Is Selling The Second Car Worth It?
September 11, 2010 2:07 AM Subscribe
Thinking about going down to one car from two. Should we do it?
Husband has a car that may fetch around a 8000-10,000 Blue Book price.
We have another car as well. Both cars are fairly new and reliable, and almost nearly paid off.
Husband works day shift, I work nights. Theoretically we only need one car. He would drive it to work in the morning, come home, then pass it to me, to drive to work at night. We rarely use the cars when we are home from work. All our shopping we do on the weekends.
He would like to sell his car and put it towards an early payment on our mortgage (we are in the first year of a 200K loan) as well as save on insurance and registration fees.
I am not so sure. We have public transportation in our small town, but it's not that great. I worry that this is going to make any infrequent doctor's appointments or vet appointments or emergencies or work-related meetings be a huge pain in the ass (such things may happen about once or twice a month).
No kids (and not planning to have any at all), but we have dogs, and though they are in fine health, I wonder if we ever have an emergency, how the heck the person at home is supposed to get them to the emergency vet.
My husband thinks if I need the car on a certain day, he can just bike to work (maybe a 20-30 minute ride.) I am totally against this because neither of us have health insurance at the moment.
Anyone have any experiences with going from a two-car-household to one-car-household they'd like to share?
Are we going to regret selling our second car? Again, though it rarely seems like we ever need both of them at once, I am worried it's going to be a huge headache those times we DO need two.
Any advice appreciated, thanks!
Husband has a car that may fetch around a 8000-10,000 Blue Book price.
We have another car as well. Both cars are fairly new and reliable, and almost nearly paid off.
Husband works day shift, I work nights. Theoretically we only need one car. He would drive it to work in the morning, come home, then pass it to me, to drive to work at night. We rarely use the cars when we are home from work. All our shopping we do on the weekends.
He would like to sell his car and put it towards an early payment on our mortgage (we are in the first year of a 200K loan) as well as save on insurance and registration fees.
I am not so sure. We have public transportation in our small town, but it's not that great. I worry that this is going to make any infrequent doctor's appointments or vet appointments or emergencies or work-related meetings be a huge pain in the ass (such things may happen about once or twice a month).
No kids (and not planning to have any at all), but we have dogs, and though they are in fine health, I wonder if we ever have an emergency, how the heck the person at home is supposed to get them to the emergency vet.
My husband thinks if I need the car on a certain day, he can just bike to work (maybe a 20-30 minute ride.) I am totally against this because neither of us have health insurance at the moment.
Anyone have any experiences with going from a two-car-household to one-car-household they'd like to share?
Are we going to regret selling our second car? Again, though it rarely seems like we ever need both of them at once, I am worried it's going to be a huge headache those times we DO need two.
Any advice appreciated, thanks!
My partner and I went from two cars down to one, however, we live in a city with awesome public transportation and tons of bike lanes. I have to say, were it not for easily accessible public modes of transport, having one car would blow.
posted by AlliKat75 at 2:19 AM on September 11, 2010
posted by AlliKat75 at 2:19 AM on September 11, 2010
The compromise (which is what we do in our house), is to have an old, cheap second car with only collision insurance on it. Which is of negligible cost-- you own it, you're not worried about depreciation, the insurance costs very little and maintenance is cheap because you're not using it often. "One and a half car family."
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:48 AM on September 11, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:48 AM on September 11, 2010 [6 favorites]
This is somewhat dependent on your area. Where I live, I would never even attempt such a thing. It's one vehicle per person out here in the sticks, and said vehicle is a truck. However, there are some points to consider:
A) You are, in your own words, "in the first year of a 200K loan." While it seems sensible at first to put dents in that.....look at it this way. Assuming you get 8K for the car, which is, frankly a long shot, that doesn't even put a dent in that loan, long-term. It just doesn't.
B) You will not get 8,000 for that car. You'd be lucky to get 6K for a BB listing of 8K. Blue Book says what it *should* be worth, not what someone would actually give you for it. Always round way, way down from the BB price.
C) Neither of you have health insurance. That means that neither one of you should be putting yourself at any greater risk than you absolutely have to. That means, unfortunately, no biking to work. Do you know how much a broken bone costs without health insurance? It costs two of those 8K cars. It costs so much worry, skimping and bullshit. I've been there, and you don't want to be.
