Thinking about becoming a one-car family

[Colleen27]

We used to be, when DH was working here in town and had a fixed schedule. It worked out well for our circumstances at the time because I could either drive DH to work or simply walk up to pick up the car later if I needed it. I think a lot depends on where you live, though. We're in town in a small community, where the kids' school, activities, both grocery stores, the drugstore, walk-in/urgent care clinic, and just about everything else we need on a regular basis is within 1.5 miles of our house.

I really wouldn't mind being a single car family again if circumstances made that the smarter/better choice. I can walk everywhere I need to go in a typical week, and during the winter when I don't want to walk DH's work is slow-to-nonexistent anyway. But right now there's not any one vehicle that can meet all our needs - he needs a full sized pickup for work, and with 3 kids even a crew cab is a tight fit with no room to take a friend with us or drive an extra kid or two on a field trip. So while the kids are young it is worth keeping two cars, a pickup for DH and a minivan for me.

 

[Honeymooner04]

We were a one car family for a long time, up until my husband had to go to work everyday. He is a pilot and used to work for the airlines so when he had to leave for a trip, I would just take him to work. Sometimes it was inconvenient having to get up super early or pick him up late at night but it was so worth it for the money we saved. If the circumstances were right I wouldn't hesitant to go back to that. Right now our situation is different and my husband works 2 jobs and when he flies for work, the airport is 25 minutes away so it works for now us having 2 cars. If we move however, we might consider returning to a 1 car family. Good luck in your decision.

 

[kimara]

We had only one car for a few years. I was an at home mom with DH working. We didn't have cash for another car and didn't want unnecessary debt.
My thoughts:
1-it can't hurt (too much) to try.
2-It is quite possible to live that way--it just takes extra communication, planning, and togetherness.
3- Living with only 1 car will REALLY make you appreciate when you have the cash on hand to go back to two cars.
Good Luck!!!

 

[jestagrl79]

We are a one car family. We have one insurance policy, one set of maintenance bills, one tank of gas to fill. I'm surprised at how many people thing they couldn't possibly go without their own car. You have to want to make it work, and there are, IMO, very few who couldn't actually make it work.

Those of you who say, my husband can't leave his job if something comes up, who would pick up the kids if they were sick, etc. Imagine it this way - 1 car, 1 parent. So if your DH was a single parent, he'd still have to leave his job and take kids elsewhere if they got sick at school. Your husband didn't likely get his job because he's got someone to pick up the kids if they got sick.

Many employers offer sick time, which is what we use if we have an appointment during business hours. We try to make our appointments as early or late in the day as possible, or over the lunch hour. While the bus isn't close, in non-inclement weather I can take the kids to the bus stop about a mile away and go to the doctor, shopping, etc. Mostly, we just walk to a park about the same distance. Kids are happy and it costs nothing, so I'm happy.

As far as activities - we make a grocery list every week and stick to it. Early Saturday morning we get groceries. We can do this pretty quick because the stores aren't busy - usually around 90 minutes for 3 stores and a cup of coffee. DS2 has a class at 6:30 PM once a week - it's already preschedule and DH's work knows that's a day he can't work OT. Again, if he were a single parent, he'd have to deal with it. Those with multiple kids in multiple activities, you could scale back, which might be a stress reducer for all involved.

Any way, it can work, it does take communication, but it also makes you value your time more. Just my $.75 worth.

ETA - not trying to be judgmental, just trying to add another perspective.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

YIKES

What happens if the only car you have breaks down? You won't have a back up. What if you have an emergency & your DH has the car how would you get to the emergency.

I would get a cheap used car.

 

[jestagrl79]

YIKES

What happens if the only car you have breaks down? You won't have a back up. What if you have an emergency & your DH has the car how would you get to the emergency.

I would get a cheap used car.

A true emergency, like a broken bone, house on fire, etc? Call 911.

An emergency like having to pick up the kids early, or take one to the doctor? We have a carpool for school pick ups and in a pinch, my BIL can take us, although we've had to exercise that option once in 10 years.

Car breaks down? Well, we drive a newer car so that's not extremely likely, but when it needs to have service, the dealership will either shuttle him to and from work or give us a loaner.

 

[Sarahlovy]

We are a one car family for now. I stay at home with our daughter. Most days he takes the car to work. The biggest thing that makes it work for us is that we live close to work, so it is no big deal for us if I have to drop him off in the morning and pick him up when he is done. We just had to put the car in the shop for a couple days- it was not fun without a car, but we survived. I just made sure to stock up on groceries and he walked the mile or so to work or found a ride. The benefits (financially) of having one car outweigh the downsides for right now.
We moved about a year ago, and before that, it was much harder to have one car- a couple days a week, I had to leave on my lunchbreak to take him to work because I needed it in the evening. At times, we have had to make a chart of who had the car when, but it worked out.
If you do have to rent a car if your car breaks down, it is going to still be less expensive than purchasing and maintaining another vehicle, unless it is in the shop long term- but I always deal with problems as they arise.
You can always try it, and if you have to get a second car after a short while, you really are not out anything.

