Do You Really Need A Personal Vehicle?
Budgeting | September 21, 2009 at 1:00 amMost of us own some vehicle or the other. Mostly we use personal cars, SUVs Limos etc. But do you know that though made out to be a necessity a personal car is not something that you can’t live without. Imagine, during this budgeting season, won’t you be doing better without having to make a vehicle payment? You can put that money to better use. You might argue that your employer does give you vehicle allowance but many times this allowance turns out to be much lesser than your actual expenditure.
Let us take a look at the expenditures that you’ll have to put up with when you own a vehicle
- Garage costs- If you are staying in a rented apartment, you’ll have to pay the garage rental charges.
- Fuel charges are very high these days. Besides you really can’t avoid maintenance charges.
- Parts replacements also cost you a fortune at times.
- Vehicle insurance is another thing that eats up a large chunk of your earnings.
- Accidents thefts and other damages might cost you a fortune.
So these are the charges that you’ve got to pay apart from the big investment that you might have already made for purchasing the car. If you’ve made a down payment, thank your stars! But if you are on monthly EMI then all these costs add up to make a consolidated amount that’ll be too heavy for you to bear.
Instead think of some ways in which you can save up on this car costs. Just consider these ways.
Take To Bicycling
Nothing can be as pleasurable as bicycling. It’s not only environment friendly, but also very cheap. Buy your own bike or hire one. Nowadays the League of American Bicyclists has come with a list of cities that are compatible to bike riding, if you’re thinking that you’re living in an area of high traffic congestion. You can avail the bike sharing facility if you stay in the District of Columbia. The Bike Project repairs and sells old bicycles and you can buy these for really 
cheap prices. Not only are bikes cheap and environment friendly, they are exercising equipment for you so that you slim down and keep fit. With a bicycle, you’re saving up on your fuel and maintenance costs, which you’d have to bear for a car.
Walk or Go By Bus
I love to walk whenever I get the opportunity to. It’s good for my health and a free mode of transportation. Bus rides are so enjoyable. Take them whenever you can. Of course they should be regular, less crowded and convenient to travel. As you travel in groups you are safer too!
Go For Car Sharing
There are times when you cannot do without a car, for example, when you have an important meeting to attend in 
office. Under such conditions, book a sharing car beforehand. These are cheaper than owning individual cars.
When it comes to a cost-cutting lifestyle, a private car is non-essential but there are some exclusive conditions where a private car is the best. For example, traveling on an emergency in the shortest period of time is best achieved with a private car.
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These tips are so good ! I really don’t think I need a car.