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Should We Get Rid Of A Car And Just Have One?

Last Updated: November 21, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 114 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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Check out this list of reasons you should downsize to one car.

We currently have two cars, but have been seriously thinking about sharing a car and downsizing to just one. I hardly ever drive, and I can count the amount of times I have driven in 2015 on one hand.

Due to this, we have been thinking about selling one of our cars and becoming a one car family.

There are many reasons for why we are thinking about sharing a car, and it’s not just all about money.

Yes, the money is just being wasted on the second car since we most likely do not need it, but it’s also a waste of time and space. I am always trying to save time in my life by eliminating time wasters, so it makes sense that the next thing we are currently evaluating is our car habit.

Below are some of the reasons for why we are and are not thinking about becoming a one car family. Some of the below can probably be adapted to fit your situation as well if you are thinking about sharing a car.

 

We both work from home and sharing a car wouldn’t be hard.

As you all know, both of us work from home and hardly ever have to leave.

99.99% of our work can be completed with just a laptop and wifi, so having to leave our house in order to get something done rarely happens.

This means that our cars are mainly used for pleasure and convenience. We use them mainly for getting groceries and traveling. Other than that, we don’t really ever use our cars.

We hardly ever have a reason for why both of our cars would have to be used at the same time since we don’t have to drive to work.

This is a big reason for why sharing a car and becoming a one car family would be very possible for us.

 

We would save money by downsizing and becoming a one car family.

Cars are expensive and everyone knows that. Between paying for the actual car, maintenance, registration fees, and more, it can easily add up each month.

We would be getting rid of the Subaru if we did decide to get rid of a car. While I love the car and the better fuel mileage, it is low clearance and it would be near impossible for us to do many of the outdoorsy things that we want to do because it wouldn’t make it on the rocky backroads.

We do have a car payment on our Subaru (we received a very low interest rate on it and that is why we didn’t pay for it in cash – we found better use for our cash instead). If we eliminated the Subaru, I believe we would be saving somewhere around $425 a month since we would be able to eliminate the monthly payment, maintenance costs, high personal property taxes, registration fees, and the cost for car insurance.

That’s around $5,100 a year we could be saving!

Of course, downsizing to just our Jeep Wrangler would mean more money spent on gas, but I don’t think it would make too much of a difference since we wouldn’t be able to drive the Subaru to many of the places that we want to go to anyways.

 

One of our cars is always just sitting there.

As I said earlier, one of our cars is usually just sitting there for days or even weeks at a time without being used. This is a complete waste of space and money, and is a big reason for why we are thinking about getting rid of one of our cars.

It just feels stupid to have one car sitting there all the time. As I am typing this, we haven’t even driven the Subaru since the day we moved into our new house and parked it in the garage.

That was on February 21st.

Obviously due to this, sharing a car and becoming a one car family wouldn’t be too difficult since we never seem to use the car anyways.

 

Downsizing to one car would make life more simple.

Two things I dislike doing every year is having to deal with personal property taxes and car registration. I haven’t really researched how everything is done in Colorado, but Missouri makes the process very tedious by requiring emissions testing, safety checks, large personal property tax payments, and more each year. Downsizing to one car would mean I only have to do this once each year, instead of twice.

We also wouldn’t have to worry about maintenance on two cars by simplifying.

Lastly, becoming a one car family would make moving more simple as well. Since we still want to move possibly a few more times before we decide on our “forever town,” having just one car would make each move more simple.

 

The negatives of sharing a car and becoming a one car family.

The main negative I can think of when it comes to becoming a one car family is that occasionally both of us will need a car. This won’t happen too much really, but this summer Wes has some travel plans which means that around once or twice a week he will need the car for a day or two. It’s just a day or two, so I think I could manage.

If I did need a break from our house, the “city” part of our small town that is filled with breweries, coffee shops, a grocery store, and other stores is just a short bike ride away (less than one mile). Everything is just right down the exact street we live on, so I know it wouldn’t be too hard to get something or to go somewhere.

Also, if both of us absolutely need a car one day, we could just rent one for cheap. I often see them going for around $15 to $20 a day, which is much better than $425 a month.

