Can we stay a one car family?
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Anonymous
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We had two cars but just before COVID got into an accident and totaled one of them. We never replaced it because there was nowhere to drive. We were discussing the other day whether we should buy another car with school starting and some return to the office planned. I really don't want to because I have enjoyed the simplicity and savings of having only one car, though we can afford to have two. Here is our situation:
-I will be working at home indefinitely -Spouse will be working from home 2-3 days/wk and 2/3 days in office that is 30 minute commute -Kids both go to the same school -We are in the suburbs near the end of a metro line, not really close to a bus route but there is Lyft and Uber I think it would require some planning but would be doable. The only hiccups I could see would be that if a kid has to come from school early because they are sick, etc. on a day my spouse was in the office, my spouse would have to leave work and bring them home since I would be home without a car. I also worry what would happen if the car broke down. But these seem like not good enough reasons to spend money on a second car. The reality is that with one person working at home everyday and the other working from home half time, a second car would really not be used most days. Thoughts? |
Anonymous
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Stay with one car.
You can Uber or rent a car as needed. |
Anonymous
| Why does your husband drive to work if you live near the metro? Can you not walk to your kids school? |
Anonymous
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Now is the worst time to buy a car. Supply is so limited.
See how the fall goes with one car and if you really feel you need a second, get one then |
Anonymous
| We had one car up until last week and on the rare occasions some hiccup happened, like it was in the shop longer than expected, we just used an Uber. At first I thought it was weird to take DD to the ice rink in an Uber but I don’t know why I thought that, it was fine. |
Anonymous
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Are you near any zippers? An annual membership with pay as you use pricing is a lot cheaper than a 2nd car if you will only very occasionally need a 2nd car.
You could also uber/lyft to get a sick kid. |
Anonymous
Zip cars. Not zippers! |
Anonymous
Silly comment. Office is likely not near a Metro stop even is the house is |
Anonymous
| How often do you really have to pick up a sick kid from elementary school? This seems like a really rare event. Either spouse with car gets them or you use Uber. |
Anonymous
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How old are the kids? I know a family that bought an electric assist bike with a lot of storage instead of a second car and it works great. They can do grocery runs on it no problem, and the spouse who is WFH can use it to get around locally while the commuting spouse has the car during the day.
But their kids are little and can both ride on the bike. I don't know what their plan is for when the kids outgrow the bike seats. I think their school is close so they'll probably walk or bike to school, though I guess that doesn't solve the issue of if one of your kids are sick. Though how often does that happen? It seems like doing an Uber in that rare event wouldn't be a big deal. Electric assist bikes are very pricy for bikes but much cheaper than cars, and don't have to be insured in the same way. Plus easier to store and much better for the environment. I had never really considered one before but now we are considering a move to the suburbs from the city and one of my top issues is that I don't want to get a second car. So now we're exploring this option. |
Anonymous
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Not like you have to commit to it. Try it and see how it goes. We are 4 drivers sharing 2 cars this summer. It takes some cordination but it has been ok. I will be happier with the flexibility to have my own car again when the kids go back to college but it was not worth buying a new car.
If you get to the point where you are not able to live the life you want...buy another car. Until then enjoy the savings. |
Anonymous
I was going to suggest something similar. We were a one car family with our second car being a cargo bike (until our third kid was born with a disability and doesn’t walk and needs lots of equipment). If we still just had our able-bodied kids, I think we could still do it, especially as the abled kids now ride their own bikes short distances (and sit in the cargo bike for longer distances). We know lots of families in the cargo bike community doing something similar. (Probably 50/50 between bikes with and without e-assist). |
Anonymous
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We have one personal car right now. I work from home and my husband has a work car. So our issues all happen on the weekends, since he can’t use the work car for non-work purposes. If he didn’t have a work car, I wouldn’t really love being home without a car—but we’re not near a metro.
I also don’t love juggling cars on the weekend, but we’re managing. We’ll likely get a second car when prices normalize. Until then I think you should just see how it goes. You’ll know pretty quickly if it’s a PItA on a daily basis. For sick kids—do you have a SAH/WAH/retired neighbor who has a car you could bum? I wouldn’t want to put a contagious or barfing kid in the car with an Uber driver. |
Anonymous
It’s a question, not a comment. Was looking for an actual answer to help OP brainstorm not for conjecture about location of office. |
Anonymous
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We have two kids, 14yo and 11yo, and have never had more than one car. We are also in the burbs. It has been fine. There are occasional inconveniences, and we tend to spend quite a bit on Uber, but not nearly as much as a second car and insurance would cost.
We walk a lot, and rely a lot on carpooling. |