Living Car Free - Newer to no car thing

Id like to know how you guys do it? I live in Philly and cant seem to stop using my car? Mostly because my wife has a fit (rightly so I guess) because she has to do most of the driving :o I need advise on slowly nreraking into this :)

I think the only way to get around it is to pick up your share of the errands and to avoid bumming rides. After all, you're not car free if you're just getting someone else to do the driving.

For me, going car light has been a steady progression, an evolution. Each year or every few months, I found ways to reduce my need of a car a little more. But I had to discover those things for myself.

Start by planning your trips. Instead of making multiple trips by car to go to the gym, the grocery store and the video store for example, find a way to combine all three into one. Better yet, if you can run your errands on your way home from work, you'll save even more fuel.

Eventually, you'll try to use your bike instead of the car for short-distance light errands and from there, it's a challenge to see how seldom you need to use your car. Depending on your own circumstances and on what's available, you may opt for walking or transit as well as the bike as you look for other alternatives to vehicle use.

I've found the best way to find car-light solutions is to make it a game. Keep a record of how often you need to buy gas and then see how long you can go on a tank. And if you find a friend and compete with him or her, you'll both be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Good luck. You're in for an exciting transition period.

Plan.Plan,Plan, wake up and become more active in your life. Pay attention to the things that you do. Are you shopping for things that you don't need? Are you in a rush to get to nowhere? When you are commuting by bike you have to pay attention to the weather, the terran, what are you getting ready to do, etc. The benefits outweigh the negative (I can't think of any) Get rid of the car you will be grateful that you did.

Gas, the price of a can of beans.

Freeze your car keys in the middle of a big block of ice. If you really need the car, you can melt the ice to get the keys out. But by the time you do that, it would be quicker to just ride your bike instead. ;)

Seriously, any habit is hard to break and bad habits (like driving) are the hardest to change. It might help if you could give us a few more details about what makes it hard for you to give up your car, even though you say that you really want to. :)

Take a "Road 1" course from the League of American Bicyclists.

Build your fitness until you can ride a century while yawning and reading a bike in under 6 hours.

Buy a burley flatbed trailer and a 45 gallon rubbermaid tub to put on top of it.

Do not bum rides from people. There is nothing worse than being car free and yet bumming rides from people. Its like that guy who refuses to own a cell phone but borrows yours all the time.

opps....that guy might be me : )

OK, Im taking most of the advise given, I gave my car away to my oldest daughter and Im starting to build a winter bike, I havnt gotten a burley flatbed trailer and a 45 gallon rubbermaid tub to put on top of it yet but I will get something along those lines some day soon, Im going to take it slow and steady so I dont kill myself :D Ive been blessed with an early retirement so most of the time Ill just be riding for normal everyday things, Im trying to have a bike for just about every occasion and to do so Im going to have to try to have at least three muti purpose bikes :) Ill try to keep every one updated on my progress :)