Other possible negatives of becoming a one car family include that the Jeep doesn’t really have enough space for all of us (two humans, two dogs, and all of our stuff  – Wranglers are not exactly spacious) whenever we go on a road trip, the Subaru is safer and drives better than the Jeep, the Subaru gets better gas mileage, and we don’t owe much on it.

 

In the end, I really don’t know what we will decide. While the reasons above in this post make it pretty clear that we should just get rid of the second car, it still seems hard to do. We are so used to having two cars and the luxury/ease that comes with it. While this may make me sound snobby, I am sure others feel the same way.

How many cars do you have? How much do you spend on car expenses each month? Have you thought about sharing a car and becoming a one car family?

 

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114 Comments
Filed Under: Budget, Life, Minimalist Tagged With: Budget, Life, Minimalist

About Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Michelle is the founder of Making Sense of Cents, a blog about personal finance and traveling. She discusses how her business has evolved in her side income series. She paid off $40,000 in student loans by the age of 24 mainly due to her freelancing side hustles. Click here to learn more about starting a blog!

Comments

  1. Heathet says

    March 9, 2015 at 3:21 am

    I had a Ford Explorer for years. In fact, it was my home for a while. I always said that I would drive it until it dies. Well, at 200k miles. It did just that. Thankfully, I am no longer homeless and was not depending on it for shelter any longer. Unfortunately, I was hoping to start a charity gift basket program for women in poverty & in shelters as a means of paying it forward & empowering them. Until I have a means of delivering these packages, my plan is on hold. I think it is wish to live with what works for your lifestyle. Its easier to imagine giving up one car in the winter. Will your needs change as it gets nicer outside? Thank you for sharing. Sincerely, Heather

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:20 am

      We’ve decided to keep the car for now but we will probably get rid of it next year.

      Reply
  2. Elisabeth says

    March 9, 2015 at 4:01 am

    We have been a single car family for about 10 years. It was easier to do in the small town we lived in, because like you, everything I needed was a bike ride or walk away. I’d bike my son to preschool, walk to the library, shops, local farmer’s market. Or, I’d simply have the car and my husband would walk to the commuter train. We still are a single car family of 5 and happy to be. I’d definitely try it out– pretend you just have one if you are on the fence.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:20 am

      Great to hear Elisabeth 🙂

      Reply
  3. MyMoneyDesign says

    March 9, 2015 at 5:06 am

    It sounds to me like there are more positives than negatives to giving up the second car. I’d say go for it. Every family situation is just a little different, and it sounds like for yours that the second car really just isn’t in the cards.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:21 am

      Thanks MMD!

      Reply
  4. Andy says

    March 9, 2015 at 6:01 am

    It sounds like you’re already leaning toward downsizing to one car, and in your current situation, a second car may be more of a burden for you than a necessity.

    Everyone’s needs are different, and they tend to change over time. My wife and I had two cars for the first 25 years we were married. We had two Dodge Caravans, one after the other, because like you, we enjoyed going camping and travelling in our free time. I took a commuter train to work in Manhattan, and my wife needed to drive to work from Long Island to the middle school in Queens where she taught. The Caravan was too big to park there, so she needed a small car to get back and forth. The Caravan easily towed the pop-up trailer we used for 20 years when we camped all up and down the east coast, but we had a long-running dream of taking a long cross-country trip once she retired.

    As that day approached, our dream had mushroomed into selling our house and hitting the road full-time in an RV! It took a lot of planning and vehicle changing – as well as cajoling me to just quit my job and go, or else! – but we ended up donating our last caravan to World Hunger Year, giving the little Hyundai to our son, buying a 30 foot fifth wheel trailer and a Ford F-250 diesel pickup to pull it. We’ve travelled for seven years all around the country, with only the F-250 for transportation until this past summer when we finally sold our house (we had rented it out when we couldn’t sell during the housing market crash in ’08). We traded in the truck and trailer for a 30 foot class-C RV and bought a Ford Fusion Hybrid for local travel.

