Bowing out of car ownership?

Mr Benevolent

My car costs about €400 a month on average to run, including insurance, tax and fuel but excluding repairs and servicing. That's about a quarter of my net pay.

That said, I could remove the expense by not having a car at all. That wouldn't leave me without a car, as my girlfriend has one and it's used about three times a week, an '02 Corsa 1.2 auto. My share of running the Corsa would equate to about €1700 a year give or take, a saving of around €3000 a year. I'd probably buy an electric bike for the fair-weather commute.

So bowing out of car ownership for a few years is good financial decision. I get my first year's NCD in a month, coincidentally.

Thoughts?

johnos1984

I'm waiting for a karate kick to come your way

Mr Benevolent

johnos1984 wrote: »

I'm waiting for a karate kick to come your way

Eh?

johnos1984

Confab wrote: »

johnos1984 wrote: »

I'm waiting for a karate kick to come your way

Eh?

If you don't get it I'm not explaining it

I don't think I could be without a car but if your happy with the reasoning them go ahead

thewintermute

If I could make that kind of saving I would.If you're city based a scooter is the way forward.

kildare.17hmr

If you can live without it why not? Sell the car and save the money every month or at least some of it and go on a holiday in the summer! Sure ya always have the girlfriends car if ya's need to go somewhere

650Ginge

Good luck to you. You will get a more positive response maybe in the cycling forum.

Mr Benevolent

BTW the cost difference between running the Alfa and Corsa is somewhere in the region of €700 a year, which is hardly worth worrying about.

johnos1984 wrote: »

I don't think I could be without a car but if your happy with the reasoning them go ahead

I won't be without a car as the GF doesn't use hers much.

biko

If you don't have a need for it then there's no reason to hang on to one.
For longer journeys, just rent one for the weekend unless you want to use the GFs car.

I've been toying with the idea myself but haven't calculated anything yet.

Fiona

If you can get along with one car then off you go.

Me, I couldn't. I never did like sharing.

Confab

Confab wrote: »

............. a saving of around €3000 ................

Thoughts?

Savings of €3000/annum are not to be sniffed at
That equates to lots of meals out, a decent holiday, new telly and other nice to haves. Decent amount to actually save too.

I see no reason at all why it would be deemed a bad idea as such.

I'm not going to mention the recent MX5 fad

Mr Benevolent

I'm not going to mention the recent MX5 fad

And neither am I

I can always convince the GF to buy one in a year or two.

ants09

€400 pm savings not to be sniff at tbh.
But if you decide to give up your car then later on you be starting off again from scratch in relation to insurance etc.
What ever you do hope you wont regret it in time but good luck

ottostreet

So...in other words...

cars aren't an interest of yours?

ants09

Confab wrote: »

My NCD would expire after 2-3 years so not too bad.

Ah ok batman

But from a petrol heads point of view omg what you thinking off :eek: you need a good slap around the head to knock some sense into you

But from a economic's financial point off view it makes financial sound advice

Mr Benevolent

ottostreet wrote: »

So...in other words...

cars aren't an interest of yours?

That's stretching it a bit. I'm interested in cars, but I need the money more then I need to own car atm.

doopa

If you live in Dublin or Cork - could be worth considering this lot for the second car:

http://www.gocar.ie

Or do the maths on just renting at the weekends with the likes of enterprise. I reckon it averages around 120 a weekend (Friday to Monday) plus petrol/diesel.

I suppose it depends on how often you need two cars.

Really depends on your situation, if your tight on cash then it may be a good idea.

At my age, with a decent job, no dependents i can justify blowing money on driving a thirsty clk across town to work all week. I'm cosy, warm, have my tunes and a bit of power under my foot which makes it enjoyable.

I look at people in the rain at the bus stops looking miserable as i drive by, i could also get a bus/luas combo to work but i would be suicidal after a month.

Have you worked out the cost of your girlfriend?

monkeypants

Bit of a misleading thread title; you're not bowing out of car ownership really, you've just decided to make do with one car.

Myself and the missus share a car and she uses it more than I do.

Rabidlamb

OP, perhaps you should work harder & be able to afford a car like the rest of us.

