Living Car Free - curious... how many car-free folks are destitute

or wealthy...

wondering if financial issues play a big part in your carlessness...

no need for exact incomes or whatever.

I'm filthy rich. Cars just suck. How bout U?

I live in a canyon and eat dead animals practically every day.

I have a comfortable and affordable roof over my head, clothes on my back, and killer food in my belly.......I cant say im destitute.

being car free is saving me about $1000 per month vs my life with a car with no loss of income being car free

what bout sex, pedex? Don't forget that. Even if it's just a blowup doll, that counts!

The eleven years I was car free I was either on a perfect bus route, or putting wifey through Engineering school, or buying a house on a single paycheck. You don't need to be broke, just one of the modern poor.

My income is near the median for the U.S. I'm not wealthy, but I can buy a new bike any time I freaking want, dammit. I chose not to have a car mainly for environmental reasons, but the savings are a nice bonus. I don't have a car to pay for, and have absolutely no debt aside from the mortgage, so I guess I actually live quite a bit better than most people who have cars. Nyah, nyah. :p

wondering if financial issues play a big part in your carlessness...
I'm early retired. My income is way below the median, but so are my expenses.

A big issue for early retirees is the cost of health insurance, which must usually be bought on an individual basis. What I save from not owning a car approximately pays for my private health insurance. In a very real sense, becoming carfree was a decisive factor for being able to retire early. So my answer is yes, financial considerations played a part.

The wife just despises my riding pastime; I ride to slum it with the great unwashed.

The wife just despises my riding pastime; I ride to slum it with the great unwashed.

The great car-free unwashed? What, all seven of us?

I don't have to ride to save $$, the train is only 75 a month that's about all that my budget allows for, but I would rater change my griptape color weekly than spend it on trans.

I used to be doing well. Now, the money in my wallet is all from a cash advance service. So yeah, you could say cash is tight.

But I'd be car-free even if I lived in the Taj-Mahal! :D

yup.. i'm a student and i made approx. -$15,000 this year... :o

I am a student now and I would be destitute if I had to either keep a cheap car running or pay for a newer one, but I do alright without all those added costs. When a bike is simply not practical, I'll either rent a car,(for long trips on business,) carpool, or ride my Honda scooter,(80-100 miles per gallon.) I do okay being car-free.

...

I'm pretty much middle class. We budget well, and I could easily own a car if I wanted to. But I chose to put that money on retirement and my son's future education. Not to mention a rainy day fund.

Car-free generally makes sense depending on your income level. I just calculated a budget sheet for myself when I move out to live on my own. There is no way I am going to get a job that'll pay for rent, utilities, food, AND a car (which brings in its own expenses...depreciation, gas, maintenance/repairs, insurance which is insanely high for me because I'm under 26 years old, etc.). I simply don't have the education level or the work experience that'll allow it right now. If I drop the car, I find that I have an extra $300 or so left at the end of the month (which is pretty good when you consider that this on an income of like $26,000-$28,000 a year after taxes and my personal expenditures on food).

I have been car free in the past and it was the absolute best choice at the time. I plan to be car free in the future too. Currently my vehicle costs are covered by my company. If that every stops it will get parked ASAP.

Aaron:)

Money is not part of the plot for me. I am a former spoiled brat descended from one of the oldest wealthy families in America. I make an above-average but not obscene income at two quite ordinary home-based jobs, I hoard well, and I do well in terms of compounded interest.

My really worthy possessions are a modest 1996 Steinway M piano, a few antiques, these four bicycles, and an again modest 1970s Ericson cabin cruiser sloop (that's technically not mine but my father's), but I don't really plan on buying much more in my lifetime other than perhaps some nice old '50s and '60s English club/road-path bicycles from the reputable builders. My eye for one seems always open of late. :p

Car free by choice. I live a simple life because I choose to. My bank account reflects these decisions as the money just keeps growing and growing. Time for another vacation I think.

i dont spend much so i dont have to work much.....by being flat broke i am still 'wealthier' than a majority of americans because i have NO debt.

i dont spend much so i dont have to work much.....by being flat broke i am still 'wealthier' than a majority of americans because i have NO debt.

+1

Aaron:)

i dont spend much so i dont have to work much.....by being flat broke i am still 'wealthier' than a majority of americans because i have NO debt.
Is that a vote for destitute?:rolleyes:

i dont spend much so i dont have to work much.....by being flat broke i am still 'wealthier' than a majority of americans because i have NO debt.


To me, the term wealthy indicates the posession of income producing assets.
The term to which you are referring to is "Net Worth", assets - liabilities= net worth.
It is quie possible to have a lot of income producing assets, supported by a heavy debt burden, and yet have lots of positive cash flow. In fact, this is the model used by most real estate investors who invest in rental property. By carrying a heavy debt load, one can purchase more property than otherwise possible and thus produce more income.

Now, to answer the OP's question, I am not car free, I am car lite, and I am easily in the upper ranges of the wage earners and I have a net worth which is approaching the 7 digit range.

I'm piss poor broke, and if I could afford a car I would have one for the sake of my wife. For myself I have found that life is better without a car, and even better without a job. I love living off the old lady.

Nope, I've been pedaling since my weekly allowance was 25 cents.

But bicycling has always been an aid financially. It made the difference when I first moved out on my own and had no car but I did have a minimum wage job.

It helped when my ex- and I were trying to survive out in the desert. She got the car and I rode the bike. She pushed me to get a car until I had her do the math and she realized that my bicycling was the only thing keeping us in the black.

It helped in paying off the debts from my divorce. About $20,000 in two years.