    From your post, it sounds like the Subaru is just costing you right now without providing much benefit, while the Jeep is better suited to your needs and travel/ camping goals, but isn’t quite big or roomy enough to accommodate your needs, between the gear and dogs and people. So here’s an idea you might want to consider: why not sell the Subaru, take the money you get for it, plus the money you figured you’re laying out to fuel, maintain and pay taxes and registration every month, and put it aside into a “new car fund.” That could help you focus more on your changing needs and goals and give you the momentum – and funds – to meet them. When you’ve figured out what you really want to travel around in… in that gorgeous part of the country you just moved to!.. you can sell the Jeep and add those funds toward the new set of wheels – and maybe a nice pop-up othe camper as well!

    Happy planning, and thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:22 am

      Thanks Andy! We’ve decided to keep the Subaru for now and possibly get rid of it next year.

      Reply
  5. Tennille says

    March 9, 2015 at 6:08 am

    We toyed with the idea of becoming a one car family but in the end decided against it. We live in a small town and my husband works 30 minutes away. With two boys under the age of 5 we decided having a second one just for the security factor made more sense for us.

    I think you have a lot of good reasons to give up that second car and your right the expense of renting vs owning is a huge savings. But is it worth giving up that sense of security? Just a thought.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:24 am

      We’ve decided to keep the second car for now. We like the comfort it brings and decided we just aren’t ready yet.

      Reply
  6. Holly@ClubThrifty says

    March 9, 2015 at 6:59 am

    We are pondering the same question right now. I only drove a few times a week before, but I am driving even less now that Greg works at home. I think I would rather sell it and have the extra space in the garage. My car isn’t worth much, but I don’t want it to start having problems because it is never driven.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:24 am

      Let me know what you decide 🙂

      Reply
  7. Stefanie @ The Broke and Beautiful Life says

    March 9, 2015 at 7:47 am

    I think it also depends on whether or not you want to have a family- and if so, how soon. Once you add another person into the equation, schedules can be harder to negotiate.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:28 am

      Yes, that is very true.

      Reply
  8. Sarah says

    March 9, 2015 at 7:57 am

    I say sell the car and go down to being a one car family! We have two cars, but one of the vehicles is my husband’s work truck that we don’t all fit in. You won’t miss having two cars, especially since you both work from home and have flexible schedules!! If you don’t mind me asking, what does your hubby do from home?!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:30 am

      Wes helps me with everything I do. He is more “behind the scenes” 🙂

      Reply
  9. Channing says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:03 am

    The first car I bought was a mini cooper, and apart from the obvious reason for choosing it (it was pretty), I was actually looking for a small car to save on gas. I love my mini cooper and if the gas is cheap, I can fill up my tank on about $15! I would recommend anyone buying this car, because I absolutely love mine!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:31 am

      This is a big reason why we don’t think we are ready to get rid of our Subaru yet. It gets over DOUBLE the gas mileage that our Jeep does.

      Reply
      • Andy says

        March 9, 2015 at 1:25 pm

        Yes, gas mileage! That was the biggest drawback for us on only having one vehicle, a diesel guzzling F-250. At best, we only got 13-15 mpg unless we we were towing, when it went down to 10 or less. Now we have a Fusion Hybrid and we’re getting just under 40 mpg! The amazing thing about these cars is that the mileage keeps improving as the engine gets broken in, which doesn’t happen until 12,500 miles and by that point the mpg should be over 40. Our RV gets between 7 and 10 mpg flat towing the fusion, but we’re only driving that from one campground to another, then the hybrid to get around once we get to the next place.

        Reply
        • Michelle S. says

          March 9, 2015 at 3:22 pm

          Sounds like the same situation we are in. Our Jeep gets less than 15 mpg whereas our Subaru gets 36.

          Reply
          • Andy says

            March 9, 2015 at 6:05 pm

            Maybe you should leave the Jeep in the driveway and drive the Subaru more often!

            ;-D

            Reply
            • Michelle S. says

              March 9, 2015 at 6:09 pm

              That’s the plan 🙂

              Reply
  10. Robin @The Thrifty Peach says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:03 am

    I absolutely think you should sell it and try it out. Worst case scenario, it’ll give you another topic to write about here. 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:31 am

      Haha true!

