<< Back to all Blogs
Login or Create your own free blog
Layout:
Home > Post #2 today. Going carless?

Post #2 today. Going carless?

September 4th, 2007 at 11:19 pm

More on the car. First post over

Text is here and Link is http://gaspingforbreathe.savingadvice.com/2007/09/04/my-recent-car-woes_29944/
here.

The options for rebuilding/replacing the engine are $2200 to rebuild or $1900 to replace with a good used engine.

So I'm not going to do either, the car's barely worth $2000.

I could start saving like a crazy person and buy another car in a few months when I have a good chunk of change. Or...I could go car-less and buy a bike. I'm really not sure which way I'm leaning towards. Right now I'm doing more of the not taking my car on long distances (meaning this weekend's roadtrip will be in my friends car instead of mine) and making sure there's plenty of oil on hand.

I only live a mile from work right now. This other job is a little further but I'd take mass transit anyway, or carpool with my roommate.

Hmm.

Posted in Spending, Saving | 5 Comments »

5 Responses to “Post #2 today. Going carless?”

  1. monkeymama Says:
    September 5th, 2007 at 12:09 am 1188950941
    1188950941

    That's a bummer. Frown
    My 1st car needed a new engine around the same mileage (Toyota). But it was polite enough to die on me a couple of months after college, well into my after college, well-paying job. I financed $5k for 6 months or so until I Could pay it off. Maybe in this case it is worth financing for a short period (if you can). IF it had died earlier lord knows what I Would have done. Financed leaner and longer I guess. With 3 job locations and classes and everything mass transit really wouldn't have cut it very well. Though you make do.

    But yeah I never dreamed I Would be so emotional to give up my old clunker for a much fancier car. I was really attached to it after driving it 7 years.

    Sounds like carless wouldn't be so bad?

  2. Amber Says:
    September 5th, 2007 at 02:45 am 1188960355
    1188960355

    Sorry to hear about your car, good luck with what ever you decide. The car my dad gave me needed a transmission the car was worth maybe $900 but it cost me $1300 and I was glad I did it, it lasted almost 3.5 years so I figured it was less than a car payment

  3. LuckyRobin Says:
    September 5th, 2007 at 04:59 am 1188968386
    1188968386

    I think I'd still think about the new engine a little harder. My first car, an old 76 Chevy Nova, made it to 400,000 miles with a second engine and I still see it out on the road today. If for all other intents and purposes it remains a good car, I'd say it was worth condidering it for a week or so. Even if you have to save up the money while feeding it oil for a few months.

  4. baselle Says:
    September 5th, 2007 at 05:02 am 1188968562
    1188968562

    Sorry to hear about the car. Going carless isn't bad. I've been carless for 7 years in Seattle, but I'm cheating a bit... DH has a car. I really enjoyed Portland when I was there 2 years ago ... my first thought there was that going carless would be even easier in Portland than it is in Seattle. Is there something like a Flexcar in Portland?

    The only times that I really miss a car is late at night or having to lug heavy objects.

    There are some advantages in not having a car. You become more attuned to public transit rather than parking or the cheapest gas station; you'll be the one asking for rides rather than your friends; you'll know who your friends really are; you save a boodle of money; the few times you do drive, its a genuine novel treat

  5. ldyfaile Says:
    September 5th, 2007 at 08:24 am 1188980669
    1188980669

    Baselle: Yes we have FlexCar in Portland. Matter of fact I was surprised to see it in Seattle then remembered it wasn't just something Portland had Smile
    It is something I'm still considering. I wouldn't just totally ditch the car just basically run it into the ground.

    I'm not entirely certain what I'm going to do. In the meantime, I'll just keep feeding it oil and perhaps start setting money aside. Either way I'd need to save up for it, whether it was to get another vehicle or to replace the engine.

    I have been thinking about going carless for a while now. And I do have a roommate that has a vehicle.

    But I do enjoy having the luxury of a running car too.

Leave a Reply

(Note: If you were logged in, we could automatically fill in these fields for you.)
*
Will not be published.
   

* Please spell out the number 4.  [ Why? ]

vB Code: You can use these tags: [b] [i] [u] [url] [email]