Think back to the 1950s. We may be talking about your parents, but it’s more likely we’re looking at your grandparents. How many cars did they have? Go ahead and ask if you don’t know; I’ll wait.
Odds are very good that they had just one. And depending on where they lived, it’s entirely possible that they didn’t have an automobile at all. I asked my grandparents — and, if you count my step-father’s parents, I have three sets. Not a single one of the three had more than the one family car.
Behind our homes, our cars are our biggest expenses. Beyond the ever-growing cost of gas, we have to pay insurance, maintenance, parking and other assorted costs of owning a vehicle. Most households have doubled up on this expense and, if there’s a teenager in the house, may have even tripled it. I’m not suggesting that we should do away with all cars, of course. These days, it’s impossible to navigate most of the U.S. without one.
But ‘one’ might be the key. It’s certainly cheaper to gas up just one vehicle, rather than two. If you’re looking to cut costs, that second gas guzzler out in the driveway could be the easiest way to do so.
I’m sure you have plenty of reasons that you need it: maybe both members of your household work outside the home. Perhaps you’re worried about being able to take care of emergencies. But I’d like to suggest an experiment.
The One-Car, One Week Experiment
For just one week, try out this whole one car idea. Set aside the keys to that second car and see what happens. Even if you decide, at the end of the week, that you can’t possibly live with only one car, you’ve saved on a week’s worth of gas.
You may have to think harder about your transportation. Keep these ideas in mind:
- Plan errands for when you have the car.
- Ask friends for rides if you’ll be going to the same place.
- Explore the local public transportation options (bus, train, subway, etc.).
- Pull out your bike or your walking shoes.
- Check for shopping and entertainment options closer to your home.
- Carpool to work.
- Drop your partner off (and remember to come back).
- Ask to telecommute to work.
- Plan your week out.
- Pack along lunches and other things you won’t be able to run home for.
- Check private transportation companies: carpooling organizations, taxis, etc.
- Make some fun at home.
My husband and I became a one-car household over a year ago. We have yet to have a single issue that we couldn’t easily work around. Admittedly, there are some places where transportation is a little more difficult than the town we live in. Running a one-car household may not be for everyone. But, if you can go down to one car, it’s a smart money decision.
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