posted
Has anyone lived without a car? What was it like? Why did you go without one? How did it affect your day-to-day living? Did it have a big impact on your social life?
After nearly two years of unemployment and a low-paying job, my finances are shot to hell, and it looks like I will have to do something drastic in order to get myself back on track. So yes, I am thinking of selling my car, which would get rid of a major debt. The drawback is that I'd then have to rely on public transportation for everything. But most of my social life is online, anyway, and I take public transportation to the job. Also, within a mile of my house there is a Walgreens, several convenience stores, a grocery store, six fast food places, two restaurants, and a Blockbuster. So there are many, many resources within walking distance. I am also a block away from a major bus route, which also takes me right to the "L", so my access to public trans is pretty darn good.
So, thoughts? Is it worth it to sell my car so I can get my finances back on track?
posted
I lived 99% without a car for a couple years in Boston (my new job is in the burbs, so I need my car). I only used my car on weekend jaunts, and went 5-6 months at one point without driving a car at all. It sounds like you've got a decent base area.
I found no real inconvenience, but this only works in cities with decent public transport.
posted
I have no car. I don't think I can get a better job without one because all the places that are hiring are very far from me and there is only the lousy commuter rail for transportation... Sucks... Can't get a car without a better job. Can't get a better job without a car.
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My car was out of registration for a while and I took my three kids on the bus a few times. It was awesome. And we stayed home more often than normally we would.
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posted
It's a thought. Given your location, it sounds like it would be possible to get by without a car without *too* much inconvenience.
If I recall correctly, don't you also have a collection of daggers or something that's worth a fair amount? Now might be the time to put them up for sale on EBay.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Yes, I have two daggers from the Franklin Mint. However, I paid over $200 for EACH of them, and they are only fetching about $60 on eBay. So I don't think it would be worth it to sell them. $120 ain't gonna help much.
The public transportation in Chicago is pretty decent. And yeah, I'm pretty much a homebody anyway. The one place I was going out to often is GameWorks so I could play Dance Dance Revolution, and I have the home version anyway. If I really want to play DDR at an arcade, I could walk to Dave&Busters after work (a bit of a hike, but not undoable; I've done it before from this area). There is also a movie theater really close by to work, so if I want to go see a flick I can go after work. And the "L" runs pretty late.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I have lived without a house and lived IN my car for awhile -- back in my 20's. Times were tough then. Guess I would have been considered a street person except I had the car to sleep in.
...of course I wouldn't have had that if the bank had been able to find me.
But no, I haven't been without a car. However, I have had many friends over the years who have not had one for one reason or another. If you live in a city that is not too bad -- there is public transit. I hear in Washington D.C. it doesn't even make sense to own a car because there is no place to park it (and places like NYC).
I think it can be done -- maybe if you just think of it as temporary. Cars are a huge financial drain; with payments, insurance, tags, taxes, maintenance. That's why my kids don't have cars yet -- it is like burning money.
posted
Oh. Somehow I'd had the impression that the daggers were worth many times that. I'd been thinking that you'd be able to get thousands of dollars from their sale. So...nevermind that suggestion.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
Hrm. So I had a friend live in hyde park. I think that she had no problem without her car. In some ways cars are such an inconvience. I personally would be perfectly happy to live without one if it wasn't for the fact that I tend to make long distance drives.
The only thing to consider is if you were to get a computer job somewhere in the suburbs. That might limit your options. *shrug*
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
I lived without a car for five years while at university. It wasn't too bad, but I had roommates with cars that would take me grocery shopping with them.
The only problem was that I couldn't date girls that expected to be picked up. But now that I think about it, that was probably a bonus.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
I don't even have a license, let alone a car. When I lived in the country my bike could take me wherever I needed to go and now that I'm in a city I can walk/public transport myself around. I buy groceries more than some because there's a limit to how much I can carry, but that's no big deal.
It's funny how people who drive make a big deal of my taking an hour to walk here or there. You just kind of get used to it. And riding/waiting for the bus can be spent reading. You'd probably use that time to read anyway, so it's no big loss.
Sure there are times when a car would be handy, but those are so few and far between that I've barely ever thought about having a car. The only reason I kind of want a license is so I don't have to bring my passport whenever I need photo id Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
I've never been without a car in the US. I'm not sure how feasible it would be here in Columbus. We have public transportation, but I haven't used it much. The schedules aren't very convenient, for one thing.
