could i do it? could i live in the city of chicago without a car? in the six years that i have lived here, i have owned a car. i have parked on the streets, shoveled my car out of two feet of snow, paid a premium for valet car parking in my building, scraped numerous city parking stickers off my windshield, and fed countless meters. yet i've still loved having my car to drive me anywhere i've needed to go at any time.
recently g has brought up the idea of selling our car and going without a vehicle. i have constructed my own pro/con list:
PRO:
- we live relatively close (10 minute walk) to a train station and even closer (1-3 minute walk) to the nearest bus routes.
- there are many things within walking distance, too.
- by bus, we could get to a grocery store or target within 15 minutes.
- during the winter months, there is a very convenient service that could even deliver our groceries to us.
- we would save approximately $650/month without a car
- there is the possibility of getting an "airport car" that we would use only to commute to/from the airport
- there are various car-use programs nearby
CON:
- shopping (of any kind) would take planning since it would be difficult to "run out" and get something
- it would be more difficult to get to work early in the morning (if we had no airport car)
- it would take longer, during non-rush hour times, to get to/from work
- i have never lived in chicago without knowing i had a car for immediate use
- we would not be able to travel to visit family (in IN or OH) without renting a car or flying
it's hard to say which out-weights the other....
is saving money worth the ease of a car at my disposal?!
....to be continued.
6 comments:
As someone who has had a car for the past 17 years, I can't imagine not having one. However, I do not live in a city where it is an option. Nick and I are currently considering 1 car for the two of us. I too have been weighing the pros and cons; you know how I LOVE a list! The practical side of me says lose the car though I also think it would be quite an adjustment. I have a thought.... Keep the car, but for one month act as though you do not have one. Order groceries at least once and rent a car to travel to see the kids too. It will give you a good idea of what life would be like without a car. You'll be able to make a better decision after the trial run! Good luck!!
as i've mentioned before, i went without a car for about 4 months a couple years ago & i managed. of course, i ended up buying a car because that's what i wanted for myself & my lifestyle. i think the only thing you can really do to find out if you can sustain the lifestyle you want to live sans automobile is to just go for it... ditch the car & see how it goes! although i'm inclined to agree with jill's suggestion to test things out for a month, i'm also afraid that would end up being like trying to quit smoking for a month while keeping a pack of cigarettes in your drawer - you'll probably jump in your car in a moment of need. your pro & con list is good and i think you need to do that... but eventually i think you'll have to bite the bullet. good luck!!!!!
I have thought about this too -- and I think I'd get rid of mine if I didn't have a dog. (It's so much more expensive to fly home with him.)
It's definitely doable where you live, and you could always rent a car to drive home and spend probably what you pay in insurance and parking each month.
And if you ever need a car in a pinch, you can always call one of us that is still saddled with car payments. =)
$650? Really? Wow.
I think that I agree with Jill - do a trial run. Don't use your car for a bit and see what you think. Kelli is getting rid of her car because she barely uses it. And if it could save you money in the long run and you don't miss it because you have the option to possibly borrow someone's car (swan!) then I think it's a great idea.
you could certainly get away with borrowing friend's cars or tagging along for grocery/target trips if you needed to. i also like jill's suggestion of trying it for a month to see how it goes. although, after melting in the heat today on your way to the train, i think maybe keeping the car and its AC is looking like a pretty good option right now!
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