Comments on: 9 Big Reasons Why You Should Choose To Live Without a Car

By: Car-Free Living Tips – tips, resources, & encouragement for low-footprint living

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 23:12:06 +0000

[…] 9 Big Reasons Why You Should Choose To Live Without a Car (The Frugal Gene). Cost, safety, no more parking hassle, […]

By: Daniel Soosay

Daniel Soosay — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 19:31:50 +0000

Writing this in 4th Jan 2020. I have been carless for 1 year and 2 months.
This was made possible when I moved to Munich, Germany and living in the city center.
Getting around is great due to the extensive public transport ranging from Train, Underground Train, Tram and Bus. Cycling is another option as the infrastructure is good.
The option not to have a car is helpful in a way as driving in Munich can be hectic with less places to park and traffic on certain places can get worse. Best part is Im able to save more, exercise more by cycling and walking, while having a great peace of mind.
…….And from the country I came from , Malaysia, ( specifically Melaka, the state I was living )I will be crippled without a car as all the above mentioned goodness on public transport is great..far from it.
Guess one can make a choice if there is a good infrastructure around,

By: Judy Frisk

Judy Frisk — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 01:26:19 +0000

I totally agree with you and I didn’t ever hate driving. I spent a lifetime on the Los Angeles freeways 2-4 hours per day in bumper to bumper traffic literally calculating what portion of my life I was losing, just sitting on the freeway at 0-10 miles per hour. Then 6+ years ago I had a reason to move to New York City for 5.5 years. The day I sold my car felt like a heavy burden had lifted. It felt totally freeing, and I moved to NYC. The lifestyle there felt like home to me in spite of being a SoCA native -no one drives there, you take walk, take public transportation or cab, Uber or Lyft. I mostly did the first 2, actually feeling repelled by sitting in a car.

Upon return to Los Angeles, I decided to try it without a car. Driving and car ownership no longer had any appeal… and I dreaded the idea of always trying to figure out “where to put this hunk of metal” (meaning, “park it”) anytime I went anywhere. I ordered my TAP Metro Pass before I even moved across country. When I arrived and told people I wasn’t planning to buy a car they generally said I was crazy…after all it IS Los Angeles.

I’ve been back in LA for 9+ months, taking the bus or Lyft, it’s easy and feels free. I’m a senior so my Metro pass is only $20/mo. I use Lyft a few times per month, mostly if I’m taking my 2 little dogs somewhere, as they’re not allowed on public transportation.. Even if I were to use Lyft/Uber more often, my bills would never approach that of car ownership.

I think the secret to making it successful is understanding how (and also why) to live locally, as much as possible.There are many ecological reasons for living locally and taking public transportation, and truthfully, my daughters and I were doing this since the late 90s when we all owned cars. At that time, I took the LA Subway to work as soon as it opened, one of my daughters rode a bike to work and we could sometimes go months without needing to drive.

I encourage anyone to try it if you’re at all tired of driving or dealing with a car. It does require a mind shift, but at least in my opinion, it’s a shift that feels liberating, and you’re also helping our poor planet. Thanks for this article!

By: Dakoda

Dakoda — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 04:28:08 +0000

Wow..
I’ve been car free over a year now. Extremely liberating. I literally moved to seattle in September 2018 due to no car and a plethora of jobs n the gig economy. I love my life. No more sweat paying 600+ a month on car payments, insurance, and gas. I can eat much more yummy food, and take lyft quite often

By: Wanna Save a Ton of Money, Become a Paid Tourist, and Strengthen Your Marriage? Drive a Semi. | Diamonds N' Denim

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 03:16:31 +0000

[…] Lily, at The Frugal Gene, estimates that going totally sans car saves about $500 a month. […]

By: Steven

Steven — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 03:05:30 +0000

In reply to Lily. Transfers are the worst. That's why I don't do them anymore. I have an ebike which boosts my speed somewhat, so I ride it to the most efficient spot to catch the light rail and take my bike on (when I am not riding my bike the whole way). Saves like 20 min or more vs only taking public transit.

By: Lily

Lily — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 19:44:49 +0000

In reply to Mr. MFC | Morning Fresh Cent. Haha is your wife more spendy? Or you're just too strict xD! Hiii! It's decent living car free in Seattle. It's not easy but not impossible.

By: Lily

Lily — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 12:51:11 +0000

In reply to Scott at Making Momentum. Yesssss so glad it looks to be we made the cut off for kids and driverless cars. I didn't want to be a SUV owning, parking anxious mom. And you fancy! A company car really!?