When I was teaching English in the Czech Republic, I didn't have a car, but public transportation was very reasonable and accessible. My apartment was about a 10-minute walk to the tramline, so it was definitely good for keeping in shape.
Posts: 159 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
I'm currently living without a car. Not having to make car payments, insurance payments, or buy gas or repairs is very nice. I can take the bus to the big grocery store almost any time, or the trolley (really a bus) to the smaller grocery store on Saturdays. The mall and the first-run theater are a 15-20 minute walk away, but the trolley also runs there if I don't want to walk in the rain, snow, or extreme heat. And work is a 10-minute walk from home.
Of course, having an apartment in such a prime spot is expensive. Less expensive than owning and maintaining a car, though, by far.
What I really miss is being able to just pick up and go to the beach whenever I want to. And being able to go to outlets or just places like Walmart without getting a ride from someone.
Of course, now that I'm turning 25, renting a car should be a lot easier, so perhaps some of those issues will become less important.
I wouldn't try being car-less in, say, Southern California, though.
Posts: 188 | Registered: Dec 2002
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quote:I have lived without a house and lived IN my car for awhile -- back in my 20's. Times were tough then.
*hugs* I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I bet it's made you a stronger person. I know I have gotten a lot tougher over the past two years. I'm currently doing without anti-depressents, and except for a few noisy crying sessions I seem to be doing just fine. But yes, times are tough, now. I had my phone turned off for a few days, and visited a food pantry a week before I found my job. But hey, I am taking care of myself and doing what needs to be done, and that is all that matters.
quote:It's funny how people who drive make a big deal of my taking an hour to walk here or there.
Heh. I once walked nonstop for eight hours and forty-five minutes in the cold windy rain of Dublin, so an hour is nothing, man. Though I'm quite out a shape compared to how I was then, but still, I should quickly get used to walking for long periods of time again.
And yeah, it is the groceries that most worry me. But I think my parents have my great-aunt's old folding shopping cart, so I could use that. And if not, I figure I'd bring my backpack along and put the heaviest items in there.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I was without one for most of my time at university. I rode my bike or walked to and from classes, but if it rained or was very hot it didn't matter if I showed up drenched. Some jobs that require you to look all professional and stuff, in a suit with makeup and hair fixed, might make this solution unworkeable
The only things that were difficult were doing laundry at the laundramat (carrying clothes back and forth), going to doctor appointments (too far to walk) and such, and going to the grocery store 8 blocks away. (I could only really carry a single bag of groceries that far.) Some sort of wheeled cart would have fixed the groceries problem and probably the laundry as well. I hated having to rely on friends on a permanent basis for things like doctor visits. I think all such arrangements should be mutual in some way over time, so that I'm not mooching. But I never found a good way to handle that.
But walking half an hour or an hour each way to something became no problem. Particularly as there were sidewalks in my college town, unlike here. Yay for sidewalks! I wish more places had them. Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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posted
I was without a car for several weeks once...the poor thing died on me. I had to take the taxi to work every day and have my brother or my parents pick me up at the end of the day. Fortunatly it wasn't too far...about 6 miles or so, but $15 bucks a day for several weeks ate up my reasources.
Posts: 4953 | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote: I wouldn't try being car-less in, say, Southern California, though.
*raises hand* I did.
Now, that's a slight exaggeration, in that my then-spouse had a car that I used every once in a while. But since he had a job that involved going from client to client, it was mostly me and the MTA. For over four years, I took the bus to and from UCLA, grocery shopping, and for part of that time I was also working. I even had a kid in tow for lots of it.
So it is doable, and if it will make a big difference to your long-term financial health, go for it. (((((xnera)))))
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:But yes, times are tough, now. I had my phone turned off for a few days, and visited a food pantry a week before I found my job. But hey, I am taking care of myself and doing what needs to be done, and that is all that matters.
Does that mean you have a new job? I want to cheer for you but don't know if I'm interpreting that correctly. As far as grocery shopping. If you need a lot of stuff at once, I do have a car, and if you could take the Metra or bus to Morton Grove in the evening we could go grocery shopping, then I could drive you home, and go back to my place. And if you want to come up on the train and spend the weekend at my place to get a Gameworks fix I think we could arrange that too.
posted
it sounds like the public transportation in your area is OK...that is the critical thing. I went without a car for a while, it was annoying, but manageable. As you mentioned getting groceries is the most troublesome part. I would recommend trying to go without using your car for a week or to before you sell it. That way you can get a feel for what it is like to be without a car before you have made that your only option. If you find that you can't do it...then you should not sell your car, if you find it easy (or at least doable) then you know that it is prob safe to sell.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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posted
Yup, I do indeed have a new job. Started two weeks ago. I am back at IBM, but not doing techie work. Instead I am doing finance stuff. Lots of Excel and number crunching. Since I like working with data, this should be right up my alley--if they had the time to train me, that is. It's been busy around here, so no one is free to train me, so I have mostly been sitting and refreshing LiveJournal over and over, or working on puzzles from the U.S. trials of the World Puzzle Championship (which I participated in on Saturday, but did miserably on due to oversleeping and not having a working printer). But hey, it's money!