Keep the car. If you're not using it that much, then you're not spending much gas money on it. But you need to keep yourselves safe, functional, and reliable should something happen. Best of luck, and I hope you never need to use it.
posted by deep thought sunstar at 2:51 AM on September 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
A) You are, in your own words, "in the first year of a 200K loan." While it seems sensible at first to put dents in that.....look at it this way. Assuming you get 8K for the car, which is, frankly a long shot, that doesn't even put a dent in that loan, long-term. It just doesn't.
B) You will not get 8,000 for that car. You'd be lucky to get 6K for a BB listing of 8K. Blue Book says what it *should* be worth, not what someone would actually give you for it. Always round way, way down from the BB price.
C) Neither of you have health insurance. That means that neither one of you should be putting yourself at any greater risk than you absolutely have to. That means, unfortunately, no biking to work. Do you know how much a broken bone costs without health insurance? It costs two of those 8K cars. It costs so much worry, skimping and bullshit. I've been there, and you don't want to be.
Keep the car. If you're not using it that much, then you're not spending much gas money on it. But you need to keep yourselves safe, functional, and reliable should something happen. Best of luck, and I hope you never need to use it.
posted by deep thought sunstar at 2:51 AM on September 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
There's a third form of transport which may be available to you: taxis.
Sure, taxis appear expensive on a per trip basis, but if you're only using a car occasionally, the annual costs of running lightly used car (insurance, maintenance, taxes etc etc) can make using a taxi instead very competitive.
posted by pharm at 3:10 AM on September 11, 2010 [4 favorites]
Sure, taxis appear expensive on a per trip basis, but if you're only using a car occasionally, the annual costs of running lightly used car (insurance, maintenance, taxes etc etc) can make using a taxi instead very competitive.
posted by pharm at 3:10 AM on September 11, 2010 [4 favorites]
I was coming in to say taxis as well. Figure out how much insurance, repairs, etc. on that second car costs you. Then figure out how much it would cost to take a taxi to the doctor or the vet or to work once a month. The answer to whether or not it makes sense depends on what turns out to be more expensive.
posted by cider at 3:56 AM on September 11, 2010
posted by cider at 3:56 AM on September 11, 2010
Are there any car-share services in your area? Like Zipcar? They allow you to book a car on the days when you know ahead of time that you'll need it, not sure how much notice they need though.
Extra payments on your home loan: check a home loan calculator. My understanding is that (for example) a $5000 extra payment in the first year or two of a home loan can knock $25,000 off the total paid over the lifetime of the loan, because you won't be paying interest on that amount for 20 years.
posted by harriet vane at 4:26 AM on September 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Extra payments on your home loan: check a home loan calculator. My understanding is that (for example) a $5000 extra payment in the first year or two of a home loan can knock $25,000 off the total paid over the lifetime of the loan, because you won't be paying interest on that amount for 20 years.
posted by harriet vane at 4:26 AM on September 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Why not test-drive this idea, as it were? Park one of the cars for, say, two weeks, and see what it's like for the two of you to get around with only one car.
posted by shiny blue object at 4:46 AM on September 11, 2010 [9 favorites]
posted by shiny blue object at 4:46 AM on September 11, 2010 [9 favorites]
Why not trade down to an efficient, low expense, older car ?
posted by lobstah at 4:58 AM on September 11, 2010
posted by lobstah at 4:58 AM on September 11, 2010
Random thoughts:
Even if you are very young, medical insurance should come first (presumably you are in the USA), even if "catastrophe" insurance. One increment of bad luck can set you back for decades.
I don't think you mentioned how many miles/year go onto the cars right now - I assume not many. But if a lot, consider hibernating one of the cars to save insurance and other ongoing costs. Use up the first car, then bring #2 out of hibernation.
Of course you will need a place to put it, and some jurisdictions may proscribe unregistered vehicles even on your own property. Proper hibernation takes a little work.
Just a personal reaction, I like the 1.5 car idea; an old beater can last a long time if lightly driven.
You didn't mention how hard it would be for you/spouse to return from work with the car for emergencies? And would your husband actually bike to work (with insurance) or would this be a point of contention each time ? Could you drive your husband to work one day a week (or whatever) to have the car during the day?
