Tips to Living Without a Car

A couple years back my husband and I were driving down the road and our old clunker of a car caught on fire. Yes, I just said my car caught on fire. It was small fire, under the carriage, caused by an electrical system that was always a bit fussy.

When you don't make a lot of money there are really two options. Buy an old clunker or go without car. Well, after our car caught on fire, we decided to go with option number two. Living without a car.

This was not a decision about saving the environment or other ethical issues. It was purely a decision about money. And it just happened to be right before fuel prices began to soar. So, all around, it seemed like a good choice.

When you're young people don't question the choice to live without a car. But my husband and I are in our early thirties. So we get a lot of the "Wow, really, you don't have a car?" and "How do you do it?"

So, these are my tips and tricks to living without a car.

WALK SOME

Invest in a good pair of shoes. Move closer to the central hub of the city. Find out what stores are just a couple blocks away, so that you will have places to do your last minute shopping. We moved downtown and live a couple blocks away from a Target. And there are three convenience stores within walking distance of our apartment.

BUY A BIG BAG

This may sound like a silly tip but it's really a sound piece of advice. We ended up with this huge green duffle bag with wheels and it's a lifesaver. Recently we had to replace our toaster oven and it would have been a real pain to carry the box home without our rolly green duffle bag. You may be wondering why I don't recommend one of those folding metal carts you see old women pushing around. Well, they're not very flexible, they don't have a way to close at the top, and they're heavier than a duffle bag.

BUY A BICYCLE

Or skates. Or a scooter. Anything that will make those longer trips a bit less tiring. My husband and I will walk if it's only a couple blocks away. Anything over ten blocks and we use our bikes. And bike accessories can be really useful. Like saddle bags or a basket. We're currently saving up to purchase a bike trailer for grocery shopping.

DELIVERY