A Year without a Car

 

On October 21, 2015 I sold my Audi. It was the last car I've owned. I now primarily ride a bike, use public transit, and rarely rent cars. I didn't really plan this so much as circumstances have made this situation possible. Commuting between coasts has really cut down my need to drive often, as has the move from the suburbs to the city. On either coast, I spend my time in cities, full of transit options and sparse on parking spaces.

In both San Francisco and Boston, the public transit systems are pretty easily accessible and navigable. The cost in some cases, is time. This is where taxis, car sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, and rarely, actually renting a car come into play. Trains, subways, and buses are all great ways to get around, if you aren't opposed to 5-10 minute walks to and from these transit options.

In looking at the past year, my gas purchases are vastly less. Here's my automotive spending over the past 12 months, according to my credit card. You can tell when I rent cars or drive other people's cars. In the past 12 months, I've spent $1,959.49 on rental cars. This is an average of $163.29/mo. I can't find too many payment plans that let me drive current year model cars for that little. This is also inclusive of fuel, maintenance, insurance, and any other related car costs. 

This is an odd state, given my past of living and loving a motorized life, from motorcycles to formula cars. However, it's a glorious state to not have to own, maintain, and pay for a single car of mine. Given the payment from selling the Audi, I probably break even after buying the commuting bike and the aforementioned related costs.