Owning a car doesn't have to be expensive, either. I have a 1991 Ford Escort that I purchased for $750, and have done all the maintenance and repair work myself. Cost of ownership prior to the clutch going out was $6,700 for 2.5 years & 22,500 miles of use. I was tracking every penny I spent on the car - insurance, gas, floormats, air filters, belts & hoses, - everything.

Cost of ownership was $7.80/day or $0.30/mile according to my spreadsheet.

Now, if I could only get motivated to work on the clutch, I wouldn't have to spend so much money driving my truck around.