Right now, we are a one and a half car family. Neither fully a two-car family, able to go in two different directions of any great distance, at the same time, nor totally stuck with just the one car.
The first car runs well. It's a young 8 years old. Car number two is in it's sunset years. It's 24 years old. In car years, that's about 172 years. And it can only go about 2 miles before it overheats and stalls. Car number two can make it to the nearest park and ride for my husband and son, 5 days a week. The car has to sit in the parking lot for several hours before it can drive again. Car number two isn't good for running errands, taking daughters to dance, for my son to go out with friends, or to Home Depot to pick up a load of bricks.
We've had the car looked at, and while I don't fully understand car talk, (there's something about an engine block that needs grinding or sanding or something like that), I do understand dollars and cents. To have this done, it would cost about $1500, or roughly 4 times what we could get for our car on Craigslist.
A good portion of the time we feel like a 3 driver/1 car family. We have to juggle our schedules so everyone can get to the events that matter most. We have to beg rides from others. We have to wait until the car is free, for pickups. And we have to stay home from time to time because we can't get a ride. We do give priority to school and work-use of the car.
In years past, we were an actual one-car family. Our children were young then, and we lived near a bus line. My husband took the bus to work, most days of the week, leaving the car with me and the kids. This lasted for several years, then we moved. With the move, and still just the one car, my husband had to drive to work. The kids and I were without wheels every day. I can honestly say, for our family, it's easier to have two cars than one.
But there are merits to having just one car, in a multi-driver family.
- For one thing, it's just plain cheaper. Fewer license fees, less overall maintenance, less in insurance costs, and less in parking fees.
- Having just one car forces a family to work together. Learning to compromise is a valuable skill that will translate to many other areas.
- Having fewer cars than there are drivers in a household, can lead to a simpler life. I find myself "stuck" at home from time to time. But this often becomes a blessing. I finally get some quiet time to read, or work in the garden, or write to a friend because I was unable to go anywhere.
- Just one car often leads to more exercise. We walk more. Sometimes that's just walking to a bus stop. But walking is walking. Your body doesn't care if this exercise is just transport to the bus.
If I sound like someone trying to convince themselves that having one and a half cars is a good thing, well that's because I probably am. I'd love for us to replace the aging car. Eventually we will. But for now, I'm trying to see the positive in our situation.
How about you? Have you ever been a one-car or no-car family? How have you managed the inconveniences?
