Getting rid of the car
Discussion
Anyone else got rid of their car and carried on with life without one?
When my VED runs out in a few months, I'll be ditching my car (not literally). Number of reasons why:
1. I live 1 mile from work and my daughter's school. I can walk or cycle to both.
2. My car is an old shed that gets rarely used. To be fair, it makes me a bit lazy.
3. I'm utterly sick of my hard earned taxpayer money being squandered by this useless, corrupt government. I'm up for removing the need to pay for any voluntary taxes (VED, fuel duty, insurance etc.).
I understand that some people are not in the position to do this. However, has anyone been in the position to do so and done it?
When my VED runs out in a few months, I'll be ditching my car (not literally). Number of reasons why:
1. I live 1 mile from work and my daughter's school. I can walk or cycle to both.
2. My car is an old shed that gets rarely used. To be fair, it makes me a bit lazy.
3. I'm utterly sick of my hard earned taxpayer money being squandered by this useless, corrupt government. I'm up for removing the need to pay for any voluntary taxes (VED, fuel duty, insurance etc.).
I understand that some people are not in the position to do this. However, has anyone been in the position to do so and done it?
NewBod said:
Anyone else got rid of their car and carried on with life without one?
When my VED runs out in a few months, I'll be ditching my car (not literally). Number of reasons why:
1. I live 1 mile from work and my daughter's school. I can walk or cycle to both.
2. My car is an old shed that gets rarely used. To be fair, it makes me a bit lazy.
3. I'm utterly sick of my hard earned taxpayer money being squandered by this useless, corrupt government. I'm up for removing the need to pay for any voluntary taxes (VED, fuel duty, insurance etc.).
I understand that some people are not in the position to do this. However, has anyone been in the position to do so and done it?
Do you not need the car for shopping, seeing relatives, trips away? When my VED runs out in a few months, I'll be ditching my car (not literally). Number of reasons why:
1. I live 1 mile from work and my daughter's school. I can walk or cycle to both.
2. My car is an old shed that gets rarely used. To be fair, it makes me a bit lazy.
3. I'm utterly sick of my hard earned taxpayer money being squandered by this useless, corrupt government. I'm up for removing the need to pay for any voluntary taxes (VED, fuel duty, insurance etc.).
I understand that some people are not in the position to do this. However, has anyone been in the position to do so and done it?
Challo said:
NewBod said:
Anyone else got rid of their car and carried on with life without one?
When my VED runs out in a few months, I'll be ditching my car (not literally). Number of reasons why:
1. I live 1 mile from work and my daughter's school. I can walk or cycle to both.
2. My car is an old shed that gets rarely used. To be fair, it makes me a bit lazy.
3. I'm utterly sick of my hard earned taxpayer money being squandered by this useless, corrupt government. I'm up for removing the need to pay for any voluntary taxes (VED, fuel duty, insurance etc.).
I understand that some people are not in the position to do this. However, has anyone been in the position to do so and done it?
Do you not need the car for shopping, seeing relatives, trips away? When my VED runs out in a few months, I'll be ditching my car (not literally). Number of reasons why:
1. I live 1 mile from work and my daughter's school. I can walk or cycle to both.
2. My car is an old shed that gets rarely used. To be fair, it makes me a bit lazy.
3. I'm utterly sick of my hard earned taxpayer money being squandered by this useless, corrupt government. I'm up for removing the need to pay for any voluntary taxes (VED, fuel duty, insurance etc.).
I understand that some people are not in the position to do this. However, has anyone been in the position to do so and done it?
As for trips away, I'm local to a town with rail connections. I can get to my relatives via the train and trips away can be done by train. My daughter loves going on the train.
How much is it costing you to run this shed annually?
We run a 120k miles Honda as a shed and almost every panel is dinged, but, being a Honda, it just keeps on going and I don't care about it getting more bashed about. However, its £315 Band 'J' VED is a bit steep, something I would like to bring down on its eventual replacement.
However, it is going to cost me 'more' to get into that VED band with a newer, lower emissions car with a longer lifespan, so I keep on shedding it.
We run a 120k miles Honda as a shed and almost every panel is dinged, but, being a Honda, it just keeps on going and I don't care about it getting more bashed about. However, its £315 Band 'J' VED is a bit steep, something I would like to bring down on its eventual replacement.
However, it is going to cost me 'more' to get into that VED band with a newer, lower emissions car with a longer lifespan, so I keep on shedding it.
Until train ticket prices vastly drop in price, which they never ever will do, then its pointless taking the train anywhere outside london, and why cars will be the primary mode of transport for a long time in the UK.
Seeing friends in reading on the weekend. 2 adults and a kid return ticket prices from bristol is £120, ad i have to use specific trains. By comparison, £30 of diesel and i can depart and return when i want.