      Reply
  11. Travis @enemyofdebt.com says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:12 am

    My wife and I thought long and hard about downsizing to one car….since I drive her to work everyday so she doesn’t have to worry about parking anyway. But then our son turned 16 and wants to drive places. Two cars it is! 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:32 am

      Haha great reason to have two cars 🙂

      Reply
  12. Christina @ Embracing Simple says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:18 am

    It sounds like there would be a lot more positives for you than negatives! We would probably consider being a one car household if we didn’t have kids. The only reason we still have a second car is that I don’t like being home with the baby for even a few hours without a car to be able to take her to the doctor or to get diapers or something if I needed to. I think most of that might just be that I’m used to the luxury of being able to leave anytime I want to though too….I think I’ve become snobby in that aspect as well 😉 hah! Sad, but true.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:32 am

      I think it’s only normal to want two cars. It does make life a little easier!

      Reply
  13. Elroy says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:27 am

    I think I would rather have my fingernails pulled out than take a road trip in a Jeep Wrangler. So loud!

    If you have the garage space, I’d keep the car, but that is just me.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:33 am

      We’ve decided to keep it.

      And yes, taking a road trip in the Wrangler isn’t the greatest thing ever because of the noise and the bumpiness haha!

      Reply
  14. Chonce says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:31 am

    We currently have one car, and it’s pretty expensive since I commute to work. My bf doesn’t have a car and he either walks, rides the bike, or takes the bus everywhere. His job is literally right around the corner so I do get a bit jealous that all my money is tied up in my car but I should have it paid off this year and the next car we get will be shared. I say if you don’t absolutely need the extra car in your household, get rid of it.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:34 am

      We’ve decided to keep it for now. We decided to look into this again next year though 🙂

      Reply
  15. Nicole Carter (Weasley) says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:52 am

    Well, if it works for you, I would just go down to one car.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:41 am

      We are thinking about it.

      Reply
  16. Gina Horkey says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:57 am

    We used to have 3 cars, but donated one last year. We don’t miss it and could go down to one, but it’s difficult in that our 2nd vehicle is a truck and we do need that to haul stuff from time to time. We’ll probably stay with the two for now, but it’s nice to have the option (all 3 were paid off). I think you should go for it and sell it. You could always buy another one down the road!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:52 am

      We’ve decided to keep it for now and evaluate our situation again next year 🙂

      Reply
  17. Barry @ Moneywehave says

    March 9, 2015 at 9:31 am

    We’re all personal finance bloggers and we love to save money but I’ll say this. If owning the 2nd car is not affecting your budget / savings then you shouldn’t feel guilty about keeping it.

    I strongly believe that if all your bills are paid and tour savings goals are met then it’s okay to spend the rest on whatever you want.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:53 am

      Yes, this is a big reason for why we aren’t sure what we should do. It’s not impacting our budget very much, and it does make life easier.

      Reply
  18. Amy says

    March 9, 2015 at 9:52 am

    We have two cars and really need to, but I would love to be able to get by with one! (Maybe it’s the $240 care service over the weekend that’s making me say this…)

    If you really prefer the convenience of having two cars and can afford it, you should feel free to keep the second car. But if I were in your shoes, I would happily get rid of one.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:53 am

      We’ve decided to keep the second car for now. The gas mileage can’t be beat, and we want to travel with it a lot over the next 6 months. We decided to reevaluate next year 🙂

      Reply
  19. Sarah says

    March 9, 2015 at 9:55 am

    I keep trying to get my husband to let us go down to a one car family. He works nights and I rarely take the kids out after he leaves for work (which is after the dinner hour). He refuses, though, because he’s worried there might be an emergency while he’s at work and I would need the car. However, not once in three years, has that situation come up.

    If you’re unsure, I would give the one car lifestyle a try for a few weeks and see what happens. Pretend you only have the Jeep and take it everywhere. Pretend the other one doesn’t even exist and see what happens. You may find that absolutely nothing has changed or that you needed the other car more than you thought.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:54 am

      This is what we plan on doing. Thanks!

      Reply
  20. MarieMakesCents says

    March 9, 2015 at 10:00 am

    We downsized to one car a little over two years ago and haven’t regretted it. We used to have to drive in totally opposite directions to get to work, but then I got a new job and we were able to commute together, which saved a TON of money.

    It was hard to part with my car because I’d had it since high school! But we ended up donating it to the Salvation Army, so I knew it was going to a good cause.

