But the rest of the weekend was lovely, involving errands, cleaning, gym visits, sleeping, having friends over for dinner, and an evening drive outside the city to Great Falls, where Torsten had a lot of fun with the new camera. Full set here.
I have to say, I kind of miss having a car. Zipcar is great, and we use it a lot, and it's how we got out to Great Falls and how we did our grocery shopping this weekend, but it's not the same as having our own car. DC has great public transportation, and we live near the Metro and only a few stops from downtown, but we always have allow a minimum of half an hour to get anywhere, and more on the weekends or late at night when the trains run less frequently.
There are so many benefits to not having a car, like not having the responsibility, not having to worry about insurance and registration and repairs and finding a parking spot, not paying for it, and not polluting with it. But oh, how nice would it be to have the flexibility of being able to drive wherever, whenever? We discussed it while we were driving out to Great Falls, and there were quite a few things that we felt we would do more of.
We could take more spontaneous road trips, and do small things whenever we wanted without having to worry about cost or availability of Zipcars. I could join a rec volleyball team that isn't stupid like my work one, without having to worry about spending two hours getting to and from games and practices. We could pick people up at the airport without having to pay a ton to pad our Zipcar reservation in case the flight is late. It would just allow a degree of flexibility and spontaneity that we don't have now. It still isn't worse than the $1,000/month or so that it would cost us to buy, park, insure, maintain, and fuel a car that we owned. But I do miss it, and I know Torsten misses it even more than I do.
What about you? Do you own a car? Why or why not?
Yes, we have two cars. With two kids, and my husband commuting they are necessary for us. We have however, switched to foreign cars after having horrible experiences with our old fords(Taurus and Explorer). The upkeep on those cars were HORRIBLE. So we swore the next ones we bought would be more reliable. So we bought Hyundai and Honda and have seen an incredible difference.
ReplyDeleteWe have two cars, but we live in rural Michigan where the options you talk about are not at all available. No car=no movement here!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to live like a "city girl" for just a month - to rely on transportation that I don't have to actually drive. That sounds especially appealing right now, in the midst of snow and ice.
That said, I do love the freedom that comes with all the bills. :)
My husband and I share one. He has it more than me. I am trying to defer as long as possible but there are days when I am ready to march over to Toyota and sign on the dotted line. In the end practicality always wins. The hassles I have are NOT worth a G each month on pmts, insurance etc.
ReplyDeleteBut I hear you sister. I also hear you on the office Christmas party. Seems like they are all busts this year.
I always think it is pretty awesome when people are able to not own a car. Living in a smallish city in the midwest, public transportation isn't very good (although I did take the bus to work this morning since my car is snowed in), and we don't have any programs like Zipcar around here, so we need my car to visit my parents or to pretty much go anywhere that isn't on a major bus route. Which is quite a lot of places. But, that being said, Ryan and I have 2 cars right now (we each had our own before we got married), and we hardly ever drive his. He has a work van that he drives back and forth to work, and we otherwise take my car everywhere. We really need to sell his - the cost to insure it, along with continuing to make payments on it, is really not worth the limited use we get out of it.
ReplyDeleteWe had two cars up until this fall, and then we downsized to one car in the fall. It's been a lot easier for us, financially, and Mister needs a car for his work so much of the gas/milage is subsidized, which makes it a lot easier.
ReplyDeleteIt's really hard in the winter (taking transit full time when it's -38 F is rough) but it's what's best for us. To keep and maintain our car costs about $300 a month, all in - if it cost anywhere close to $1000 a month I would totally buy a horse and buggy and forgo cars all together.
After we moved, I sold my car and we now share my BF's Jeep. We rarely drive it during the week because we can walk to the train station. Since we don't drive it very often, we've put of getting it inspected. Hmmm, I think it was due in OCTOBER!
ReplyDeleteMy car was a big Chevy Lumina, so it was better for shopping and traveling. But it was much older than the Jeep. So it went!
we both own cars, but if we lived in a big city with a good mass transit system, we probably wouldn't.
ReplyDeleteI have a car because I need *total* control over when and where I go without feeling like I have to wait on anyone, or anything, else.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE having a car. Even w/the expenses.
i have a car and although it's a pain to park it in the city and to pay for gas, i really do need to have one since the minneapolis/st. paul transportation system isn't that great yet and doesn't really fit with my schedule and needs. plus, i need a car for work because i'm out of the office a lot. so yeah, it works for me but i would love not to have the hassle sometimes!
ReplyDeleteI don't because I simply can't afford it. It'd be nice because I currently rely on roommates to take me grocery shopping but really, I just don't have the money. Hooray for college life!
ReplyDelete$1,000 a month sounds like a crazy amount of money for a car! Unless you are driving some high end car, it won't be anywhere near that. Bryan and I both have decent newer cars (2006 subaru outback purchased new, and a 2007 VW rabbit purchased 1 year old), and combined with payments, gas, and insurance we don't spend $1,000.
