From Two to One: Our Journey to Becoming a One-Car Family

It all started with a simple question from my wife, Tatiana: "Does my Suzuki Aereo have a tilt wheel, front-wheel drive, and alloy rims?" That's when I knew she was finally getting ready to publish an ad on Craigslist to sell the car. Little did we know, this decision would lead us on a journey of financial growth and lifestyle simplification. The Suzuki's Swan Song For over a year, our trusty Suzuki had been more of a driveway ornament than a vehicle. After moving closer to work, our daily commute became a carpool affair, leaving the Suzuki lonely and underused. We'd kept it around for those "just in case" moments, but deep down, we knew it was time to let go. Tatiana took charge of the selling process, crafting a detailed Craigsl

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Mr Crazy Kicks

8 years ago

Nice job! We did consider going down to a single car, but do not have as convenient of a public transportation option. Our cars are cheap enough, and do not require much maintenance. But one day it would be nice to eliminate the hassle and costs of 2 cars.

Admin

Jose

Reply to Mr Crazy Kicks

Thanks Mr. Crazy Kicks. It is definitely harder to accomplish without convenient public transportation around. In our case, working in the same place and also having the option to take a shuttle to work, two blocks away from home, makes it a tough argument to keep two cars parked on the driveway.
Even though the cost were low for us as well since the car was old, the small savings start to add up. It felt really nice to pay insurance and registration for one car this year. Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Zipcar can also be a great back-up alternative for a second ride when necessary.

Reply to Karen

Yes, I heard they’re a great option. We’ll keep it in mind. Thanks for the suggestion.

We’ve been a one car home for 9 months now and love it! I’m glad you guys did it. In our calculations it was costing us about $4K excluding gas costs to run a second year. When we get frustrated about planning how to share the car, we remind ourselves how much we are saving by not having it. It makes an $8 uber here and there much more palatable 🙂

We saved the sale proceeds for a down payment down the road, and are putting away those annual savings in a Roth!

Reply to LM

Those are huge savings that add up over time. Even if you need to rent a car for a few days out of the year you still come out ahead. Keep the savings coming!