Can you imagine life without a car? If you are one of the 89 percent of American households with one or more car, it can be difficult to fathom not having one. If you’re looking for a way to save money and even improve your physical health, ditching at least one of your vehicles might be the answer you’ve been searching for. Here are just five benefits to a life without wheels:
1.No More Car Payments
If you own your car, you don’t have the worry of making a car payment each month. What if you financed or leased your vehicle? The average monthly car payment is over $300. Over a year’s time, you’ll have spent at least $3,000 just to own a car. What else could you use that money for? In today’s economy, $3,000 can be put to better use than owning a second, or third, car.
2.No Worrying About Gas
Are you one of the millions of people that keep an eagle eye on the cost of gas? Do rising gas costs cause you to worry about how often and how far you can drive without ruining your budget? Think of never having that worry again. It’s quite simple: With no car, there’s no need for gas. Once you get used to getting where you need to go without a car of your own, the cost of gas will have no effect on your lifestyle.
3.A Bank Account in the Black
Think of all that you are financially responsible for when you own a car. You must pay for auto insurance, gas, routine maintenance and, at times, major repairs. Sit down and calculate how much you really pay for your car each year. You may even find that not having a car saves you money in other ways. For instance, how likely are you going to be to pedal your bike through the drive-thru instead of cooking dinner at home?
4.Improved Health
If you don’t have a car, how are you going to get to your destination? If you live in the city, you may choose to walk or ride your bike. Consider the health benefits of commuting this way. Doctors recommend at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day. There’s no doubt that you can get meet these requirements simply getting yourself to and from work when you don’t have a car.
5.A Greener Life
Unless you own a hybrid, you’re polluting the environment each time you start your engine. If you want to adopt a greener lifestyle, selling your car is one of the best things that you can do. No longer will you be heavily contributing to air pollution and energy consumption as you once were. When you sell your car to a company that recycles its parts, you’ll be making a positive impact on the environment that we all share.
It can be difficult to image life without four wheels. How will you get where you’re going? How will you survive? The good news is this: millions of people get through their daily lives without the benefit of a vehicle. While it will take some getting used to, and you’ll need to organize your time carefully, you can live without a car.
Blogger Kevin Conklin is a guest writer for www.sellthatcar.com where you can learn more tips on selling your car and living car-free.