    Now I’m working from home and my husband takes the car to work. I can walk to the market or the pharmacy if need be, but we’re going to start a family this year so we might have to reevaluate. Hopefully we can continue to make do without!

    You should go for it! Plus, think of all the extra garage space you’ll have!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:55 am

      Thanks Marie!

      Reply
  21. Rust says

    March 9, 2015 at 10:11 am

    We each have one but one sits almost year round. I’ve considered doing the same as you in the interest of savings. Since they are both paid off the savings for us would only be the insurance and inspection costs but even that adds up to a substantial amount. Lots to consider.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:56 am

      Yes, definitely a lot to consider.

      Reply
  22. Brenda says

    March 9, 2015 at 10:12 am

    We have had only one car for 2 1/2 years now. There are times when we wish we had two but most of the time it is not a problem. We do plan to get another one within the next year though as the one we have is a F250 and it is a real gas hog. We would keep the F250 for use for our mini-farm and primarily drive the 2nd vehicle.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:57 am

      This is why we are unsure if we want to get rid of the Subaru. The Jeep gets around 14/15 and sometimes even less per gallon.

      Reply
  23. laurie damrose says

    March 9, 2015 at 10:34 am

    Those re good solid reasons but we need more than one car.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:57 am

      I think we do as well.

      Reply
  24. Victoria@ The British Berliner says

    March 9, 2015 at 10:37 am

    You’ve answered your own question Michelle. If one car is sitting at home, you really don’t need it.
    I live in Berlin, Germany and we don’t have a car at all! My husband used to have this huge German company car and I had a small red English car. We sold them both.
    Public transportation in Berlin is so wonderful and horror of horrors, actually faster! If we’re abroad, we rent a car and when we travel to my husband’s home-town in Osnabrück or mine in Cheshire UK, we do the same. We don’t have the bother of parking, insurance and maintenance.
    It’s worked out beautifully.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:58 am

      Good job Victoria!

      Reply
  25. Carly says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:10 am

    I think it sounds like it makes sense to go with one car! Just on the fact that the other car is just sitting there. I wish we could go to one car, but the guy and I work in different cities, so it just wouldn’t work (it could, but there would be a lot of back and forth picking each other up). We’re hoping to move soon and then we’ll definitely go to one vehicle. It just makes sense!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 11:59 am

      We’ve decided to keep both cars for now, but we will reevaluate next year 🙂

      Reply
  26. Germaine Harrison says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:20 am

    I like having two cars because if one needs repairs I have back up. I do wish that we could all drive electric cars.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 12:00 pm

      Electric cars would be nice. 🙂

      Reply
  27. Michelle S. says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:27 am

    Thanks!

    Reply
  28. Mike Collins says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:35 am

    I wish we could get by with just one car but it just won’t work for us right now. I need my car to drive to work every day and my wife uses the mini-van to take the kids to school and run errands during the day. The good news is they are both paid off so we have no car payments.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 12:00 pm

      Sounds like a great reason to keep both. Nothing wrong with that 🙂

      Reply
  29. Michelle S. says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:57 am

    Thanks AJ!

    Reply
  30. Mrs. Frugalwoods says

    March 9, 2015 at 12:12 pm

    We’ve always had just one car for the two of us and its never been a problem. We do, however, have access to public transit and biking/walking. But, sounds like from what you’re saying you could probably get away with having just one if you wanted to.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:25 pm

      We’ve decided to hold off on this for now. We will need the Subaru in the spring and the summer to get back home a few times, and the gas savings alone will save a ton of money.

      Reply
  31. Mark@BareBudgetGuy says

    March 9, 2015 at 12:35 pm

    No brainer! Ditch the car! We were a one car family up until we had two kids. It was rough, but I took the bus to work when I could, and we just made it work. But if I worked from home, I would definitely consider it.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:26 pm

      Thanks Mark!

      Reply
  32. Dan @ Our Big Fat Wallet says

    March 9, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    We have two cars and use them both, but we went about 5 years with one car. If we had one car that wasn’t being used I’d definitely get rid of it right away, even if it meant selling for an amount much lower than we bought it for. For the odd time both people needed a car you could easily rent one. I just don’t like owning things that cost as much money as a vehicle does 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:27 pm

      Thanks Dan!

