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Should you become a single car family? Here's what we went through to get out of debt:
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items About a year ago, we gave up our nice Honda CRV to wipe out the $700 monthly car loan and save money for a car to buy with cash. As a newly stay at home mom of two littles, it was wild but totally necessary. Going from multiple cars down to one as a ...
Sections
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The positives of moving to a single car as a family.
The difficulties of only having one car as a family.
Research and Prepwork
The positives of moving to a single car as a family.
On top of being a single car family, my husband had a second job after work. Therefore there was only one day a week I could use the car and go shopping. Let. Me. Tell. You. By the end of it all, I had the skill of meal planning down like a pro. Not ...
You get REALLY good at meal planning.
This can go many ways. You can either build resentment as a mom "stuck at home" or you can see this as a challenge for your family to conquer. My husband and I got really good at communicating and problem solving around functions. The kids got to rid...
You get closer as a family
Honestly I cherish these memories. They were wild and left me exhausted at the end of the day but the days always felt so full. This is a video of mine from that era. Hop in and leave a comment that you found me on Benable! I'd love to be your friend...
You get really good at fitting a week's worth of errands into one day.
I got put with the kids so much more when we only had one day to leave the house than now. I made plans in advance and stuck to them!
This is another video with all the memories built into one day, there was just a sponsor for this one :)
You really start to fill the day with fun memories when you only have one day with the car.
I started sourdough both to save money but also as a necessity. I forgot to grab buns again at the store? Looks like I'll be baking my own!
You're home more often and have time for a hobby.
Suddenly, your stress over money starts to dissipate. Instead of scarcity anxiety, you and your family are on the same track and you can finally start to dream again.
You and Your Family: Get Back on Track Financially
Obviously the wipe out of your car loan is the hugest advantage. On top of that, you will naturally spend less on gas, auto insurance, and even meals as you learn to grocery shop more efficiently and spend less time shopping.
You can pay off debt and finally get ahead.
The difficulties of only having one car as a family.
It gets frustrating when your plans overlap and now someone needs to reschedule. The best way for us to avoid this was adding something to the calendar immediately and inviting the other person to the "event." That way we can plan around each other.
You need to get organized with your schedule.
There was one time I wanted to go on a weekend trip with my friend. We still couldn't afford a second car then, but I was able to book a rental. You have options! Car rentals and Ubers can get expensive though.
Car Rentals for big trips
I'm going to be honest. I don't enjoy carpooling 😅 I just want to listen to my podcasts at 2x speed. But it saves on gas and sometimes you can get in those carpool fast lanes on the interstate 🤷🏻♀️
Carpooling and Rideshare
Backup transportation
Lyft
Research and Prepwork
If that you're stuck at home without a vehicle, you'll need a plan. Who's going to watch the kids if you have to call an ambulance? How will you handle emergencies? You need to think through it all so you're calm when the emergency arises.
Make a plan for EVERYTHING
I went through the comments on this post as we were deciding. It's worth a read!
Has anyone gone down to one car and regretted it?
You're not alone in this decision! Make sure to ask around, read blogs, and see what others have done before you.
Five tips for becoming a one-car family