Is that a vote for destitute?:rolleyes:
I used to live in a fridge box and get my food from a dumpster. But then I decided to just sleep in the dumpster and save the commute. Going boxfree was the best move I ever made! ;)

Seriously, I'm not wealthy like you, but I'm "comfortable." By not having a car, I'm able to work one less day a week. I work overtime only to help out, not because I need the money. So I have lots more time for cycling and other pursuits!

Contrary to ILTB's bigoted misperception of carfree living, I have a better living standard because I choose not to have a car. I never was all that keen on self-sacrifice!

By not having a car, I'm able to work one less day a week.

"Fewer." Use "less" for things that can't be counted, like milk or paper. Use "fewer" for anything that can be numbered, like bottles of milk, reams of paper, or days can.

:)

"Fewer." Use "less" for things that can't be counted, like milk or paper. Use "fewer" for anything that can be numbered, like bottles of milk, reams of paper, or days can.

:)
Days can be counted? I just live them, one ream at a time.

Days can be counted? I just live them, one ream at a time.

You'd still use "fewer" with "ream," unfortunately, and by using "one" you are beginning the count, whether you continue it or not! :D

I'm with Cosmo. No debt (except for house). My home has 30k in equity and my 401k is plugging away for me.

I work 40-45 hours a week at my regular job, and have a p/t weekend job that only require a few hours of time for a decent amount of spending money.

I'm not a miser - I like good restaurants and traveling, but I watch every penny I spend and selectively spend. Most of what I spend is for "experience" type things. Theatre, travel, dining, flying lessons, rather than material stuff like expensive clothes or plasma TVs.

The eleven years I was car free I was either on a perfect bus route, or putting wifey through Engineering school, or buying a house on a single paycheck. You don't need to be broke, just one of the modern poor.

Wow...you have a very strange idea of poor...modern or otherwise.

curious... how many car-free folks are destitute

Just to put this in perspective...

despite what we first-world people see in our daily lives (and, usually, our far-from-home vacations too) most of the world's people are "destitute" by our standards, and the vast majority of them are car-free.

Me, I'm not doing great financially- I have plenty of school debt and I don't make much money. I don't own a car. I think I could own a car, barely. But I would have to be willing to accept a lot more debt.

I'm not really 100% car-free, though, because my partner has a car and we use it every month or so. She and her mom cover all of its costs, except that I pay for gas on the rare occasion that it actually needs any.

I am a former spoiled brat descended from one of the oldest wealthy families in America.

If I had a nickel for everytime I heard that.....

One guy at my old school said his father invented the toaster strudel.

If I had a nickel for everytime I heard that.....

One guy at my old school said his father invented the toaster strudel.

Yeah, lots of people are full of it. :/

When I was car-free for 7 years, I was much better off than I am now. Definitely NOT destitute.

How many that are truly destitute have a computer and pay for an internet connection?

How many that are truly destitute have a computer and pay for an internet connection?

+1, "Truly Destitute" is a pretty relative term.

+1, "Truly Destitute" is a pretty relative term.

It is. I'm open to suggestions.

It is. I'm open to suggestions.

http://www.savedarfur.org/pages/background

Some would consider it a luxury to own a bike.

Just to put this in perspective...

despite what we first-world people see in our daily lives (and, usually, our far-from-home vacations too) most of the world's people are "destitute" by our standards, and the vast majority of them are car-free.

Me, I'm not doing great financially- I have plenty of school debt and I don't make much money. I don't own a car. I think I could own a car, barely. But I would have to be willing to accept a lot more debt.

I'm not really 100% car-free, though, because my partner has a car and we use it every month or so. She and her mom cover all of its costs, except that I pay for gas on the rare occasion that it actually needs any.

Word!

http://www.savedarfur.org/pages/background


:beer:

That certainly qualifies. It's a better description than I had in mind.

Not many of them will vote in this poll. :)

I don't mean to make light of a very serious problem there. It's very sad.

How many people that can afford internet access are destitute?

How many people that can afford internet access are destitute?

Maybe the library still takes their membership cards? I remember Roody saying something about using his public library's computers to access the internet a while back.

How many that are truly destitute have a computer and pay for an internet connection?

My internet connection is free through the college. I'm a non-trad f/t student. It's slow dial-up, but the price is right. This computer is 3-4 yrs old, but it serves our needs.

Not car-free here, but car-lite. My 15 yo Subaru has been cheap to keep and is still reliable enough for road trips. Other expenses in my life are few. No debts or big responsibilities.:o

I have no real assets, very low income, and a bit of money saved. I guess I'd be called "poor." :(

But "poor" is merely an attitude.:D

I'm very wealthy, when it comes to the things that "really" make a man wealthy. I have a good family, a good job, healthy kids, etc.
As far as money goes, I'm doing pretty good, more than some, less than some. But my lifestyle choice is DEFINATELY not due to lack of money. But it does play a role in me having a lack of debt, of any kind.

If I had a nickel for everytime I heard that.....

One guy at my old school said his father invented the toaster strudel.
There was a lot of money made in the early days in beaver pelts, whaling and importing slaves. I'm sure some descendents are still worry free because of family trusts built on those early fortunes.

There was a lot of money made in the early days in beaver pelts, whaling and importing slaves. I'm sure some decedents are still worry free because of family trusts built on those early fortunes.

Very true. And illegal alcohol sales too.

How many that are truly destitute have a computer and pay for an internet connection?

You can be homeless and have library internet connections. Duh!

Most of the car-free people I know are high-paid professionals making above the national average.

very few of them bicycle however.