      Reply
  33. Fervent Finance says

    March 9, 2015 at 1:33 pm

    Just from the number of pros and lack of cons in your post I can tell this is a no-brainer. Especially since you both work from home. Who wants extra personal property tax, car insurance, car maintenance, etc.? No me! 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:28 pm

      It still feels like such a hard decision!

      Reply
  34. Jackie Jernigan says

    March 9, 2015 at 2:34 pm

    I understand the concept but living in a rural community like I do and both my husband and I work I would feel stranded without a second auto. Hope what ever you choose works for your family.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:28 pm

      Thanks Jackie!

      Reply
  35. Shannon @ Financially Blonde says

    March 9, 2015 at 2:37 pm

    We lived as a one car home for about two years and I LOVED it! There were definitely a few moments that took some thought and planning but because we lived near public transportation options, for the most part we didn’t have too many issues.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:31 pm

      We’ve decided to keep the second car for now. We will come back to this decision next year, we decided.

      Reply
  36. Gary @ SuperSavingTips says

    March 9, 2015 at 2:53 pm

    My wife and I decided last year to become a one car household and it’s worked great for us. Neither of us have work commutes, so like you, our car is used for convenience and pleasure. It does require a slight bit more coordination when it comes to setting appointments and the like, so that we don’t both need the car at the same time in different places. But the savings in money and time have been well worth it. I think you should take the plunge, especially if you have access to a downtown area by bike.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:32 pm

      Thanks Gary!

      Reply
  37. Irina Stiles says

    March 9, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    It all depends on where you live. And the second car can be always given to the NPR.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 3:42 pm

      Thanks Irina!

      Reply
  38. Jayleen @ How Do The Jones Do It says

    March 9, 2015 at 3:45 pm

    When we lived in Iowa, 14 years ago, we got by with one car. If I needed the car, the hubby rode his bike to work. Since then we have always had two cars. I couldn’t imagine not having two cars with kids and a hubby who works 20 minutes away. What a nice situation you are in though! Definitely worth consideration. Sharing a google calendar would help to make sure you don’t overbook appointments, etc. How about a third option … sell them both and purchase a vehicle that fits all of your needs;0) Easier said than done … I love having a ‘grocery getter’ and a truck for yard work (bark loads, etc.).

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 4:01 pm

      Yeah, our plan is to possibly get a four door Jeep next year so that we can all fit more comfortably in one car. For now, the plan is to just keep thinking 🙂

      Reply
  39. Kayla @ Shoeaholicnomore says

    March 9, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    I’m thinking about getting a new(er) car, but my dad wants me to keep the one I currently have instead of trading it in. His reason is because it’ll get better gas mileage for running around town than what I would probably buy. My thinking though is that if I get a new(er) car, I won’t want to drive the old one anymore, I’ll always want to drive the new(er) one. Plus since I’m single I can only drive one car at a time and even though my current car is paid for so I have no monthly payment on it, it would still cost to keep it (maintenance, registration, taxes, etc.).

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 4:43 pm

      Hmmm. I would most likely just keep one car in your situation. Maybe see what cars out there get better gas mileage?

      Reply
  40. Jessa says

    March 9, 2015 at 6:49 pm

    we have 1 car and it works for us. We have had 2 cars once but we rarely used the second car. It didn’t make sense to me. We both work outside the home and we just talk about week on Sunday to balance who needs the car or not. Most of the time I don’t.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 7:28 pm

      Wow great job!

      Reply
  41. Chelsea @ Broke Girl Gets Rich says

    March 9, 2015 at 7:56 pm

    I sold my car a year and a half ago… so I’m technically in a no-car household.

    Honestly, it’s one of the best decisions I ever made – I eliminated a great chunk of expenses (even though I didn’t have any more payments on it), and I used the money to start an emergency fund.

    To be honest, I don’t even miss it and I use a bicycle or public transport to get around for much cheaper than I did before.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 8:59 pm

      Good job Chelsea!

