Has anyone thought with the price of gas and insurance and maintenance and payments that it might?

Question

be better to just sell your car and take transit. I take the bus to work and it is one bus and it is great I don't stress about driving and a bus pass is so much cheaper than maintaining a car. I know the bus is less convenient but I am an able bodied person and thinking more and more about how I feel like I am working to support my car and maybe it is time to simplify Thoughts and experiences with this lifestyle???

Answer 1

I think it's great but where I live there are no buses, trains, taxis, etc.  The only way you can save on travel is to carpool and out here in the country you never know what kind of redneck you might end up riding with.

Answer 2

Yes, many people have that thought. It works for some, but not for others. Mass transit is not available, nor practical everywhere.

Answer 3

this is not europe, its cheaper to own a car than to use public transport especially if you have a busy schedule and own a business.

Answer 4

Actually, I've been doing this for over 20 years.  And you're right--that it CAN be silly to work at  a job to support a car that you use to get to your job, that you work at so that you can afford your car...etc., etc., etc.

The trick to using public transportation is to keep it from being a time-waster.  I've found that it usually takes about three times as long (on average) to get from Point A to Point B using public transportation than it does in a car (even factoring in the occasional traffic jams).  So use that time to do stuff that you might otherwise do at home, such as work on your laptop or read a good novel, or whatever you enjoy doing in your leisure time!  That way, the "value" of your time (which is definitely worth a lot!) is not wasted.

(Also, I've found that I'm often more-relaxed for not having to deal with the stress of driving and traffic jams.  So when you do get to work, you're usually in a WAY-better mood!)

Answer 5

Makes sense and in fact I just read an article about how people are moving to cities for that very reason ( or moving to a place with public transit)

Answer 6

I take public transit every day to avoid the wear and tear on my car, saving driving for trips to see far-flung family or to fill it up at Target.

My drive to work is 15 minutes; transit is 45 minutes to an hour. It really cuts down my television watching time, it's probably for the best: I read the paper and review work files on the way home.

The company also pays for my bus pass, so I'd be dumb not to take the bus.

In terms of cost savings, my Mazda3 in California costs about $.35 a mile to drive, factoring depreciation of the car and it's supplies (oil, tires) and gas and not factoring insurance (I need the car, so I have to pay it anyway). Taking the bus saves me $6 a day. The average work year is 260 days, so I save $1560 a year.

For what it's worth, I would make a different decision if I had kids. $6 in savings for an hour away from kids would be tough bargain to justify to my wife.

Answer 7

If you can do it, great.  I live in Central Maine, no bus line for me, and I drive 30 miles to work, one way, and its the night shift, so no car pool either.

Answer 8

To each his own, i personally would not take the transit (there is not one near me) but i just drive to work and back, I only fill up my truck every other week since I don't do any unnessary driving, my husband has a 50 mile drive to work and he drives his car and he does have to fill up once a week, but we do all our shopping on one day and don't go again until we really have too, which helps us save money on groceries.  

I feel the bus would just take too long to get home more like an hour when i can be home in 10 minutes.

Answer 9

I think it depends on where you live.

My sister lives in Chicago and sold her car.  She is really happy with her decision because there's a great transit system there and the gas prices doesn't faze her.  Also she lives right in the heart of downtown, so everything is near by.

I live in Florida where it's a different story.  The area I'm in isn't so centralized, so I don't think it would work for me.  Even though gas prices are crazy, I couldn't make it without my car.  But I have been riding my bike more so I have made adjustments.

If it works for you, go for it.  Lucky!  :)

Answer 10

I prefer the bus as well. I keep several pairs of masks and disposable gloves and tissues on me. This way, I don't have to worry about diseases that other folk have. Peace!

Answer 11

I live in a rural area and alot of other people do also so there is no public transportation where we live and I have to drive to work and if I'm am called into work for overtime which happens alot buses don't run on your schedule so I need my truck I live where we have alot of snow and I need four wheel drive and I use my truck as a truck so there no selling for me