 

[Minnesota!]

We are a one car family. We have one insurance policy, one set of maintenance bills, one tank of gas to fill. I'm surprised at how many people thing they couldn't possibly go without their own car. You have to want to make it work, and there are, IMO, very few who couldn't actually make it work.

Those of you who say, my husband can't leave his job if something comes up, who would pick up the kids if they were sick, etc. Imagine it this way - 1 car, 1 parent. So if your DH was a single parent, he'd still have to leave his job and take kids elsewhere if they got sick at school. Your husband didn't likely get his job because he's got someone to pick up the kids if they got sick.

Many employers offer sick time, which is what we use if we have an appointment during business hours. We try to make our appointments as early or late in the day as possible, or over the lunch hour. While the bus isn't close, in non-inclement weather I can take the kids to the bus stop about a mile away and go to the doctor, shopping, etc. Mostly, we just walk to a park about the same distance. Kids are happy and it costs nothing, so I'm happy.

As far as activities - we make a grocery list every week and stick to it. Early Saturday morning we get groceries. We can do this pretty quick because the stores aren't busy - usually around 90 minutes for 3 stores and a cup of coffee. DS2 has a class at 6:30 PM once a week - it's already preschedule and DH's work knows that's a day he can't work OT. Again, if he were a single parent, he'd have to deal with it. Those with multiple kids in multiple activities, you could scale back, which might be a stress reducer for all involved.

Any way, it can work, it does take communication, but it also makes you value your time more. Just my $.75 worth.

ETA - not trying to be judgmental, just trying to add another perspective.

I am shocked, as well, at how many people think it's an impossible situation! Wow!

We are a 1 car family - have been for all our time together (17 years). We have a mini van. DH and I carpool to work - he works about 3 miles from me. He drops me off (he gets free parking...), and then picks me up after work.

Our boys are very involved in activities....scouts, swimming, bowling, baseball, basketball, etc. One of us drops one parent/child off at one activity, and the other 2 go to the other activity.

Grocery shopping gets done after work, or on the weekends. Appointments are the same (our clinic is open until 630). Like stated above - an emergency? Call 911. An emergency like a kid is sick...well, go get the kids. Why is that so hard?

Tomorrow I have a Mother's Day Tea with YDS at his school. Since DH has the car, he will come get me on his break, bring me to the school, then after it, DS and I will walk home, and DH will come pick me up on his lunch. Not a big deal!

I agree...if you WANT it to work...it will. My parents didn't have more than 1 car for the first 12 or so years of my life. My dad worked 30 miles south and my mom worked 10 miles west of home. He left at 6a with the car and my mom walked to the bus stop....and we survived! We walked a lot to/from daycare (mom would get off the bus by our sitters), or we waited until dad was done with work.

Saves a ton of money, better for the environment, etc. I think we will stay this way until my kids are driving age...then they can share a car!

 

[Cynestra]

We are a one car family. My husband's truck died late last year, and we haven't gotten it fixed yet. I wouldn't say it saves us money. In fact, it costs us more. Its an extra downtown round trip because I have to drop him off/pick him up.

 

[Disney845]

We are not, but very easily could be at this current point in our lives.

If anything were to happen to either of our vehicles we could get by very well with just one.

 

[jodifla]

I am shocked, as well, at how many people think it's an impossible situation! Wow!

We are a 1 car family - have been for all our time together (17 years). We have a mini van. DH and I carpool to work - he works about 3 miles from me. He drops me off (he gets free parking...), and then picks me up after work.

Our boys are very involved in activities....scouts, swimming, bowling, baseball, basketball, etc. One of us drops one parent/child off at one activity, and the other 2 go to the other activity.

Grocery shopping gets done after work, or on the weekends. Appointments are the same (our clinic is open until 630). Like stated above - an emergency? Call 911. An emergency like a kid is sick...well, go get the kids. Why is that so hard?

Tomorrow I have a Mother's Day Tea with YDS at his school. Since DH has the car, he will come get me on his break, bring me to the school, then after it, DS and I will walk home, and DH will come pick me up on his lunch. Not a big deal!

I agree...if you WANT it to work...it will. My parents didn't have more than 1 car for the first 12 or so years of my life. My dad worked 30 miles south and my mom worked 10 miles west of home. He left at 6a with the car and my mom walked to the bus stop....and we survived! We walked a lot to/from daycare (mom would get off the bus by our sitters), or we waited until dad was done with work.

Saves a ton of money, better for the environment, etc. I think we will stay this way until my kids are driving age...then they can share a car!