Seeing friends in reading on the weekend. 2 adults and a kid return ticket prices from bristol is £120, ad i have to use specific trains. By comparison, £30 of diesel and i can depart and return when i want.
If its a financial decision only, its ridiculous for me to own a car in the UK. I live in a city which means I walk to most venues. If its slightly further afield Uber is outside my door in <5 minutes and cheap as chips. If I really need a car there is a city car hire that I could pick up within 500m that is dirt cheap also. I have a major rail station less than 10 minutes away and an airport 15 min away.
A car parking space is £20k each or £130 PCM to rent. Insurance is high due to a city centre location.
Even before adding petrol and tax its a v high cost just to sit there, before taking into account any maintenance at all.
I did 6 months or so between cars where I didn't bother with one and didn't find myself stuck at all in that time. However, as a petrolhead since birth, it made me sad to have nothing to go and drive, or modify, or play with. It is an entirely frivolous venture and for any mon-petrolhead that doesn't live in the sticks, I can see why so few bother these days.
A car parking space is £20k each or £130 PCM to rent. Insurance is high due to a city centre location.
Even before adding petrol and tax its a v high cost just to sit there, before taking into account any maintenance at all.
I did 6 months or so between cars where I didn't bother with one and didn't find myself stuck at all in that time. However, as a petrolhead since birth, it made me sad to have nothing to go and drive, or modify, or play with. It is an entirely frivolous venture and for any mon-petrolhead that doesn't live in the sticks, I can see why so few bother these days.
I have a shed which is pretty much the perfect situation for me at the moment. My current mileage is so low that over the last 9 months I have driven a total of 3600 miles and that included doing 1000 miles in a week on a UK holiday.
But when you need a car it is incredibly useful just to have it sitting there. I am also a member of Zipcar and there is one five minutes away, but this is still more expensive than running a shed.
I pay £30 in road tax and £195 in insurance and being a (pre DPF) diesel I get 55MPG all day long. On average I probably put in £30 of diesel every month or so which I don't even notice.
If on the other hand I had a car costing me £300 a month in lease/finance payments I would definitely be looking to get rid of it.
But when you need a car it is incredibly useful just to have it sitting there. I am also a member of Zipcar and there is one five minutes away, but this is still more expensive than running a shed.
I pay £30 in road tax and £195 in insurance and being a (pre DPF) diesel I get 55MPG all day long. On average I probably put in £30 of diesel every month or so which I don't even notice.
If on the other hand I had a car costing me £300 a month in lease/finance payments I would definitely be looking to get rid of it.
devnull said:
Until train ticket prices vastly drop in price, which they never ever will do, then its pointless taking the train anywhere outside london, and why cars will be the primary mode of transport for a long time in the UK.
Seeing friends in reading on the weekend. 2 adults and a kid return ticket prices from bristol is £120, ad i have to use specific trains. By comparison, £30 of diesel and i can depart and return when i want.
I'm getting a railcard.Seeing friends in reading on the weekend. 2 adults and a kid return ticket prices from bristol is £120, ad i have to use specific trains. By comparison, £30 of diesel and i can depart and return when i want.
In terms of long journeys, the only one I do is parents who live 25 miles away. They are accessible by train.
Everything else I do is local. School, work, shops etc. Nearest city is half hour on the train and doesn't cost so much using a railcard.
My old Focus has done really well but it needs some work now and it is only worth a few hundred quid.
By the time I've done insurance, repairs, VED, MOT etc. I'd be better off using the train every now and again.
If you're in zone 1-2 London, near all facilities and don't travel around too much (or like doing things outside the immediate area) it may work - although for 90% of people a car is a near-necessity. Although they could "get by" without a car it would be materially more inconvenient/expensive when factoring in other forms of public/private transport. That's before you get to the unpleasantness of being among other people on a crowded bus/tube/train and their obvious lack of personal hygiene.
When I was working abroad, I got rid of my car for a few years.
When I needed one I just hired one for a week or two in whichever country I was.
Now that I'm in the UK most of the time, I just keep the cars taxed & insured (less than £150/month for both) as it doesn't cost a lot in terms of maintenance/fuel if it's just sitting there, and I can instantly go for a weekend drive if the mood takes me.
When I needed one I just hired one for a week or two in whichever country I was.
Now that I'm in the UK most of the time, I just keep the cars taxed & insured (less than £150/month for both) as it doesn't cost a lot in terms of maintenance/fuel if it's just sitting there, and I can instantly go for a weekend drive if the mood takes me.
I've got a 15 year old Nissan 350Z.
I like it, but it's not that exciting. It was a good compromise when I used a car for commuting; I could still put the roof down and it makes a nice noise, but it also has heated seats, a decent stereo and a boot, so it was vaguely practical when I needed it to be.