      Reply
  42. Mrs. Pop @ Planting Our Pennies says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:07 pm

    It’s been about a year since we declared ourselves a 1-car family, but the car we sold was our Jeep Wrangler since the gas mileage on it was just terrible and Mr PoP has a long daily commute. Instead we kept our 2-seater convertible. We rent the home depot truck when we need a quick errand that won’t fit in the tiny trunk ($20!) and can rent a car if we have guests that don’t bring their own car and need to seat more. (So far they all have. Road trips FTW!)
    Honestly, being a 1 car household is awesome. We’ve never regretted it for a second.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:00 pm

      Great to hear! 🙂

      Reply
  43. Gen Y Finance Guy says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:12 pm

    I have thought of doing the same, but for those few inconveniences I hesitate.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:01 pm

      Same here 🙂

      Reply
  44. Pamela Gurganus says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:14 pm

    My husband and I have one car and have now for a long time. When I was working, we worked opposite shifts, so sharing a car was easy. I’m now a stay-at-home wife, so we’ve no need for a second car. My husband currently works the midnight shift, so if I need the car during the day, it’s not a problem. And if for some reason I would ever need it while he was working, I could always just drive him to work and pick him up. Our monthly car expenses are around $500. That’s car payment, insurance, maintenance, gas, etc.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:01 pm

      Good job Pamela!

      Reply
  45. nicole dziedzic says

    March 9, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    We could never be a one car family right now with are schedule, we have two cars and have for the longest, we do pretty good on expenses for both cars as well.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:58 pm

      Yeah, it’s not possible for everyone. I’m not sure if we are ready just yet.

      Reply
  46. Kim says

    March 9, 2015 at 10:12 pm

    Jeeps are great for 4×4 roads,but I’d hate to take one on a road trip. Is it at least a hard top? I think you could totally get away with one car, but I’m sure you’d miss having two for some things. Fruita isn’t exactly the mecca of good public transport!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 9, 2015 at 10:25 pm

      Yes, it’s a hard top. For now, we’ve decided to keep both cars.

      Reply
  47. Adam @ AdamChudy.com says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:47 pm

    I would love to get down to 1 car, but we both drive too far for work. Something to look forward to in the future.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 10, 2015 at 12:35 am

      Hope you can try it out one day 🙂

      Reply
  48. Michelle S. says

    March 10, 2015 at 12:36 am

    I haven’t looked, but we live in a very small town now so I don’t think that would be possible.

    Reply
  49. Ben Luthi says

    March 10, 2015 at 12:54 am

    Now that I’m working from home, I don’t really see a reason to have two cars. Fortunately for us, we own one outright and we should have the other paid off in the next few months. I wouldn’t want to have to make this decision if we still owed thousands on both.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 12, 2015 at 3:50 pm

      Both of our cars are worth much more than the loans we have on them, so we could actually make some money by getting rid of one.

      Reply
  50. Ana Lara says

    March 10, 2015 at 2:09 pm

    I would prefer to have just one car! Why? The savings that you are talking are very significant to keep in mind. Have you ever thought about using bicycle as means of transport? (Obviously, not in winter!)

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 12, 2015 at 3:51 pm

      Yes we have. I talked about how a bike would be perfect in this post 🙂

      Reply
  51. Anita Duvall says

    March 10, 2015 at 2:49 pm

    You sound a lot like me. During a recent and rare snow storm here in Arkansas, my husband was driving my trailblazer and the transmission went out. This would cost about $1500 to fix. The car is paid for and I only carry liability insurance on it, but I might drive 200 miles a month. My husband has a car and a truck for work, and my live at home 23 year old has a car. I really can’t see putting that much money into a used vehicle when I don’t drive that much. I feel your pain!!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 12, 2015 at 3:52 pm

      You should think about getting rid of one 🙂

      Reply
  52. Michelle L says

    March 10, 2015 at 2:51 pm

    Its about convienience nowadays.

    Reply
  53. Jessica says

    March 10, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    We sold my car when we moved and have been a one car family for almost 4 years now. Sometimes it’s a pain, but usually it works out well. The best part is the savings. It certainly makes any coordination required about using the car well worth the effort.

    Reply
  54. stephanir says

    March 10, 2015 at 8:40 pm

    my husband and I shared for a while. The cost of sharing and driving to both places of employment was worth the hassle to not have that extra output of money each month. Now we have two cars and one car payment. I’d ditch one of your cars. It sounds like you could easily function with just one.

