try to abstain from using it, and test your local transit system while you still have a backup. Once you find a location with suitable accessibility (you may already live in such a location) you can get rid of the car.
Research the accessibility to transit of different places when looking for a house or apartment. Choose a home that is within biking or walking range to all the important places, such as grocery stores and bus/train stops or public transportation hubs. Get a map of the city's transit system or use an online trip planner, and find out how quickly you can reach a variety of destinations from your prospective home. It's always good to have at least a small grocery store within easy walking distance for quick trips.
Choose your workplace. People most often choose housing that is near their place of business, but if you like a particular neighborhood or house, you can do the opposite. Make sure that your workplace is located within walking or biking range to a bus stop or train station. Also find out how difficult it is to reach your workplace from your house--if you can only get there by taking three different buses over two hours, it's not really accessible. If possible, avoid the commute altogether by working near (or from) your home.
Buy a bike. The cheapest ones at discount stores may go as low as $45, but you can probably pick up a decent used bike for as little as $10 at a garage sale.
You might even be able to find one free on craigslist.org or freecycle.org. Remember -- besides being free, environmentally friendly, and usually immune to traffic congestion, bikes also give you a free daily workout.
Buy a shopping cart or foldable wheeled tote so you can haul hefty loads from the grocery store to your home without breaking a sweat.
Make friends. Sometimes, for example when you're moving or need to pick up a piece of furniture, it really helps to have a car. In these situations, it really helps to have a friend with a car.
Consider participating in car sharing programs, such as i-Go, FlexCar or ZipCar. There are a variety of programs that enable you to use a vehicle when you need one. If you just need to get to work, you might be able to arrange a vanpool from your local transit service.
Move to a city with a good public transit system, such as Chicago, New York, or Portland, Oregon. Alternatively, relocate to a small, yet still sizable city like Madison Wisconsin, where you can cross the whole city by bike in a reasonable time.
Tips
If you think relocating is expensive, consider the money you'll save. Sell your car either before you leave or when you get to your new home, and you'll probably easily pay for relocation, even if you have an older vehicle.
If you plan on riding your bike everywhere, research the climate of the area in which you plan to live. Bitter cold winters aren't much fun to ride in, so be sure to have plenty of cold weather gear if necessary. Also be sure to check out the bike accessibility of the area: does the city or neighborhood have well-marked bike lanes, or will you be brushing up against cars on a narrow shoulder?
In most places, you're allowed to take your bike along on the train or bus.
If you do not yet already have a bicycle, don't scrimp on the price you pay for one - every dime you spend comes back to you in years of good service if you purchase a high quality bicycle. If you settle for a cheapie bike, you will not enjoy riding near as much, and the bike will need continual repair.
Consider buying a used bicycle - many people buy really nice bikes and then let them go when they don't use them, or sell them inexpensively if they are flush; buying used should save you at least thirty percent, likely more, over the cost of the same bicycle purchased new. Buy a high quality used bike for the same money you'd buy a cheezy walmart bike new. If you don't know how to buy a bike, what to look for and what to avoid, find a friend that does know, and ask for their help.
If you have troubles biking, consider an electric bike.
If absolutely necessary, don't hesitate to flag down a taxicab, or rent a car or truck -- after all, you're probably saving at least $4000 a year by not having a car.
If you need to take a trip outside of the range of inexpensive public transportation, try to get a rideshare. You simply find a driver who's going your way and give them gas money and/or help them out with the driving. You can find rideshares on the Internet at sites such as craigslist.org.
Warnings
Don't take advantage of friends who have cars. You should try to be as self-sufficient as possible, and try to reciprocate favors, or they'll quickly get annoyed with you.
Buses and trains do sometimes have trouble staying on schedule. If you have to be somewhere important at a certain time, give yourself plenty of time in case something goes wrong. You'd do the same even if you had a car.
Things You'll Need
Willpower
Flexibility
A bike
A shopping cart
A friend willing to drive you around or let you borrow or rent his car every now and then
A place to live that will agree with this lifestyle
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