Dad got me the job. He sits four rows down, which is weird. I mean, we've worked together before, but never this close. Thankfully I really only see him at lunchtime, and even then I spend most of lunch walking around the building or sitting by the river.
Unfortunately, my new job is just a block away from where the crazy ex works, and yeah, I ran into him on the train home yesterday. But I finally got a chance to tell him face-to-face that I want nothing to do with him, so maybe he will stop pestering me now. Still, that was NOT fun.
Lupus, I am mostly doing without the car now anyway. I don't need it to get to work, so it only gets driven for errands. But that is a good idea. Next time I need to make an errand, I'll try walking instead.
quote: quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I wouldn't try being car-less in, say, Southern California, though. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted
So glad to hear you have a stable job! Sounds like you get to do a lot of what I do at work <grin> (play games, surf the web).. Enjoy it until they catch on.
quote: I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I bet it's made you a stronger person
Yep -- as I'm sure you have realized after your struggles over the past couple of years, we learn just how much you can live WITHOUT and still survive. And suddenly nothing but the very basics are important.
It helps in later years, in years of plenty, to realize you really don't need more "stuff". Puts things better into perspective.
posted
I lived without a car until about 3 years ago, and as Bob said, you get used to walking all over town. At the same time, that doesn't necessarily mean it's convenient. Sometimes you do need fast transportation from one place to another--but you will have that in the form of public transit, an advantage folks out here in the country don't always have.
When I had to get a job, the first one I found was way out in the country from here. For a while, I rode with my boss, who belongs to my local church, but eventually I accumulated enough money that I bought a car. It was just more convenient for all involved. I don't think I could walk across town to Cracker Barrel and then work my tail off all night, either--it's exhausting as it is. There are limits, especially for someone like me.
Posts: 1114 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Last summer I lived in Chicago without a car, in the Lincoln Park area. I got along just fine, although walking to get groceries was no fun at all.
Posts: 473 | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
Okay, so would I determine that selling my car would be worthwhile? And how would I go about doing it, then?
I am going to call the credit union tomorrow and ask them how they think it will help. It was their suggestion, anyway, though it is something I've been considering for quite a while.
Also, let's say that isn't enough, and I need to do something more, like sell my condo. Would I be able to find new housing when my credit is so crappy? I would definitely earn something on the sale of the condo, as it was appraised for a couple thousand higher than I paid for it. Plus, five years equity (which isn't much, but it's something), and housing is hot in my area right now.
Chicago folks: If I had to move, where would you recommend? I need affordable housing that preferably is close to public transporation and has lots of stuff within walking distance.
Here's the deal. My finances are crappy. Very crappy. So far I've been getting help from my parents, but it has caused a VERY big strain on my family, and everyone is pretty much upset with me. I don't want to accept anymore help from them unless I absolutely have to, because I am not convinced it would be given willingly. Oh, they would probably help, but then be all mad and upset and stuff. The last thing I want to do is cause more problems. And I really, really want to take care of this on my own, as much as I can.
I'd really hate to lose my condo, because I love it here. It's home, and it's a nice area. But if moving into a small apartment would be the best thing to get me on my feet again, I will do it.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I've been living without a car for 18 months now... and it's entirely doable, as long as you're in the right location.
One thing I would suggest - make sure you have a proper backpack with padded straps and a hip strap. It makes a *big* difference when carrying groceries / books home.
Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Luckily, I do have a good backpack. It was a gift from Joints in Motion upon our arrival to Dublin for the marathon. It's NICE, with pockets galore and padded straps and a waist and chest strap. I wore it constantly in Dublin, and it would be perfect for groceries.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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Which is more advantageous to you -- selling the condo, or borrowing against the equity in it to get you through until you're back on your feet?
