How I came to be car-less
I’m from California and I drove a lot when I was there (kind of necessary in CA). When I moved to Chicago for college, it was my first time without a car and I had separation anxiety. Then to my suprise, I quickly came to LOVE not having a car. It felt like a weight lifted. I never realized how much stress came with having a vehicle – worrying about parking, gas, flat tires, directions. No longer having to deal with any of that was so nice.
I always hated public transportation so I mostly walked and Uber-ed everywhere in Chicago. I had zero need for a car during college and my first job was exactly a one-mile walk from my apartment. I enjoy walking and it was nice to know that I got at least two miles of exercise every day no matter what. I walked to work every single day even when it was negative 20 degrees out. While living in Chicago, my transportation costs were close to $0.
How much I save by not having a car (approximation)
The average car payment in the U.S. is around $500/month so let’s say that adds up to $6,000/year. That doesn’t even factor in other expenses like gas, parking, maintenance, insurance etc. etc. But we’ll leave it at 6K for simplicity purposes. I lived in Chicago for 7 years so $6,000 X 7 years = $42,000. That’s a huge savings. Like a down payment or two. 😉
When I moved to Milwaukee, WI a couple years ago, I was so used to not having a car that I really did not want to go back to the car life. And I didn’t see a reason to since I worked from home at that point (and still do). I also chose to live in a downtown neighborhood that’s very walkable.
Milwaukee is definitely less walker friendly and more spread out than Chicago so my transportation costs have increased. However, all my other costs of living went down.
This past year I’ve been spending $200-$300 per month on Uber/Lyft. That might seem like a lot but it’s still way less than a car payment, insurance, gas, parking, maintenance blah blah. Plus, most of my Uber rides are business expenses which makes them about 25% cheaper. I have a credit card that gives 5% back for Lyft and another one that gives double hotel points for Uber.
I get my groceries delivered which I think helps save even more money. It’s life changing. And I order most other stuff online too. What are stores?
I will say that most people in Wisconsin think I’m crazy. Probably 99% of people here have cars. Whenever someone finds out I don’t have a car they’re pretty shocked. Then they ask why I don’t just get a car if I’m spending $200 on Uber. If I was spending $1,000 on Uber, I might consider it.
Will I ever buy a car? Probably.
Just thinking about buying a car in the future gives me anxiety. One day when I move outside the city, I will absolutely buy a car – probably a gently used one for cash. But right now I love the freedom of not dealing with a car and the mad cash I’m able to save.
I totally understand that having a car is necessary for a lot of people and I have some unique circumstances. But if you’re able to make it work, I’m just saying that not having a car can save you a ton of money. And you can use it to buy assets instead. And then retire before 40. That’s my plan.
Scott Trench’s book Set for Life makes a case for moving closer to work so you can ditch your car. I definitely recommend giving it a read. As always, please leave a comment with any questions.