Meh, I'm only ribbing, I'd love to be able to get rid of our family 2nd car but I need to commute & the wife needs to do things with kids.

Marcusm

Confab wrote: »

I'm not going to mention the recent MX5 fad

And neither am I

I can always convince the GF to buy one in a year or two.

Sounds like you'd be using the Corsa more than she does but with an inequitable share of the costs???

Marcusm

Marcusm wrote: »

Sounds like you'd be using the Corsa more than she does but with an inequitable share of the costs???

Paying his own insurance and fuel usage along with some tax contribution and maintenance presumably, seems fair enough.

Mr Benevolent

Marcusm wrote: »

Sounds like you'd be using the Corsa more than she does but with an inequitable share of the costs???

I pay half of the tax, I pay my portion of the insurance and pay for whatever fuel I use.

cisk wrote: »

Really depends on your situation, if your tight on cash then it may be a good idea.

Have you worked out the cost of your girlfriend?

TBH I'm not that strapped for cash, but an extra €300 a month would make a significant difference. I'll always have the option of taking my GF's car to work.

Thanks for all the comments lads!

EPM

So will we expect tha 156 on done deal soon? Pity as you were sorting the cambelt. Could you both use that? Best of both worlds...

Jimdagym

Where you not lookIng for something more powerful last week confab?

Owen

I don't use my car now nearly as much as I did, if I'm popping into town, I'll get the bus unless I've something big to bring home. I'm going down the 2 wheel route too with some sort of road/hybrid bike soon enough. If you are into electric bikes OP, no harm to PM Paulryanmini on here, his family own goeco.ie!

Mr Benevolent

Jimdagym wrote: »

Where you not lookIng for something more powerful last week confab?

Yup. Have come to my senses now.

So will we expect tha 156 on done deal soon? Pity as you were sorting the cambelt. Could you both use that? Best of both worlds...

Fairly shortly, maybe a month. Taxed to May, cambelt isn't done and it's popping out of third. I'd be very happy with €600. Corsa B is going too.

piston

I've spent most of my life being obsessed by cars but have come to view them all as bottomless money pits and have increasingly lost interest. I rarely get any pleasure out of driving as all roads around here are either congested, full of potholes or some combination of both. I have increasingly considered getting rid of it. I generally cycle any journey less than 10 miles now, my commute is too far to cycle everyday but there are bus alternatives (which cost more than the petrol tbh) but the real reason I would miss my car is at the weekends as I like to get out an about.

creedp

Confab wrote: »

That's stretching it a bit. I'm interested in cars, but I need the money more then I need to own car atm.

Well how about persuading your GF to get rid of her Corsa and stump up for half of your costs! Make this agreement before you repair the car!!

Marcusm

Confab wrote: »

I pay half of the tax, I pay my portion of the insurance and pay for whatever fuel I use.

Sorry didn't mean to touch a nerve, just think it's a fortunate posiiton to be in. She'll have to recover the depreciation in kind!!

MetzgerMeister

I can see Confab arriving at the next motors @ midway on a scooter

galwaycyclist

650Ginge wrote: »

Good luck to you. You will get a more positive response maybe in the cycling forum.

I wouldnt count on it - be lost without my car me.

Mr Benevolent

creedp wrote: »

Well how about persuading your GF to get rid of her Corsa and stump up for half of your costs! Make this agreement before you repair the car!!

Nah the car's being repaired right now. I might as well use it until the insurance runs out. Besides, the Corsa is an auto, handier for city driving.

EPM

Are you putting a new box into it?

Mr Benevolent

EPM wrote: »

Are you putting a new box into it?

Nope, the box stays, the cutting out was a sensor problem.

Tallon

Why not buy a smaller engined, more reliable car that you won't need to put money into every month

Cheap tax, petrol, insurance etc

Mr Benevolent

Tallon wrote: »

Why not buy a smaller engined, more reliable car that you won't need to put money into every month

Cheap tax, petrol, insurance etc

I have a 1L Corsa sitting in the car park, it'd only make a difference of about €700 per year.

Tallon

Only? That's a lot of money!

