advertisement
- mr. stinky feet - Profile | Pictures | Blog
-
This week marks six months as a one-vehicle family. That may not sound like a big deal to those who have always been a one-car or no-car family, but for us mass-transit-challenged suburban-dwellers, it was a minor leap of faith.
Like many families, we’ve been trying to find ways to balance our tenuous and unpredictable budget. Desperate times call for desperate measures. So, in January, when business was frighteningly slow, and we were faced with a new CD recording project, we decided to sell one of our cars. It was a diesel VW Jetta that I had converted to run on vegetable oil – my attempt at softening our family’s carbon footprint. I was proud of that car, and, I suppose, that’s why it was so hard to let it go.
But as soon as the new owners drove the Jetta out of the driveway, I felt a huge weight lifted. One less thing to worry about and maintain. One less thing to license and insure. One less thing to fuel. One less thing – period. Simplifying is so freeing! I had no idea. And talk about greening up our carbon footprint!
Preparing to let go of that car was a lot more difficult than actually letting it go. We worked ourselves into an anxious frenzy. How would we make it with just the van? What happens when it needs to be repaired? What if there were an emergency?
Since we work from home and spend almost all of our time together, it makes sense for us. And it’s been easier than we expected. I’m blessed by in-laws who lend us one of their cars in a pinch. We actually plan our days and weeks more efficiently. We walk more. We spend more time on our bikes. (My sister gave us a bicycle trailer that is made for taking the kids on a ride, but is ideal for trips to the grocery store and post office.) And when I can get a ride to the bus-stop, I take the Metro.
Summer is our busy touring season, and, now that the girls are a bit more involved in activities, sometimes they can’t travel with me. So this month I had to rent a car for the first time since January. It was $350 for two weeks – which is about the same as a monthly car payment or about a half-year of insurance. Not bad, considering we don’t have to do it often.
We’re getting used to a slower, simpler life. And we’re getting used to giving away things we don’t use. It feels so great to purge.
What are you doing to cut corners and balance your budget?
If I lived closer to town I would love not having to use the car all the time. It's sort of a hassle trying to find safe, well=lit, legal, and spacious parking. My family in Norway only use their cars for long out of town trips, like many others. The mass transit, bikes, and plain old walking was the main modes for everyday tasks. I think it's another reason why European Nations citizens have much lower obesiety problems than the US.We couldn't do without two cars, DH has a very long commute. I think it's neat that you and your wife get to work so closely together and that your girls can be part of it too.I wish the bus system did a better job of bussing to the suburbs..I would definetely dig taking the bus to work.Wow-- impressive! My husband and I are purging, too, but it's more toys, art supplies, etc. Not ready for the 2nd car to go yet as we have pretty non-existent public trans here in Lee's Summit. We lived a short time in Salt Lake City and the light rail was amazing! Cars are a lot of pressure for us. Maybe some day we'll be able to try one car. For now, we'll purge the baby bed!
May 2013 Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Tagslove (5)
travel (4)
jiggle jam (3)
memories (3)
music (3)
tragedy (3)
violence (3)
balance (2)
baseball (2)
books (2)
budget (2)
cancer (2)
dolls (2)
drama (2)
fear (2)
food (2)
halloween (2)
health insurance (2)
holidays (2)
kansas city (2)
marriage (2)
parenting (2)
reading (2)
respect (2)
road trips (2)
small business (2)
thanksgiving (2)
vegetarian (2)
volunteering (2)
aging (1)
allowance (1)
anniversaries (1)
arts (1)
attitude (1)
bacon (1)
baking (1)
baskets (1)
beauty and the beast (1)
being wrong (1)
big sisters (1)
bongo barry (1)
brady bunch (1)
bullies (1)
bullying (1)
bus (1)
challenges (1)
change (1)
childlike spirit (1)
christmas (1)
co-dependency (1)
concerts (1)
consumerism (1)
costume (1)
creativity (1)
cuddling (1)
curious george (1)
dads (1)
dancing (1)
decorations (1)
diapers (1)
diet (1)
discipline (1)
disney (1)
don harman (1)
donations (1)
dreams (1)
drums (1)
easter (1)
education (1)
emotions (1)
expectations (1)
family attractions (1)
family business (1)
family festival (1)
family fun (1)
family meals (1)
fatherhood (1)
fruit (1)
grace (1)
gratitude (1)
greatest day (1)
grief (1)
hallmark (1)
happy bottoms (1)
health care (1)
healthy choices (1)
healthy meals (1)
home (1)
home school (1)
hospital (1)
humbug (1)
imagination (1)
inspiration (1)
judgement (1)
kansas (1)
kauffman center arts (1)
kids music (1)
laughter (1)
mayans (1)
miracles (1)
moderation (1)
money saving (1)
neighbors (1)
new job (1)
normal family (1)
nutrition (1)
older parents (1)
one direction (1)
parenthood (1)
paul mccartney (1)
peace (1)
phases (1)
picky eaters (1)
playground (1)
pop culture (1)
poverty (1)
pride (1)
promises (1)
quiet time (1)
relationships (1)
resolutions (1)
rest (1)
rituals (1)
road trip (1)
sanity (1)
saving (1)
school lunch (1)
self image (1)
service (1)
sharing (1)
shopping (1)
simplify (1)
sleeping (1)
snow day (1)
social media (1)
social norms (1)
solitude (1)
souvenir (1)
souvenirs (1)
special needs (1)
spring (1)
spring break (1)
springtime (1)
stress (1)
suffrage (1)
sugar (1)
super heroes (1)
sweets (1)
taking risks (1)
teachers (1)
television (1)
tolerance (1)
toy story (1)
truth (1)
tsunami (1)
tv (1)
vacation (1)
voting (1)
work life balance (1)
worry (1)