Saving money with your transportation may or may not be possible with your life situation. We made a move 4 years ago that has save us thousands of dollars in this area and I am super grateful we have done it.
4 years ago we decided to look into another option for Jon's drive to work vehicle. At that time, we each had our own car. We used my car for all of our "together" travels, and he simply used his car to get to work and back. The fuel costs, insurance costs, everyday maintenence costs were just "normal" car costs, but it seemed like there had to be a better option for us. This plan works for us now so great. We may eventually need another vehicle when Addy is being dropped off and picked up at school or if I go back to working full time - so I am not saying this is forever.
We looked into a motor scooter, and decided that would be the best choice. Here are some things that helped us arrive at that conclusion:
1. The weather in the valley is very nice without excessive amounts of rain or snow.
2. If need be on snowy days we could deal with the incovenience of driving one another to work.
3. If Jon needed to drive around students for his job there was a vehicle he could use there.
4. The cost of insurance for a scooter is $76/year.
5. The scooter gets 100/mpg so we spend about $2.50 on gas per month.
6. Savings on expensive tire replacements, car repair, etc.
Now a scooter is NOT for everyone. I am fully aware of this! But oftentimes there are things we can do to cut down on transportation expenses. Here are a few ideas/thoughts to get you thinking on how you may be able to save.
1. How many cars do you have per driving person? Can you do with less?
-There are very few places in the world that have one car per driving person, and they manage
fine. There are even more people than you would realize in the US who go without a car or are
one car families.
2. What types of vehicles do you have? Could do you do with a cheaper more economical car?
-One thing Dave Ramsey often says when people are trying to get out of debt is "SELL THE
CAR." He is not usually saying people should go without a vehicle. Most of the time people he
is people who have 1 or 2 $30,000 cars and he is suggesting that you buy a cheaper, reliable car
and put the extra money towards your debt. His rule of thumb is the total value of all your
vehicles (anything with a motor in it) should not exceed 1/2 of your annual income. So in other
words if you make $30,000/year you should not be driving a $20,000 car.
3. How well do you plan your trips around town?
-This is pretty self explanatory. Do you run in and out of town 5 times a day? Are all these times
necessary. I will admit I am not the best at this. I justify it by our convenient location, but I think
we could definately see some savings in fuel if I planned my trips better.
4. How is your fuel economy on your vehicle? Do you own two gas guzzlers?
- When we had two cars we had a Honda Accord and VW Jetta. Both are awesome in gas
mileage. Two years ago we bought a new (used) car. Knowing we would be adding to our
family fairly soon we wanted a family car. Since we only have ONE vehicle we needed it to do
everything we do in our lifestyle. Our lifestyle includes trips to snowboarding hills, traveling
through snow to get to family, but also all the random trips around town. We needed the 4WD,
but didn't want a huge guzzler so we opted for a Honda Pilot. Less MPG than my Jetta, but it does
meet our needs in other areas. Do you own two gas guzzlers? Do you need two gas guzzlers??
These are really just questions to get you thinking to see if you can save!
Like I said before, this may not be somewhere you need adjusting. I know we will probably get to a point where the conveniece outweights the cost and get a 2nd vehicle. We are not there yet - but when we do get to that point, I can assure you won't be buying a $15,000 car. We will probably be getting a $5,000 used small car or small truck. Just look at your situation and check it out!
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