Car Sharing: Coming Soon to a City Near You

Growing up, I couldn't wait to get a car. Like most teenagers, I couldn't wait for the freedom and fun that having my own car would provide. Day trips to the beach with friends. Late night trips to the 24-hour diner. It wasn't until I got to college and bought my first car that I really learned what a headache having your own vehicle can mean.

First, you have to buy the car, which is usually a rather sizable investment. Then the car needs tags and a title. There's a monthly insurance bill, and let's not forget about gas, which is hovering around $3.00 a gallon right now. Top it off with unexpected repair bills and owing a car can be quite an expensive proposition. As a matter of fact, the American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates that the average person pays about $650 per month to own and maintain a vehicle, a price which includes everything except parking.

A lot of people find that they either can not afford their own vehicle, or that they don't drive enough to justify the expense of owning a car. Until recently, the only alternatives for these people were to rely on public transportation, walking/biking, or expensive taxi cabs. Luckily, a new option called "car sharing" is starting to gain popularity and if you live in a major metropolitan area, chances are it is coming to city near you.

Many people have never heard of car sharing or don't know much about it. Car sharing is basically an arrangement where individuals or groups of people share access to vehicles, which are usually found in convenient, common locations. People generally pay a small fee to use the car by the hour or by the day, and this fee generally includes all of the expenses associated with driving, including gas, insurance, maintenance, etc.