Machka 

It is worth looking into what options there are ...exploring the possibilities ... even just to rule out all the ones that aren't viable.

jfowler85

You're right. Real life, internet...eh, it's all the same thing.

jfowler85

Ekdog completely missed what I was getting at; I don't think there is any myth and I wouldn't call $80k in NYC good money. Hell, here in the midwest $100-150k/yr is the upper end of middle class.

Dahon.Steve

I agree but the majority of the population does not make 100K a year. The statistics provided by the Internal Revenue Service give a bleak picture of what people make in this country.

My feeling has always been that we need to look at the carfree life as a necessity for those who are not making great money.



>>>>> U.S. real (inflation adjusted) median household income was $51,939 in 2013 versus $51,759 in 2012, statistically unchanged.
In 2013, real median household income was 8.0 percent lower than in 2007, the year before the latest recession.
Real median household income averaged $50,781 from 1964-2013, ranging from a low of $43,558 in 1967 to a high of $56,895 in 1999.[11]

jfowler85

The median wage of around the mid 50s, considering most of the US, in the context of the entire world, is not bleak.

Rob_E

I think this is pretty much it. Which is to say that you see the appeal of a car-free life, and you look for ways to make that happen, or you don't feel that being car-free offers enough to make it worthwhile to pursue. There is certainly a car-centric attitude in the US, and it seem like an insurmountable challenge to go without. Certainly we can find places/situations where having a car can have a profound affect on your situation, but I also think that for many people, going car-free is an option.

For my part, relying on a car was a source of stress. With low-paying jobs, it was easy to run into a car repair situation that required a significant amount of funds. I appreciated the freedom of movement that came with owning a car, but also felt like I was on the edge of a financial disaster should the car ever fail. But I found that if I made it a priority to arrange work and home to be close enough to reach without a car, it could be done. Even while doing this, I failed to realize how easy it would be to go car-free. I had the mindset that you had to have a car, so even while I made certain that losing my car wouldn't mean losing my job, I still struggled to always have a car because I considered it to be essential. Looking back I can see that there were many points in my life, most of it, really, where the car was a pure luxury, and one that caused more stress than gave benefit. It's probably been about five years now since I ditched the car (there is still my wife's car available, so I am really "car light"), and I won't say that it's been without challenge or regret, but on the whole I am happier, and have learned how surprisingly easy and pleasant it can be to get around other ways.

It's been a positive change for me, and also eye-opening. As someone who has always biked, often lived in areas with decent transportation systems, and sometimes resented the hassle of owning a car, I still took a long time to realize that I didn't actually need the car. I think that may say something about how car-centric it is here. But I do think it doesn't have to be.

Walter S

Most of your options suck.