ReplyDeleteI have too many off-site meetings to not have a car, and Bryan works abnormal hours as a nurse so public transit would be a nightmare. I took the public bus to school for all 4 years of high school and had my fill of weirdos for a lifetime!
We have five cars (for four of us). Though two bus routes go down my road and take us to a fairly big bus exchange (bus and train being the only transport through Perth), it isnt practical for us to stand outside in the heat (it's about 112 here in Western Australia every day of summer). I dont much think about the costs, but generally I spend about $300 per week on petrol let alone other expenses. I guess the only justification is that we use one of them for business and we drive 2 hours out of town almost every weekend. Still, one car for each of us is probably enough!
ReplyDeleteI'm always surprised to hear people talk about not owning a car. It's such a necessity where I live that I forget that public transportation or walking everywhere is actually possible for some people.
ReplyDeleteWe are actually a three vehicle couple - my car, his car, and the beater that he takes down farm roads that require 4WD. We usually buy modest (except when we splurged on my super-fun MINI), but reliable cars so that they fit our budget. We have to; the only other option is staying home or riding a bike 5 miles one way to the nearest grocery.
A few years ago I leased a new car and with all of the expenses associated with it I would spend about $700/month. This wasnt even that nice of a car and it was really on the low end of what I could have gotten. Anyway, this past April I decided the expense was too much and it was just simply too small for my growing family. I went car-less until September and then just about died the first time I got to drive again. I hate not having a car but the public transportation system here is pathetic.
ReplyDeleteMy car related expenses are much better now though because I 1)bought a $1500 beater 2) have much cheaper insurance and 3)drive very little now. In total each month I only pay about $200 for my car and that works for me. Its there when I need it but its not costing me a fortune.
My car is five years old and has less than 40K miles on it. LOTM's car has a lot more miles, but that's only because he had to commute for a couple years before he switched jobs.
ReplyDeleteNow he takes the train to work and his car sits quietly for those few times when he needs to go somewhere.
Our transit system is so horrible, I cannot take a bus to work. I work less than five miles from home, but it is not a safe walk or bike ride, so I drive.
But I do like having a car available for those spontaneous trips, big runs to the grocery store, and hauling stuff. Oh, and visiting my parents...
I go back and forth on this issue all the time.
ReplyDeleteWe do not own a car. We do use zipcar, but I have been cutting back a lot lately because the hourly rates have gone up significantly.
We both take public transportation to work... which is awesome. I walk a lot too, but Boston is so different from DC. I think that if I lived in DC I would want a car.
Unfortunately, living in Atlanta means that you have to have a car. Our public transportation isn't that great, and the city is so spread out. It would be a nightmare to get around without one.
ReplyDeletewow, you use a zipcar! awesome!
ReplyDeleteI have my own car, because transportation here is not as comprehensive and also, small toddler = convenience is key.
I knew a couple who used to just rent a car when they needed it (they didn't typically do errands with it).
I've had the car conversation many a time with my NYC-dwelling brother.I think it comes down to a matter of putting a price on convenience. There's no doubt you'll expend more money by owning a car - how much easier will life be if you have one?
ReplyDeleteMe, I've owned a car since I graduated college. The reverse commute from city to suburbs does not bode well for the carless.
I am with you. WE have no car in NY but we are actually going to buy one while we are in CA and drive it back. Parking will be a nightmare, but for all the reasons you just described - we are so ready to have a car again. We haven't had one for five years!
ReplyDeleteThose photos are so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI do own a car. And so does my husband. We just need it so we can commute. It would be ridiculous to rely on the buses out here. We use the train to go into the city, but we are too far away from the center to be car free.
Rob and I share one car, but most of the time I think of our car as "his" car (probably because it is a company car.) As much as I miss having my very own vehicle, I just can't justify it. I take the train to and from work because it is so easy and I don't have to pay for parking that way, and the occasions when we both need a car to go to different places at the same time, we make do using Philly's equivalent to Zip Car.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was living at home, I pretty much had unlimited access to my parents car. When I moved to the Bronx with Dave, he had a car, but I didn't. I soon learned that even though the bus had two stops surrounding our house, and the train was close enough, I definitely needed a car. Sometimes the bus ran late, or I just wanted to go somewhere and not have to worry if Dave was using his car, etc. It's definitely made our life much easier.
ReplyDeleteI am from Texas. Thus, the thought of NOT having a car is my own personal hell. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my car, and I would perish without it. Our public transportation is also sketchy at best, dangerous at worst.
ReplyDeleteI live in the south. And not only the south, South Carolina, where everywhere worth going is at least an hour away. Why do I live so far out in the middle of nowhere? Because this is where my husband goes to school.
ReplyDeleteIf we didn't have need of a car, it would be especially helpful right now, as it is quite the upkeep (especially with our two cars).
However, even with all of the complaining I've been doing lately about the cost of having one, I wouldn't want to give up the freedom of being able to go where I want when I want. Even if it does take 2 hours to get there.