I don't recommend borrowing against it, however, if there isn't a lot of light at the end of the tunnel -- meaning if you aren't making enough money to pay off old bills AND get ahead, then you don't want to get deeper in debt.
posted
I would stay in your condo for now, and sell the car first. If that helps, then all is taken care of, and if not at least then you can sell your condo and make some money. Then you take the money and move, and if neccessary buy a cheaper car (maybe a good used one)....if you need one even then.
Good luck, and you might want to think it all over before you decide what to do. Don't just do what seem right, talk to people who know how to fix these type of situations and consider what they have to say.
Mabus, where do you live? I worked for 3 years as a Server/Trainer for my local Cracker Barrel, and I know what you mean about walking to work....I had to do just that for a period of time, and it wasn't fun.
posted
Considering the Chicago area, I don't think it would be wise to sell off your condo assuming you have it paid off. Paying rent is never better than owning and I'm not sure you can find something in the Chicago area you can own that is going to be cheap.
Selling your car, I think, is definitely workable and should help considerably, especially if you are still making payments.
Edit: My guess would be to put an ad in the newspaper for your car. You can try a used car lot, but I don't think they usually give as good a return. It depends on how quickly you need the cash, though. It may take a few weeks to get a good offer from the newspaper.
posted
Assuming you can keep up with the payments, you should probably try as hard as you can to keep the condo. It's a primary means of wealth accumulation and is very important for good finances.
If you sold the car, would it cover the remaining balance on the loan? You might want to go to carmax - they'll give you a certified offer good for 3 days you can use tohelp make the decision, and it generates no obligation to sell to them.
Have you considered a roommate? A temporary intrustion into your home might be better than giving it up, and you can probably count on covering half the mortgage with rent. If you're downtown or near a college, it should be easy to find.
The other possibility is a part time job. Now that you've got a good "resume job," you won't hurt job chances taking a waiter/Starbucks type of job. Plus, you wouldn't see the roommate as much. In getting out of debt, a brief period of total dedication, pain, and thrift can be less painful than spreading it out. I know from personal experience on that one.
If you can recover and come out of this with a repaired credit rating and equity in the condo, you'll be in a great financial position.
posted
Hey -- possibly taking in a boarder is a good idea, Dag! I know that xnera is a pretty private person, and probably would NOT look forward to having her space shared, but it might be a good short-term solution. It isn't as hard to share a room if you know it is for a limited time, and not indefinate.
And that would be making her asset (her home) work for her. Kiyosaki would approve.
posted
ANd if she took in a quiet sutdent type, she could just do it for the school year to see if it would work out....if not, then at least it is a temp roomate, not one you would have to evict. Get a lease agreement put together, and go from there if this seems to be a good soultion.
I agree that you should hold on to the condo if possible, as a loan/morgage is a great way to repair credit, and housing is neven cheap in the city...at least not good housing.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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quote: Good luck, and you might want to think it all over before you decide what to do. Don't just do what seem right, talk to people who know how to fix these type of situations and consider what they have to say.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
I have previously tried talking to my parents about my finances, to ask for advice, but I think they have gotten the mistaken impression that I was asking for financial assistance, when really that was the last thing on my mind.
I have previously talked to Consumer Credit Counseling, and at the time they said that my debt wasn't too bad, and that the most important thing was to either eliminate some expenses or get a better income. I have done the second, and have trimmed the first somewhat, but there are still things I could do.
After I made my post last night about selling my condo, I took a peek online at apartments, and really, I wouldn't be saving all that much by selling my condo and moving into an apartment. Plus, I have a balloon loan on my mortgage, and it is up for refinance, and the payments should go DRASTICALLY down given current interest rates.
In fact, the guy who is going to be refinancing my loan left me a voicemail at home yesterday. I am going to call him today to see exactly what the process is and if he has any idea what my new payment would be after refinance, as that would help me plan things out.
Also, I am going to talk to my loan officer at the credit union and ask her opinion about selling the car and how she thinks it would help me. I also intend to ask her if the credit union has a financial advisor I can speak to. I'm pretty sure they do, and that the first meeting is free. Right now I really do believe that I need some advice from someone who knows about these things.
I have considered a roommate. I am reluctant to do this, because I am not someone who lives well with others. I'd also have to reorganize my house drastically, as currently the second bedroom is being used as my library. But it is something to consider.
And yes, I have considered taking a second job. It would be tiring, but I think it would be a good idea, as it would help me get things back on track that much faster. Actually, one of the banks in my town was looking for a weekend data entry clerk, which would be a better suit for me that retail. I should see if that is still available.
I've had an idea for a freelance business for a while. I don't expect it would make much, but I think now is the time to pursue. I've even written out a business plan and everything. It would take little or no capital to start, too, so it is so very doable right now.
Farmgirl, I'm on training pay for a few weeks, but once I get put on my regular salary I will definitely be making enough to cover my monthly expenses. I won't have a real lot left over to spend on getting caught up on other debts, but I will have some, at least. But this is also why I am thinking a second job or some freelance work would be a good idea. More spending cash, to catch up on bills and maybe buy a pizza now and then.
quote:If you sold the car, would it cover the remaining balance on the loan? You might want to go to carmax - they'll give you a certified offer good for 3 days you can use tohelp make the decision, and it generates no obligation to sell to them.
This is a good idea! I think I will do that, to see what I could expect to get. And yes, I am worried that I wouldn't get enough from selling the car to cover the loan. But maybe I will. We shall see.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Go to KellyBuleBook.com, and it will tell you what your car is worth as a trade and if you sold it outright. At least it tells you what the dealers want to know about that. I remember hearing about other sites that are better (edmunds.com, I think)....
Then you look at how much you still owe, and compare it with the car value...if you are upside down still (owe more than the value) then selling it won't help at all, besides saving insurance and parking.
I had a brand new Pontiac Sunfire with less than 46,000 miles on it blow up on the freeway, and I had to put a used engine into it. I am still upside-down on the loan too....but as soon as I am even, I am selling it. Then I'll buy a nice, newer used car, and save money on the deal.
Good luck with whatever you need to do. Don't think that waiting tables is not a good job- it is, but only part-time. You get cask each shift, and the part-time wage per hour id great if you just work weekends or a few nights a week. It sucks as a full time job because the pay is erratic, but as a supplimental income it can be great.
I did it for 6 years full time, but I might be going back to it part-time soon.
I was going to add my "yes" to the multitude of others on selling your car. I lived in Chicago for about 15 years, on and off, and didn't have a car for most of that time.
You might ask at a temp agency (if you can since they are mostly open when you are currently working). They sometimes have jobs during "off" hours.
Posts: 2034 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Just got off the phone with Molly at the credit union. The balance left on my car loan is actually VERY close to the current value of my car, so it looks like selling it would be a good deal. I want to sleep on it another day or two just to make sure this is the right thing to do.
As to how to go about doing it, the credit union actually has a free Swap&Shop newsletter. I'd have to submit an ad by Friday, and the next newsletter would come out on the 11th. I am also going to take it to Carmax for a quote--once I clean it up good, that is. And you know, washing a car by hand can be fun and relaxing.
Still waiting on the call from the balloon loan guy. I have tried him twice right now, and each time have gotten his voicemail.
Oh, and I already knew about kbb.com, as I spent four years doing technical support for an auto finance company. Checked out the values yesterday.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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I actually LOVE to wash my car by hand. I did so two Mondays ago, much to my neighbor's shock, being 9 months pregnant!
Posts: 1777 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Heck, that could even make you go into labor.
<----scrubbed floors
I lived without a car and it's very easy unless you have two preschoolers and it's 110 degrees. Then it's not easy.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Well, I have posted an ad for my car on my credit union's Swap&Shop newsletter. Tomorrow I am going to give the car a good cleaning and take it over to Carmax for an estimate. So that's one fix set in motion.
Yesterday, I talked to the gentlemen who will be handling my balloon loan refinance. He has to process some paperwork, so no word yet on what kind of rate I could get. He did inform me there is a $500 fee for the refinance, which I kind of expected.
Otherwise, the credit union is holding off on taking any action on my accounts for another week. This can't last much longer, though, but I am hopeful that I can get some things fixed soon, especially if I get a good quote from Carmax.
This has been one of the most stressful weeks of my life. I am beyond exhausted. But yet, I don't feel depressed or anything. I guess sometimes you just get under so much stress that the body stops releasing strong emotion so as to conserve energy, and you find you are able to do the really difficult things, like sell your car or talk to your mom. Here's hoping next week will be a little less exhausting.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Hang in there. Even if you don't have your debts paid off, you'll feel much better as soon as you realize you've taken control of the situation.
posted
xnera are you sure you want to go through this guy to do the refinance? The countrywide guy we worked with always wraps all of the closing costs into the next loan so you don't have to pay a dime.
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It's NICE, with pockets galore and padded straps and a waist and chest strap. I wore it constantly in Dublin, and it would be perfect for groceries.
