by Amanda Combs and Matt Eastwood
Like most people, my spouse and I want to have as little negative impact on our environment as possible. We have energy efficient appliances, are careful about water consumption, conserve electricity whenever possible, recycle…all the easy things everyone can do.
About two years ago, however, we were faced with a change that could actually be inconvenient. Here we were, living in sunny, warm, small Santa Barbara; the perfect place to be outside…walking or biking…to work. For six years we each relied on separate cars that mostly served to take us back and forth to our respective jobs. When we relocated to the downtown area to be closer to work, shopping and restaurants, there was no way to justify driving such short distances, maintaining and paying for two vehicles.
We knew that we’d drive less, pollute less and be in better shape with one car. Looking back after two years, it seems so easy; we can’t even see why we ever had two! While it worked out splendidly for us, there are things to consider before making this change.
Finally, the financial benefit is huge. We owned one vehicle outright but were paying on the other. Factor in maintenance, gas, tags, and insurance and we calculated a savings of $8,000 per year! That amount is now probably low given the high cost of gasoline. This savings offsets the extra money we spend living downtown.
If you’ve thought about all of these things and think you’re a one car household, do a trial run with one car for about two weeks and see how it goes. You’ll probably find that making a change is good!
Ask yourself:
1. Proximity to work. Can you honestly say you will walk, ride or take the bus consistently?
2. Proximity to shops. Are the places you frequent within walking distance or on your way to or from a regular driving destination?
3. Weekend activities. Do you need two vehicles on the weekend due to dissimilar agendas?
4. Travel. Can you manage without a car if the person you share it with takes it on a trip?
5. Alternatives. If you are without a car when you need one, how will you manage? Share a ride? Take the bus? Rent a car?
6. Work responsibility. Does your work provide a car? Do you drive a lot for work?
7. Flexibility. Will there be too much conflict when more than one person needs the car?
www.getenergized.org