I have lived without a car a few times, and I really missed driving.
ReplyDeleteWe have two cars. Even though Orlando is pretty huge, when you don't live in metro Orlando, the public bus is awful.
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better it takes 30 minutes even to drive simple places in Orlando, soo many people...and slow driving tourists :)
We didn't get a car until well after our son was born. We did fine without one- specially in Copenhagen where the public transportation is good. Living in Reykjavik without a car was a b.i.t.c.h. we still bicycle to and from work and walk Askur to and from daycare. But it is a necessity for longer trips and grocery shopping.
ReplyDeleteBut it isn't too expensive and fuel costs are pretty low since we don't use it that much.
We have two cars. A Toyota Prius -- which is technically a business car, and my Saturn Ion. We make payments on neither, though both were purchased between July and October of this year and are both within the last two model years.
ReplyDeleteI could not handle being without a car personally. My car allows me to visit family whenever I want, to go to the store whenever I want, to pick the kids up from school in warmth when it's as cold as it is right now and just in general it makes my life easier. That being said, we don't have a ton of public transport right here in our neighborhood so it's not easy to get around that way.
We could be a one-car family if we had to be, but I'd prefer we weren't.
We have 2 cars and honestly I can't fathom NOT having them. I run the kids to here, there and everywhere and do errands and D goes to work and does rugby and his errands and I don't know what we'd do with no cars!
ReplyDeleteHowever, we don't live near ANY public transportation and in a much smaller city than D.C. We used the metro the 3 times we visited D.C. and thought it was totally awesome. I actually wish more cities had something like that!
I love my little bug...and with low gas prices ($1.29! Wahoo!) I am so wanting to Road Trip!
ReplyDeletexox
Jess- haven't been blogging or commenting or reading in a while, but I'm back now and I just wanted to express my SADNESS at missing all of the news about your wedding. I did go back and snoop and ooh and aahh over the pictures, and I can say with certainty that the bride was gorgeous! Good dress decision. :) I loved the purple theme, it looked very elegant. Wishing you all of the best!
ReplyDeleteMy fiance and I both have cars as there is no public transportation to his work and I still have to drive 30 MILES before I can catch the nearest public transportation. If I had stayed in Chicago for law school I would have gotten rid of my car.
ReplyDeleteWe own one car but it sits in our apartment complex's parking lot most of the time. Pretty much the only time it gets driven is when we go for a major grocery trip. It's nice to have "just in case" though. It will certainly be handy while Will's family is visiting!
ReplyDeleteChris and I share a car. We've been doing this for over 2 years now and I like it. I don't think I would like to be completely carless because we take a ton of road trips, mostly camping trips. I almost think of our car as a second home. That's sad when I say it out loud.
ReplyDeleteLiving in socal means a car is a necessity. Which I simultaneously love and hate.
ReplyDeleteI own a car, 2 to be precise. But where I live it would be impossible to function without one. To get to even the grocery store takes a 20 minute drive. And work is 25 minutes away.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't not have a car because I love to drive! I take public transportation to work whenever I can, but having the option of driving is a quality of life issue for me.
ReplyDeleteahhh, i love great falls! i can't remember the trail name, but there is a great one with a huge almost vertical face to climb--very fun! the ex and i used to go out there a lot! so pretty, especially in fall!
ReplyDeleteand yes, i own a car, if only because my city has the shittiest public transportation known to man. but the ex just bought me a bike and i am LOVING biking to school/the grocery instead of driving. i guess the grass is always greener--i am so, so tired of dealing with a car & driving!
I've noticed that whenever people claim that where they live, a car is absolutely necessary, they seem to forget about all their neighbors who don't own cars.
ReplyDeleteI live in Edmonton (probably one of the most car-centric cities on the planet), which is colder than any rational person would tolerate, and rely exclusively on public transportation or my feet. If I can do it, nearly anyone else could.
we have two cars and i want to get rid of one. we live in dc 3 blocks from the metro and one of us drives about twice per week. he is unwilling to let go of a car and i am trying hard to convince him to do it. it is expensive maintaining two cars in the city and annoying when one sits in the driveway most days.
ReplyDeleteI used to have a car, for which my parents paid the insurance because it was still in their name (because insuring a car in NY? Is INSANELY expensive!!). It seems silly to have a car in NYC, but I lived kinda far from the subway so it was really useful, and I could get out of the city whenever I wanted.
ReplyDeleteHowever, over the course of two cars I got so many parking tickets that I practically *was* paying for insurance, I had my side-view mirror smacked off by a truck, my window busted and stereo stolen, my license plate stolen, and a window busted and disc changer stolen. After all of that, when the second car died waaaaay out in Long Island, I decided it was time to give up the ghost and use mass transit like everyone else.
It took some getting used to, but it doesn't bother me now. Except when I want to buy large and/or heavy things. But that's what ZipCar is for :)