No, not always. Our work is 30 miles from home. We work at the same place, but not the same shifts. It takes 45 minutes one way. There's no bus or any other transportation downtown.

My son's school is 7 miles from home. No walking there. We could walk to a drug store and very expensive grocery store.

I think one car is practical in limited circumstances. Like living in a very urban area with lots of mass transit, or in a small town where everything is walkable.

 

[jodifla]

We are a one car family. We have one insurance policy, one set of maintenance bills, one tank of gas to fill. I'm surprised at how many people thing they couldn't possibly go without their own car. You have to want to make it work, and there are, IMO, very few who couldn't actually make it work.

Those of you who say, my husband can't leave his job if something comes up, who would pick up the kids if they were sick, etc. Imagine it this way - 1 car, 1 parent. So if your DH was a single parent, he'd still have to leave his job and take kids elsewhere if they got sick at school. Your husband didn't likely get his job because he's got someone to pick up the kids if they got sick.

Many employers offer sick time, which is what we use if we have an appointment during business hours. We try to make our appointments as early or late in the day as possible, or over the lunch hour. While the bus isn't close, in non-inclement weather I can take the kids to the bus stop about a mile away and go to the doctor, shopping, etc. Mostly, we just walk to a park about the same distance. Kids are happy and it costs nothing, so I'm happy.

As far as activities - we make a grocery list every week and stick to it. Early Saturday morning we get groceries. We can do this pretty quick because the stores aren't busy - usually around 90 minutes for 3 stores and a cup of coffee. DS2 has a class at 6:30 PM once a week - it's already preschedule and DH's work knows that's a day he can't work OT. Again, if he were a single parent, he'd have to deal with it. Those with multiple kids in multiple activities, you could scale back, which might be a stress reducer for all involved.

Any way, it can work, it does take communication, but it also makes you value your time more. Just my $.75 worth.

ETA - not trying to be judgmental, just trying to add another perspective.

No, but someone might darn sure lose their job if they took enough time running home every time a kid was sick or needed to be picked up.

It my area, it also torpedoes any chance of things like speech therapy, doctor's appointments, Cub scouts, soccer games...really almost anything but a CVS and a specialty grocery store.

 

[cluvsdisney]

For a long time we were a one car family. It worked really well since I take the train to work (which I can walk to) and DH can take the car to drive to work. The only time there was an issue was when the car was in the shop or if one of us had a weekend plan where we needed the car. We had to rent a car while the car was in the shop which is still less expensive then owning a second car. But if one of us needed to use the car alone, it wasn't a big a deal since we live walking distance to stores, restaurants, public transportation etc.

 

[hopemax]

DH and I have been a 1-car family the entire time we've been married (13 years in July). The two biggest things that make it easy, though, is we have no kids and I don't work. But even with that 90% of the time, I have the car. So I think if I worked part time, or we did have kids, I think we could still manage.

We have always based our living arrangements on "how would DH get to work without a car?" The best one was when, we were living in my home town. We lived a half mile away from work, and one of the companies "green" initiatives was to pay people about $40 a month if they walked 3 times a week. The worst, was when we lived in AZ, because of poor public transit and that it was usually too hot to walk. In that situation, we lived a mile away from DH's job, he took the car, but if I needed it, I would either take him to work in the morning, or we'd have lunch together and I'd pick him up for work.

We also base where we live on what conveniences are within walking distance of the house. Our house, is a 10-min walk for DH to the bus stop. He takes the bus 4 times a week. He likes to stay late with the guys on Fridays, so that day I know he drives and plan my errands around it. Within 1.5 miles, is a Walmart, Target, several fast food places, 2 grocery stores, Hobby Lobby and a post office. So for just about anything I regularly need, I can walk to it, if I absolutely had to. I've been trying to get in shape, so I have been walking to the PO and a couple stores, even when I could just hop in the car. Within 3 miles, are two different park & rides, so even when DH has the car, he is only driving that far and still taking the bus downtown.

Sure, there are times we wish we had a second car, but not so often enough that we would want to pay for the car, insurance and gas. Our biggest problem is our car is small, and I'd like something bigger to be able to haul furniture and Ikea boxes around.

Depending on where you live, it might be hard to transition to a 1-car lifestyle. But if you have a reason to move, and can make a decision on where to live in the future, based on going to one car, I think it would be easier than a lot of people think.

 

[Karenj2]

Before we had DD, we became a one-car family because DH lost his job (for which he had a company car). I drove my car to work for a while (leaving him housebound), then he got a job at my company so we drove in together , then when he got a new job at a different company (where he worked from home unless he had calls to make), we'd do whatever worked: either I'd have the car, or he'd drop me off. We're now a 2 car family, though.