    Reply
  55. Crystal says

    March 11, 2015 at 12:33 pm

    We live in a suburb area outside of Houston, TX. We could bike to restaurants and grocery stores, but that’s about it. My husband officiates high school football and softball. I am a professional pet sitter. We both work from home for my online business, but we both also drive more than 12,000 miles a year at different times. We don’t even have the option of being a 1 car couple…it just wouldn’t work at all. But it sounds like you may be in the perfect position for it! 🙂

    Reply
  56. Andrea Stenberg says

    March 11, 2015 at 9:05 pm

    We’ve been a one-car family for several years now. We both work from home so it seems wasteful to have two cars sitting in the driveway everyday. One thing that makes it easier to be a one-car family is having my parents nearby. I often have meetings early in the morning and if we can’t quite juggle our schedules my mom drives my son to school, or we borrow her car for the morning so she doesn’t have to get up.

    Having one car also means I end up walking more than I would if we had two cars, but that’s a good thing! Working from home means I have to work extra hard at getting exercise.

    Reply
  57. Liz says

    March 12, 2015 at 3:46 pm

    Yeah for sure I definitely feel your pros and cons. Our secondary car is payed off and I have actually thought of selling it to kind of just get rid of unnecessary access. I’m not going to lie though we both love the convenience of him being able to get to and from work on his on and not having to wake up the baby.

    Reply
  58. Sandra Watts says

    March 12, 2015 at 5:23 pm

    My husband and I share one vehicle. He works, I don’t, so we don’t tend to have any problems. If I need it for anything he hops a ride with a friend. Saves us a lot of money too.

    Reply
  59. Jack Mabry says

    March 13, 2015 at 7:47 pm

    Since it doesn’t sound like you have much of a need for either vehicle, why not go whole hog, and sell both of them. You could always rent a vehicle to go camping with, and walk or bike into town. I haven’t had a vehicle in over 5 years, and it is such a joy not to have to put up with the crap that goes along with owning a vehicle. And, I get a lot more exercise than I used to.

    Reply
  60. Ronald Gagnon says

    April 26, 2015 at 3:53 am

    I am a single man of 63 who kept a newer car and a newer truck…the insurance alone, and the upkeep maintenance was running more than I could afford, so I sold the car and immedeitly saw the pleasent
    effect it had on my monthly income…so your story rings so true to me..thank you

    Reply
  61. Bea says

    October 14, 2015 at 9:52 am

    We were a one car family for 6 years, and quite frankly I wish we could have continued with just one car. We moved to Chicago for my husband’s graduate studies in 2007 and everything was walking distance, plus we would be living off our savings. We bought a cheap used car since I was pregnant with our first child and thought it best to have one car for paediatrician appointments, grocery shopping, etc. My husband walked to the university (7 minute walk). During his summer internship he car pooled with coworkers and took our car a couple of times a week. I didn’t need it every day so it wasn’t an issue and I could just take a cab if I needed to go somewhere. After graduating he took a job in a consulting firm and we moved to a city with awful public transportation and not walkable at all, but he traveled for work every week so we continued with just one car (a small SUV). On the days when he did work in the city he took a cab (and more recently Uber), it was way cheaper than paying for a second car that would just sit in the garage for 80% of the year. On a couple of occasions we rented a car.
    In 2013 he switched jobs and we got a car for him since he commutes daily and I need another car for driving kids to school, after school activities, etc. I’m still in shock every time I have to pay for two car insurances, 2 registrations, double the maintenance costs, double gas. I long to move back to a city where we can be less car dependent. Frankly not having a car and having good public transportation and a walkable neighbourhood is liberating.
    If you plan to start a family soon I would recommend keeping the most family friendly car; but truly, living with one car when you very rarely need 2 at the same time, is not hard at all. There’s so many options: public transportation, renting when needed, taxis, users, biking…

    Reply
  62. Timothy Carter says

    September 26, 2016 at 10:01 pm

    My fiance and I are currently in the same boat. She hardly ever drives, and the past 2 years that we’ve been together we mainly have shared 1 vehicle. Seems like an unnecessary expense at this point (even though both cars are paid off). We are in the process of moving to Florida and are going to be pretty close to the beach and conveniences, so more than likely we can walk or bike most of the time, saving us money.

    Good Luck on your decision

    Reply

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