If it is a difficult decision, then there is the old rule of thumb: probably either decision is "ok."
posted by Kevin S at 5:21 AM on September 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Even if you are very young, medical insurance should come first (presumably you are in the USA), even if "catastrophe" insurance. One increment of bad luck can set you back for decades.
I don't think you mentioned how many miles/year go onto the cars right now - I assume not many. But if a lot, consider hibernating one of the cars to save insurance and other ongoing costs. Use up the first car, then bring #2 out of hibernation.
Of course you will need a place to put it, and some jurisdictions may proscribe unregistered vehicles even on your own property. Proper hibernation takes a little work.
Just a personal reaction, I like the 1.5 car idea; an old beater can last a long time if lightly driven.
You didn't mention how hard it would be for you/spouse to return from work with the car for emergencies? And would your husband actually bike to work (with insurance) or would this be a point of contention each time ? Could you drive your husband to work one day a week (or whatever) to have the car during the day?
If it is a difficult decision, then there is the old rule of thumb: probably either decision is "ok."
posted by Kevin S at 5:21 AM on September 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
You'd save money on registration and insurance, but the remaining car would depreciate faster, require more frequent maintenance and need to be replaced sooner.
How likely is it that your work schedules will stay as they are? If neither of you have health insurance then I'd guess that you're likely to look for better jobs as soon as that's feasible. If you need to re-acquire a second car anytime soon, then the transaction costs (sales tax, dealer profit) could erase any short-term gains you'd made.
This is a complicated question with a lot of variables. I don't think you're likely to save a ton of money this way, but you could save some. Subjectively, how much would you have to save to make the inconvenience worthwhile?
posted by jon1270 at 5:31 AM on September 11, 2010
How likely is it that your work schedules will stay as they are? If neither of you have health insurance then I'd guess that you're likely to look for better jobs as soon as that's feasible. If you need to re-acquire a second car anytime soon, then the transaction costs (sales tax, dealer profit) could erase any short-term gains you'd made.
This is a complicated question with a lot of variables. I don't think you're likely to save a ton of money this way, but you could save some. Subjectively, how much would you have to save to make the inconvenience worthwhile?
posted by jon1270 at 5:31 AM on September 11, 2010
It depends on your town and how far things really are from each other, but I am a tentative "no." And if you do a test run, please wait until the "worst" season of the year (in Ohio that would be waiting till either February or next August,) because it's much easier to say you'll bike to work in 75 degree weather than 90 or 20.
I do think the beater idea has value, but you're closing in on the price of a beater with the trade-in value of your current car.
Also check to be sure there's no pre-payment penalty on your mortgage.
posted by SMPA at 6:13 AM on September 11, 2010
I do think the beater idea has value, but you're closing in on the price of a beater with the trade-in value of your current car.
Also check to be sure there's no pre-payment penalty on your mortgage.
posted by SMPA at 6:13 AM on September 11, 2010
You are, in your own words, "in the first year of a 200K loan." While it seems sensible at first to put dents in that.....look at it this way. Assuming you get 8K for the car, which is, frankly a long shot, that doesn't even put a dent in that loan, long-term. It just doesn't.
I just put some numbers into an online mortgage calculator. Assuming a $200k loan at 5.5% interest, an $8000 payment early on will mean that you will be done with the mortgage almost three years early. Maybe not life-changing, but not nothing, either.
However, while I am a big fan of aggressively paying down mortgages, I'm not quite convinced that this will work out in the long term. Sure, you can definitely manage with one car (including doctors visits, etc, as long as you are able to plan and communicate), but my guess is that after a few years the convenience of two cars will loom large and you will go back to two.
There are plenty of other options, though -- taxis, bicycles, and having a super-cheap beater as a back-up vehicle. All of those mean living with more inconvenience in exchange for saving some marginal amount of money; as jon1270 says, the tradeoffs are complex and hard to assess from the outside.
posted by Forktine at 6:42 AM on September 11, 2010
I just put some numbers into an online mortgage calculator. Assuming a $200k loan at 5.5% interest, an $8000 payment early on will mean that you will be done with the mortgage almost three years early. Maybe not life-changing, but not nothing, either.
However, while I am a big fan of aggressively paying down mortgages, I'm not quite convinced that this will work out in the long term. Sure, you can definitely manage with one car (including doctors visits, etc, as long as you are able to plan and communicate), but my guess is that after a few years the convenience of two cars will loom large and you will go back to two.