Also, maybe if it wasn't sitting up, you might be a few hundred quid up again?!

Anan1

@ Confab - What exactly is the extra benefit to you of having your own car rather than borrowing the gf's one? The more exactly you can nail that down, the easier it'll be to choose between it and the extra money.

ciotog

galwaycyclist wrote: »

I wouldnt count on it - be lost without my car me.

It's funny I've been thinking about a thread - 'Weekend car' for a cyclist. Wouldn't give up my daily bike commute but wouldn't mind a car for some weekend journeys. That and I'll be 35 soon and haven't held a licence (lots and lots of work travel abroad since Uni and lived in Singapore for 7 years - not anti-motoring reasons)

unkel

ottostreet wrote: »

So...in other words...

cars aren't an interest of yours?

Spending a quarter of a low income on something you don't really need is lunacy imho

Quazzie

So you went from a Corsa, to an Alfa, and now back to your Girlfriends Corsa. Was it worth it?

Also the image of you on a scooter just makes me giggle uncontrollably.

Mr Benevolent

Anan1 wrote: »

@ Confab - What exactly is the extra benefit to you of having your own car rather than borrowing the gf's one? The more exactly you can nail that down, the easier it'll be to choose between it and the extra money.

A good question. Thinking about it, the only real extra benefit is that I can get up 45 mins later and I can get to the shops in 7 mins instead of 20. I don't travel long distances and don't carry heavy or bulky stuff. The illusory befits are much longer, but in reality it's a big and costly toy.

So you went from a Corsa, to an Alfa, and now back to your Girlfriends Corsa. Was it worth it?

Not really.

Spending a quarter of a low income on something you don't really need is lunacy imho

As much as I hate to admit it, you're bang on the money. Literally.

no1beemerfan

If you can cope with just the Gf's car then do it. The fact you were killing the Alfa by not being able to afford basic maintance means that that wasn't a car you should keep. Also I think your Corsa was past its use by date and was costing a bit in maintance too so get rid of them and try it for a while with just the GF's car and see how you go.

Quazzie

Quazzie wrote: »

So you went from a Corsa, to an Alfa, and now back to your Girlfriends Corsa. Was it worth it? ...............

Confab wrote: »

...............

Not really.

...................

Worth it for the experience alone I reckon

Big Nasty

Mother. Of. God! :eek::eek::eek:

conzy

I think everybody thinks about this from time to time.. I put a full tank in the 325 most weeks and the tax is €25 a week so you could say it costs nearly €500 a month to keep the car on the road. Then I start thinking of all the things I could buy with this €500, but I wouldn't have €500, I would drink it, spend it on consumer electronics I dont need and buy expensive lunches everyday and have no car! I used to go out every single saturday night and spend 80 euro or more on drink and spend all day sunday nursing a hangover.. Having a nice car and not feeling shíte every single sunday is great!

Every time I put the shoe in on a nice twisty road it makes me smile and its worth every penny

I Was VB

TBH if i didnt need a car for work chances are i wouldnt have one i'd be back on the bike. The two sorepoints for me are motor tax and petrol.

161.9 for a litre of petol is criminality, as for motortax if my motor tax wasnt 88pa i wouldnt tax it, as for me paying the best part of €700 for a year for a 2.0 car makes my blood boil the roads are in ****e too.

OP if ya can do it do it. More money for taxi fares too. The motorist in this country gets lubed and bent over over a table more times than eastern european in a appartment.

barura

Confab, if you want to do that, I say go ahead! I mean, cycling will improve your health, less worries in general and the only problem with your plan is that if the lady and you break up (heaven forbid) you will be left without a jammer.

All the same, I've started to cycle in and out of town recently to the tune of 40km a day. Just a fair bit of warning, get a comfy seat on your bike. It hurts like hell if you don't got one!

One more thing, do you have your full license yet? That makes a big difference. I can't remember if you have one or not now that I think about it....

Ardennes1944

What happens if you and the gf break up though?

If himself and herself break up he can buy something again, little point in spending €3000/annum on a car on the off chance that his relationship breaks up chaps. Just don't spend too much of the savings on herself Confab :pac: