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One car?

Morning all

How many of you have one car between you and your OH and cope very well with it? Hubby and I have always had our own cars but we are thinking about getting rid of mine when I am on maternity leave as he works at home 2-3 days per weeks so I can go out on those days in his car and the weekends we only ever use his car.

It's a big deal to me as I've always had my own car and love the independance I get with it! But it could save us ??250 (finance costs, insurance and petrol) so its got to be worth thinking about!

Has anyone gone from 2 cars to 1 and how did you get on? I'm keen to hear good & bad!

Joo xxx
29+4

Replies

  • We have 2 cars between us but they are both company cars... when I had my daughter years ago we had 1 car and coped ok - when I needed the car I took my OH to university and picked him up after... if you could spend that money on having more time off then I would go for it...
  • we have one car - coz at the moment I dont drive (I can, but am too scared after a crash, at some point soon I'm gonna have to get back behind the wheel but I've managed three years without...)

    OH works 6 days a week, and usually takes the car with him... But we only live 10-15 mins walk out of town so it's not like I'm shut off from it, and we have a bus route at the end of our street if i'm desperate enough to try going somewhere on the bus....

    TBh I like just having one car, meant we could afford a better one when we bought this one (got a top spec which we wouldnt have been able to afford it we'd had two cars) and it also means if we need to go anywhere to get a big shop, or get some larger items etc we do it as a family... makes it a bit more of an outing than just one of us popping off to get something...

    Why dont you do a trial run in the first week or so of mat leave, pretend your car doesnt exist and see how you do without it... but remember to plan in some places to go so you get a real feel for how you would cope....

    xxxx
  • We went from 2 cars to 1 in October and if I'm brutally honest I hate it!! We did it to save some money too and we do *but* I hate the way it makes me feel. I have had my own car since I got my license at 17 and I honestly hate having to share. Hubby bought a push bike which he insisted he would be riding to work but instead I have ended up taking him, then myself and picking him up after work too. His work is only 7 miles away from home but in the opposite direction to mine! If we could go back in time I'd have kept my car, as sad as it sounds I reallly miss that piece of my independence x
  • aaaaw Bec! Bless you!

    I am the same - have had my own car since passing my test (at 18) and I do think I will find it hard, but am def. willing to have a go.

    We will only be able to do it when I am on maternity leave (9 months we hope) as we work nowhere near each other and its totally out of hubby's way to take me and then go to his office from mine. Even more out of the way for me to take him!

    xxx
  • What a grumpet I am today!!

    It might work better for you and it makes sense to do it whilst you're on maternity leave to save some money.

    Hubby seems to think he can have the car when I'm off but I still think I will want it so that I can go out or get to the doctors etc in an emergency?

    Its good that your hubby can work from home though as that should avoid the problem x
  • Hi Joo
    We only have one car - and a scooter!!!
    Basically the car is "mine" as I have it all day and use it to get to work etc and run errands eg shopping. My husband uses the scooter to get to the park and ride - which is 5kms from our house and he gets the bus straight into the city - and misses out on what would be an awful commute on the motorway - which is always totally blocked up! It works well for us - although on days when it is totally pouring with rain I often end up dropping him off (which inevitably means being available later on to pick him up too) so he doesn't get soaked.
    We definitely save heaps of money by doing this and because of this we have a better/ bigger car which is great for all our adventures at the weekends. Works well for us - but you both have to be happy with the situation for it to work - my husband enjoys getting the bus - cos its his chill out time and he reads his book/ listens to music.

    Mobo x 34+2
  • We switched to one car a couple of years ago and its fine. Hubby uses car when I dont need it (which early on wasnt very often as I used to drive alot for my job, but now he has it most days) and when i need it i either drive him to the train station or he cycles. Can be hard with hubby's shifts, sometimes I end up having to keep really weird hours but once i'm on mat leave it'll be simpler. Plus only having one car has meant we have a much nicer car than we would of otherwise and I dont miss the car when hubby has it.
    MrsW 32+5
  • We always had two cars and I likes having my independence. Then H2B got a job where he was given a work van (trackered so can't be used out of hours) and we ended up with just the one vehicle. It does my head in, because I find if I want to go somewhere I need to ask him, and it seems that he aways get first refusal on having the car. If I say I need it one evening he gets stroppy but if the tables were turned it would be okay!

    In terms on daytime it doesn't factor because I get the train in to work. I hae an oyster card so it works out much cheaper than driving in then having the pay to park all day

    H2B recently got a promotion though and will have a company car (untracked!) so we will be able to use that too. Independent again!!!

    14+5 x
  • Thanks everyone!

    I really think we can do this and be ok with it! I'm sure it'll be weird and maybe hard at first but I have to give it a go!

    My car will be on Autotrader mid-March (can't sell it too soon as I still need it for work until early April!)!!!!!!!!!

    xxx
  • We have one car. Hubby works in Central London so gets the train which makes it easy for us. But we very rarely have occasions where we both need the car. Most of the time we are together anyway!

    None of my friends have 2 cars and no one says it's a problem (although they do all work in town so that could be the main thing as no one needs the car for work)

    My sis has a one year old and doesn't even have a driving licence and she gets along fine! She goes on lots of walks, and gets her shopping delivered.

    You will get used to it hun. It's pointless having 2 cars unless you are going to get lots of use out of them - as you say, buy the time you add up tax, MOT, petrol, services, things breaking etc it's quite an expense.
  • Due to my poor eyesight I can't drive honey, so it's probably alot easier for me as I've never been used to driving, but I find it easy not having DH to drive me around all the time! The bus route goes right by my house, and we walk alot which makes sure little one gets lots of fresh air. Go for it! xx
  • We sold my car a year ago to save money and it's been great. We live somewhere with hardly any public transport so we have to plan things a bit more carefully, but it's nice only paying one lot of tax, MOTs, insurance etc. We have a huge advantage in that we work at the same place though.

    Good luck! x
  • We have one car which oh uses for work. It would be useful to have another for me and the lo, esp in the winter, but we get by. It's impossible to justify the expense of a second.:roll:
  • i love my car and independance of it a few years ago when me and hubby just got together we just had mine which was quite tying.anyway we managed fine as hubby walked to work or got buses and he didnt bother altho i had it easy the financial lift was great.
    just got other car as hubby got temp job and couldnt get without it(5am starts no public transport etc.)but i must say it all depends on where your situated you prob be walking a bit anyway and if hes not using it 7 days a week id say this is a good call do what suits you it will b hard at first but like everything else you will probably just need a bit of time to adjust x
  • We have no cars! Neither of us has ever owned a car, although we both have licences. Hubby cycles to work; I cycle, train and tram it to work! For visiting people we use the trains, we walk into town at the weekends and we get our weekly shop delivered by Tesco image. It's worked well for many years, but depending on where we end up moving to this year, we may decide to get a car at last, especially with a little one on the way. We don't really want to though, we like feeling virtuous and green... and not paying for insurance/repairs/petrol etc!
  • Like Astraad, we manage without a car. My husband either cycles or takes the train to work and it helps that I work from home and we live withing walking distance of a supermarket. Having grown up in a city with good public transport (NOT the one I live in now, I hasten to add) I have never seen a car as a necessity, but that may change. We are going to have to move in the next year and, although we will try and find somewhere near shops with good transport links, I know my husband has been contemplating buying a car. I made him get me a tumble drier for my birthday instead, though, so I think his green conscience may be troubling him too much about that for a bit! image
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