 

[PatriciaH]

We have one car. Mainly because I grew up in NYC and hate to drive I took the subway, bus and cabs all growing up. When I first moved to MA I worked right in the town we lived in. Then DH and I worked together for 5 years. In FL, DH and I worked together and then in the same building. It was 5 minutes from our condo. Here I work at home and our downtown is a 7 minute walk. I can walk or bike to CVS, the library, bank, post office, convenience stores, antique shops, pet food stores, ice cream shops, liquor store, clothing and jewelry stores, many restaurants, yoga, a rail trail to run, parks, etc. I am also a 5 minute walk to the train into Boston or nearby towns. So we have always been OK with one car. At one point we did have 2 and a motorcycle but would have been A-OK with one.

 

[lilrooster76]

We are looking into this as well. I can no longer drive and we have 2 mini vans. Wife has been driving both around so that neither one sits, but we are thinking of off loading one.

 

[dawnball]

We're moving cross-country in May, and part of that process has been selling a car to become a one-car household. I've been looking forward to it, so I find this thread pretty fascinating. Since we are moving, and dropping down to one car was on the table from the beginning, we chose our new location in part based on walkscore (www.walkscore.com) and proximity to things we cared about.

As a result, we are:
.1 miles from the train station.
a block from the nearest bus stop
.3 miles from the library/park/pool/city gym and all of the summer programs and enrichment activities they offer.
.4 miles from a Trader Joe's
.3 miles from a Safeway
.6 miles from a fancy grocer
.5 miles from goodwill and another resale shop
.4 miles from the doctor's office with family practice and specialties all under one roof
.9 miles from my daughter's school
one train stop from zipcar

It's a -good- location, with a walkscore of 95/100, but it doesn't cost any more than locations with a walkscore of 30/100. Being able to plan for a single car instead of having it happen unexpectedly really worked to our advantage.

I was worried that people might come up with insurmountable obstacles, since we've already sold our car and committed to being single-car for at least 6 months to give ourselves time to adjust.

I wish. DH is a 'what if' thinker and is sure that if he took the only car to work, there would be a need to drive someone to the ER.

Taxi. If a taxi isn't fast enough, you should call an ambulance anyway.

You need to make sure you have a back up plan if your car winds up in the shop. Basicly you'll need to rent a car for however long it will take to make the repair, so you'll need to either be able to work that into your monthly budget or have the savings to cover both the rental and the repair. I'd also get either AAA or some type of roadside assistance for tows and such. Because you know the car won't break down at home, you'll be out and about someplace!

How often do people's cars have multi-day repairs? In the 11 years we owned the car we just sold, I can't remember it staying in the shop overnight more than once or twice. Roadside assistance is handy, although I HATE AAA's roadside assistance enough that I cancelled AAA over it. A once-a-year rental car for repairs (or a loaner from the shop, which is frequently cheaper) is cheap compared to owning a car (maintenance/payment/insurance/parking/registration) , and can be found via hotwire or similar for better last-minute rates.

That is good that you can, we could not. He travels for work and I never know where he will be, plus with his job, he just can't leave because something at home is wrong, unless it was life threatening. But hey, if it works it is a great money saving idea.

My husband technically "could" leave because something at home was wrong, but it gives an impression that we'd rather not give; even though no one would object. As a practical matter, I consider work time sacrosanct. Unless someone is in the hospital, I don't bother him while he's at a client. Even for the hospital, I wouldn't expect him to show up, it just seems polite to let him know.

I couldn't tell you when he'll get home tonight, or where he'll be tomorrow, so my assumption is that I don't have a car, and if I need one, I need to arrange for it. I have two rental car locations within a mile and a half, and one is Enterprise, who would deliver the car and pick it up again. And there's zipcar. However, the ideal plan is for me to arrange my life so I don't need a car. I'm expecting to have no car availability except on family weekends, and can be pleasantly surprised if things work out better than that.

 

[DisneyScraps]

I have done it twice. Once we just has one car and no kids. I drove my Dh/ to work it was not a big deal at all. Not having kids made this really easy and I was a SAHW so I didn't really have a lot of places to go.

The second time was last year. DBF truck broke down and it was going to be expensive to fix. We were always taking my car everywhere because it's a Hybrid and gas was really high so for 3 months we just used my car. By this time I had a daughter so it was a lot of driving around for me. It would take me 45 minutes to drive my daughter to school and my DBF to work, when we have 2 cars I make that trip to her school and back in less than 10 minutes. It wasn't that big of a deal. I actually liked the time we had together in the morning. I was sad when we needed the truck and fixed it.

It is possible to do you have to be creative and really like your family

I should mention that we live in a small town with no public transportation....not even the bus.

 

[mrsklamc]

Taxi. If a taxi isn't fast enough, you should call an ambulance anyway.

In my DH's opinion an ambulance isn't fast enough. And we live, like, a half mile from the hospital.