Artkansas 

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.

Roody

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!

Alekhine

[grammarnazi]"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.[/grammarnazi]

Roody

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

Alekhine

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

jamesdenver

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.

huerro

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

cerewa

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.

WishYouWasMe

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

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

Alekhine

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

Machka 

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

2manybikes

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

deputyjones

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

2manybikes

It is. I'm open to suggestions.

deputyjones

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

Some would consider it a luxury to own a bike.

huerro

Word!

2manybikes

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.

KrisPistofferson

How many people that can afford internet access are destitute?

fat_bike_nut

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.

eofelis 

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.

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.

pj7

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.

I-Like-To-Bike

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.

2manybikes

Very true. And illegal alcohol sales too.

Artkansas 

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

lima_bean

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

very few of them bicycle however.