Attempting to go car-free

[Dan B]

But to go car free when all it means is getting rid of the one you own and then borrowing one instead is not really going green. I, like you would like to see less car miles done and certainly smaller cleaner cars being used.

It means one fewer car being manufactured, and one fewer car being stored on land that could be put to better use. It's definitely going greener

 

[screenman]

It means one fewer car being manufactured, and one fewer car being stored on land that could be put to better use. It's definitely going greener

turning

Turning the computer off is also going green.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I reckon you should have a budget of £500 (money saved on car) + £900 (money saved on insurance) + £200 (money saved in first month) which ought to get you something nice. But perhaps that's not how it works in the real world

If the 5yo has their own bike, have you thought about a Followme or something like that? £200 to effectively bolt their bike to the back of yours (and its easily removable so they can ride under their own steam and then attach to yours when tired)

Are you on Facebook? The "Family Cycling UK" group may have some ideas -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/641173915998956/

Wow, there's all kinds of great stuff on that Facebook group, thanks for hint.

And I know where you're coming from with budgeting. At the moment I'm trying to wrap my head around why I can get a brand new long wheel base Bakfiet from Germany for £900 but there are people selling them second hand on ebay for £1,400

 

[screenman]

Wow, there's all kinds of great stuff on that Facebook group, thanks for hint.

And I know where you're coming from with budgeting. At the moment I'm trying to wrap my head around why I can get a brand new long wheel base Bakfiet from Germany for £900 but there are people selling them second hand on ebay for £1,400

I can see a way of you owning a car without worrying about the expense.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

So far the challenge is minimal. The neighbour's van has broken down and is unusable. I haven't been able to buy a bike yet.

This afternoon we were supposed to be going out for a stomp with the neighbours so they're taking both their cars so my and my girl can join them. I'm also about to go use their shower because our boiler carked it three weeks ago.

This wouldn't be anywhere near as doable if I didn't have such brilliant neighbours

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I can see a way of you owning a car without worrying about the expense.

Buh?

 

[screenman]

Buh?

Buy a new one ride it for a week and sell it second hand, repeat.

 

[Sara_H]

Yesterday I scrapped my car. I had it for two years before it dissolved and had to be scrapped. Previous to this I managed to avoid owning my own car for many years. I could borrow a neighbour's van if I had to get somewhere and used my wife's car in the evenings and weekends if I needed to.

Since yesterday I have wasted all my time looking for a new car. At some point this morning I snapped. I realised that excluding the cost of actually buying a car it costs me around £200 a month in tax, insurance, fuel etc. £200 a month for something I really couldn't give a toss about. The car I was about to buy was a Mondeo worth £500. The cheapest insurance quote I got was just under £900. The most expensive was a hilarious £4,342, third party, for a car worth £500! I have had a clean licence for 23 years and over ten years of no claims bonus.

So I'm trying to break down the need for my own car into problems with manageable solutions.

The first problem is the school run. The school is two miles away so isn't easily walkable with a five year old. This problem can be fixed by buying a cargo bike. I've got a £500 budget. What excites me is that if I spend £500 on a cargo bike it won't cost me £200 a month after that!

The next problem is family holidays. My wife is a gardener so owns a wee van. The van only has two seats. But the cost of hiring a car for holidays is surprisingly reasonable.

I'm a musician so it's useful to be able to get about. But I still have the neighbour's van I can use most evenings and weekends.

We're treating this as an experiment. I'm not saying I'll never own another car, but I'm going to try and do without one for a while.

I've just bought a half share in a car after five years car free. Immediately regretting my decision due to the amount of money I have to put away each month to cover maintenance costs.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Buy a new one ride it for a week and sell it second hand, repeat.

Ha ha, brilliant

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I've just bought a half share in a car after five years car free. Immediately regretting my decision due to the amount of money I have to put away each month to cover maintenance costs.

My friends on Facebook can't get their heads round the fact I currently don't want a car. They're still giving me insurance advice and I have to keep reminding them that I don't have a car to insure!

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I reckon you should have a budget of £500 (money saved on car) + £900 (money saved on insurance) + £200 (money saved in first month) which ought to get you something nice. But perhaps that's not how it works in the real world

If the 5yo has their own bike, have you thought about a Followme or something like that? £200 to effectively bolt their bike to the back of yours (and its easily removable so they can ride under their own steam and then attach to yours when tired)

Are you on Facebook? The "Family Cycling UK" group may have some ideas -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/641173915998956/

Shamefully my girl doesn't have a bike. Something I need to remedy asap

 

[Sara_H]

I'm a bass player, my gear is huge! My cab alone is bigger than the box on most cargo bikes!

What about a trailer attached to the cargo bike? Double your cargo space.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

What about a trailer attached to the cargo bike? Double your cargo space.

I have considered that. But most gigs are many many miles from home. I'm in Ipswich and I feel I get a gig in Birmingham I don't fancy cycling

 

[screenman]

I have considered that. But most gigs are many many miles from home. I'm in Ipswich and I feel I get a gig in Birmingham I don't fancy cycling

It was good enough for Paul Heaton.

 

[Sara_H]

My friends on Facebook can't get their heads round the fact I currently don't want a car. They're still giving me insurance advice and I have to keep reminding them that I don't have a car to insure!

I don't really want a car, but have finally caved after five years of struggling with how difficult it was to get my son to his various sporting events in the evenings and weekends. That was my biggest problem, even living in a metropolis as I do, piss poor public transport made what would be a twenty minute car journey into 90 minutes of bus related hell. Everything changed for me after I got deliberately knocked off by a driver, I just wasn't prepared to have my precious child ride on the road anymore, it made life very difficult.