Living Without a Car (1 Year Update)
#life 3 min.
I sold my car a year ago with no plans to replace it. I already explained why here. Read it first, or this update will not make much sense.
The numbers
This is what we, a family of two, spent on transportation in the last 12 months. Drumroll:
- Bolt ride-hailing, scooters: €339.04 (100 rides)
- CityBee car-sharing: €219.81 (18 rides)
- Spark car-sharing: €183.46 (39 rides)
- Train tickets: €115.6 (4 tickets)
- Public transport: €63.7 (98 tickets)
- Skok: €6.53 (2 rides)
- Total: €928.14 (€77.35 per month)
For context, car ownership over 5 previous years cost us €10,825 (or €180.42 per month).
Findings
The experiment went better than expected. Living without a car in Vilnius is a non-issue.
As expected, it was cheaper. However, I was still surprised how much cheaper it was.
It was also far more convenient than expected. I hate driving in the cities, so never missed that. Not having to deal with parking is worth it alone.
As for going beyond the city, we rented cars and occasionally used trains. Turns out there are major discounts during public holidays - we got a Corolla from CityBee for all three Christmas days with 400 km included and it cost us just 124 euros.
I didn’t expect we’d use public transport so much. Turns out I prefer taking the bus from the airport, or riding a few stops back from the old town when we’re too lazy to walk. It helps that we live next to some major stops and routes.
Ride availability wasn’t a problem even once. Someone usually picks us up in 2-3 minutes.
We spent almost twice as much on transportation during winter than we did in summer - 101eur vs 54eur per month. That’s because we stopped biking and walked less. Biking is still my favorite way to get around the city, but that does not apply to everyone.
Bolt entered the car-sharing market just this week, offering hundreds of cars at an aggressive pricing. At this point Vilnius probably has the most ride-hailing and car-sharing providers per capita in Europe. 2023 is shaping up to be another great year to ditch the car.
What’s next?
At this point, I only see myself getting a car in two cases.
I could get a car as a weekend toy. My motorcycle holds that position for now.
I would get a car if there was a significant lifestyle change. If we moved to the countryside, or got into hobbies that require hauling lots of stuff, that sort of thing.
Both can happen, but I don’t think it will be soon. I’ll write another blog post if it does.