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Talk me into or out of this.
I'm thinking of selling my car and riding the bus to work.
Here's my thought process: In fair condition, it's worth $3700 according to kelly blue book. My car needs some work on it before we can register it in CA. Probably like $1500. Then we also have to pay for registration. I also have two tickest on my license so our car insurance is high right now. One of the tickets falls off in October, so that will really reduce the rates.
I've tested the bus the past two days. I can walk L to preschool and then take the bus to work in less than an hour. I need exercise and the walk is a good walk (up a hill). The thing that stinks is that the bus only runs every 30 minutes, so if I miss it it kind of sucks.
When H starts working in June, we're working in the same place, so we can carpool home (he's going to be starting way earlier than I am and is working longer days). If L is sick at school, one of us can leave early and take the car, the other can ride the bus.
We will try to have another kid in late fall/winter I think. We'll buy me a new car then - putting all of our saved money into the down payment. Daycare is also decreasing by then, and god help us - our house will be sold.
My issue - selling my car. It worries me.
So what sayeth ML? Should we go for it? I think right now we're going to see how the first few weeks of H working goes and if it will work like we think it will.
Re: Talk me into or out of this.
I'm kind of here too.
Could you pay for a reduced auto policy, where you drive less miles? I know I had something like this when I first started driving.
I would probably keep the car, try the bus thing for now and see how it works. What about bad weather/rainy days and walking to daycare? And yeah, I just wouldn't want to be stuck without a car.
Why don't you ride the bus for awhile before selling your car to see how you'd like it? Longer than two days
Just take a month and pretend like you don't have your car anymore.
That way if it sucks, you're not stuck but if it's fine, you can move the plan along.
I have the same thoughts.
However - if you feel the bus is safe and you're comfortable with it I dont see an issue.
I can see a positive to selling your car that you didn't mention - like saving money on gas. Selling your car seems to be a great plan, and it seems like you would only be sans car for the summer (if you're planning on getting a new one in the fall).
IMO - the money you receive for selling your car/the amount you save on gas etc should be saved and used for a down payment on a new car. It would earn interest over the summer and you can always add to the savings. This would be a long term positive since it would lower your possible car payment on your future car and you could possibly have a shortened lease period since you wouldn't need to borrow as much.
How's that walk going to be in the blazing heat of the summer?
H and I shared a car for 6ish months before I went batshitcrazy and we got another car. However, public transit SUCKS here (like, non existant) and I SAH so I was puttering around the house all goddamned day with nothing to do b/c there's nothing local here to walk to (That's not 10 miles away anyway).
I think you should conduct yourself as though you've sold the car for a month and see how manageable it is.
Can you let it ride for a bit? Like, do you have to make this decision soon, or can you let it stay registered as is, in your former state? I don't know how the laws work out there, and how soon you have to change your registration to match residency.
If you could just let it be for a while, I'd do that and not do anything too rash, like selling it. But, I also can't imagine being a 1 car family, and the thought of it makes me kind of panicky. It just seems like inviting a huge logistical nightmare if one little thing goes wrong. What happens when the one and only car needs work? sorry if this is a dumb question, I just get nervous about things like that.
If you get into a routine, and a month or so down the road you find you don't really *need* the extra car, sell it then. Until then, I wouldn't jump to sell it right away.
Ditto.
The plan is already to get a new one in the fall/winter. This would give us a good downpayment.
We are now in San Diego. I don't think it gets blazing hot here.
And yes, gas money is something else we've thought of, I just forgot to list it. It costs me $65 to fill up on the tank of gas. I'm averaging 3 tanks per month. A monthly bus pas is $50.
I only have to take one bus to get there and it will work out to about a month of trying it out before we go for it because he doesn't start until June 1.
I still vote to try it out for a month, if it's doable, sell.
I found it difficult but got through 6 months before I told H "either I'm going to kill myself or we're buying a second car". We had to plan everything, EVERYTHING. Grocery shopping/outings/returning stuff to stores/dr appointments, it was a huge change that I wasn't expecting.
Yes, we're going to do the month for sure and see what works.
Doctor appointments is one I didn't really think about. I don't have a doctor here yet, but I can go to one on campus, as can H. Or at least really close to work so we can just snag the car when needed. L's appointments would be the same as picking her up if she were sick - one could go with the car if we can't both and the other can take the bus.
And we live within walking distance of the main drag - grocery, park, beach, etc are all walkable.
Get a really good wheelie cart for the groceries and will you bring L along? is she up for all the walking?
I don't mean to be a spoil sport, at all. It's definitely different, having only one car.
For actual grocery shopping, we'd bring the car. And H is picking her up from daycare, that's already pre-determined. So we can pick something up on the way home.
Does the car need to be registered before you can sell it? I don't know why I assumed it would. And generally don't you get quite a bit more value when trading in a car than straight selling it?
If those are both no, I vote try for a month then do it.
I think you actually get less for trade in than private sale. I could be wrong.
And I don't think it has to be registered to sell, it just needs a clean title. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
We are a one car family, but we live in a highly walkable city/area, and have the transportation options (public, biking - H does often).
Try it. Many of my friends with kids do that (they do everything with public transportation on a daily basis, even if they DO have a car - for them it's more the fact that unless work pays it, it's f*cking expensive to park the car anywhere).
The ONE good thing of my employer (paid downtown parking!)
Selling a Vehicle
Privately selling your car can seem tricky because both parties want to walk away feeling like they got a good deal. Therefore, consider ordering a vehicle history report to boost the confidence of potential buyers. If they can access info on the vehicle's history, they can make their own determination whether the vehicle is worth what you are asking. To learn more, check out our section dedicated to vehicle history reports.
If you have already sealed the deal, follow these steps to transfer ownership to the new buyer:
- Motorcycle, trailer, or vessel
For more info on the smog requirements in California, visit our section titled Smog & Emission Checks.NOTE: Although California does not require you to provide a bill of sale, some drivers prefer to have the extra documentation. Find out more about this form in our Bill of Sale section.
I don't see that registration is a requirement, but some off-sites say it is a requirement.
You live in a college town and it doesn't get blazingly hot there. I'd say buy a decent used bike, get a bus pass, and play like you're a college student. It will be fine.
If you have a kid emergency, there are always cabs.
We live a bit north of the college town, but we do have bikes
I need to get a bike seat for L on mine.