These days, my wife and I both have home working contracts, and she has a petrol SQ5.
I don't need my car. I don't need a car.
So I think the Nissan is going to go, and be replaced by a garage/track/hillclimb toy. I just can't decide what. Got a few ideas, but no real decision yet.
Oh, and the £600/year road tax is annoying!
I like it, but it's not that exciting. It was a good compromise when I used a car for commuting; I could still put the roof down and it makes a nice noise, but it also has heated seats, a decent stereo and a boot, so it was vaguely practical when I needed it to be.
These days, my wife and I both have home working contracts, and she has a petrol SQ5.
I don't need my car. I don't need a car.
So I think the Nissan is going to go, and be replaced by a garage/track/hillclimb toy. I just can't decide what. Got a few ideas, but no real decision yet.
Oh, and the £600/year road tax is annoying!
Edited by thewarlock on Thursday 1st July 11:41
I've done it when I have been in between cars, more recenlty for about 6 weeks while waiting for the new one. It was a bit annoying sometimes as it does limit what I can do, for example I couldn't just pop down to B&Q for a bag of cement. However on the whole it wasn't too bad but it did cost me a fair bit in hire cars.
I don't always understand the argument that you can use the train for your travels because your only reason to travel is to visit one place 25 miles away, but that's because my lifestyle is different. I have friends all over the UK for various reasons, and generally end up in the middle of nowhere a few times a month.
I would struggle without a car...
I don't always understand the argument that you can use the train for your travels because your only reason to travel is to visit one place 25 miles away, but that's because my lifestyle is different. I have friends all over the UK for various reasons, and generally end up in the middle of nowhere a few times a month.
I would struggle without a car...
I honestly despair at times about this forum.
It started out really as a tvr forum then quickly became a general petrolheads forum with fairly like minded guys and girls who had an interest in interesting cars. Not necessarily expensive cars. But interesting cars.
Over time it fleshed out and got a lot of sub forums which were generally seen as "side quests" to the main game of being a petrol head forum.
Its got gradually worse over the years to finally get to this stage. Someone who clearly has zero interest in cars, is getting rid of his car due to that lack of use and interest. Not like the chap above that's getting rid of his z car in favour of a track day fun car. No instead he's just getting rid.
And why is he staying? To read about bicycles and news. Because this is the best place to do that.
Guess I'd best go on to bikeforums.co.uk now and discuss how I've not used my pushbike for years because I'm lazy and how I'm only on there to read about cars......
It started out really as a tvr forum then quickly became a general petrolheads forum with fairly like minded guys and girls who had an interest in interesting cars. Not necessarily expensive cars. But interesting cars.
Over time it fleshed out and got a lot of sub forums which were generally seen as "side quests" to the main game of being a petrol head forum.
Its got gradually worse over the years to finally get to this stage. Someone who clearly has zero interest in cars, is getting rid of his car due to that lack of use and interest. Not like the chap above that's getting rid of his z car in favour of a track day fun car. No instead he's just getting rid.
And why is he staying? To read about bicycles and news. Because this is the best place to do that.
Guess I'd best go on to bikeforums.co.uk now and discuss how I've not used my pushbike for years because I'm lazy and how I'm only on there to read about cars......
NewBod said:
Anyone else got rid of their car and carried on with life without one?
When my VED runs out in a few months, I'll be ditching my car (not literally). Number of reasons why:
1. I live 1 mile from work and my daughter's school. I can walk or cycle to both.
2. My car is an old shed that gets rarely used. To be fair, it makes me a bit lazy.
3. I'm utterly sick of my hard earned taxpayer money being squandered by this useless, corrupt government. I'm up for removing the need to pay for any voluntary taxes (VED, fuel duty, insurance etc.).
I understand that some people are not in the position to do this. However, has anyone been in the position to do so and done it?
I'll never get rid of all of mine though will maybe drop from four to two. I haven't driven my A8 since Sept 2019, one of the others is in pieces awaiting restoration so that leaves our 'shopping trolley' Fiesta and our '63 Riley.When my VED runs out in a few months, I'll be ditching my car (not literally). Number of reasons why:
1. I live 1 mile from work and my daughter's school. I can walk or cycle to both.
2. My car is an old shed that gets rarely used. To be fair, it makes me a bit lazy.
3. I'm utterly sick of my hard earned taxpayer money being squandered by this useless, corrupt government. I'm up for removing the need to pay for any voluntary taxes (VED, fuel duty, insurance etc.).
I understand that some people are not in the position to do this. However, has anyone been in the position to do so and done it?
The total VED and insurance on the two is £30 and £310 respectively. Annual mileage is probably around 5,000 on both, not so much in the last couple of years for obvious reasons.
I could dispose of all of them as when not WFH O/H commutes by train and I'm retired but where's the fun in that?
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