There are plenty of other options, though -- taxis, bicycles, and having a super-cheap beater as a back-up vehicle. All of those mean living with more inconvenience in exchange for saving some marginal amount of money; as jon1270 says, the tradeoffs are complex and hard to assess from the outside.
posted by Forktine at 6:42 AM on September 11, 2010
My partner and I have lived single-car for multiple years at a time, and usually found the cost/convenience trade-off very worthwhile. We weren't working opposite shifts, though.
I think you'd be OK in emergencies--in a true emergency, you're not going to mind calling a cab or paying the surcharge to have a visiting vet come see your animal at home (if you have one in your area).
However, a few years ago we got rid of a paid-off, perfectly reliable car because we just weren't driving it at all. It had literally sat in our driveway unused for several months, except once when a friend borrowed it to drive to an out-of-town wedding. Within days of getting rid of it, my partner was unexpectedly laid off from his job, and the new job he got was just far enough away that we needed a second car. It ended up costing us quite a bit more to replace the car we had just gotten rid of than we got rid of it for, the market not being flooded with excellent used cars like ours.
Having had that experience, in the future I would hesitate to get rid of a paid-off car in good running condition. There are circumstances where I wouldn't rush to buy a second car if we didn't have one, but would hold onto one if we had it and weren't making payments on it. Your circumstances, working opposite shifts and possibly having to rely on bicycle transportation when you don't have health insurance, might fall into that category for me.
posted by not that girl at 7:18 AM on September 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
I think you'd be OK in emergencies--in a true emergency, you're not going to mind calling a cab or paying the surcharge to have a visiting vet come see your animal at home (if you have one in your area).
However, a few years ago we got rid of a paid-off, perfectly reliable car because we just weren't driving it at all. It had literally sat in our driveway unused for several months, except once when a friend borrowed it to drive to an out-of-town wedding. Within days of getting rid of it, my partner was unexpectedly laid off from his job, and the new job he got was just far enough away that we needed a second car. It ended up costing us quite a bit more to replace the car we had just gotten rid of than we got rid of it for, the market not being flooded with excellent used cars like ours.
Having had that experience, in the future I would hesitate to get rid of a paid-off car in good running condition. There are circumstances where I wouldn't rush to buy a second car if we didn't have one, but would hold onto one if we had it and weren't making payments on it. Your circumstances, working opposite shifts and possibly having to rely on bicycle transportation when you don't have health insurance, might fall into that category for me.
posted by not that girl at 7:18 AM on September 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Has your husband tried public transit? I used to take the bus to and from work daily when I lived in the same town where I worked. It took more time than driving, and I don't have to be at work at a precise time, but I liked the mindless commute. It'll take longer than driving, but I rather enjoyed it. He could try it for a week, along with other single-car trials.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:13 AM on September 11, 2010
posted by filthy light thief at 8:13 AM on September 11, 2010
Can you map out for us both of your commutes? Do either of you need the car while you are at work?
You say that he can take the car, come home, give the car to you, and then you take the car to your job. If that is true, can't you go with him in the morning, drop him off, you KEEP the car all day, then pick him up and have him drop you off at work? You'd have to do the math for the increased mileage, but that might be cheaper than having 2 cars. And if you only do this a day or two a week - like when you have an appointment - then it would be even cheaper. Use taxis for emergencies on days when you don't have the car.
I also recommend that instead of paying down the mortgage, you buy some catastrophic health insurance with the car money if you sell it.
posted by CathyG at 8:44 AM on September 11, 2010
You say that he can take the car, come home, give the car to you, and then you take the car to your job. If that is true, can't you go with him in the morning, drop him off, you KEEP the car all day, then pick him up and have him drop you off at work? You'd have to do the math for the increased mileage, but that might be cheaper than having 2 cars. And if you only do this a day or two a week - like when you have an appointment - then it would be even cheaper. Use taxis for emergencies on days when you don't have the car.
I also recommend that instead of paying down the mortgage, you buy some catastrophic health insurance with the car money if you sell it.
posted by CathyG at 8:44 AM on September 11, 2010
Why? Your cars are nearly paid off. I don't see the point of selling a car, and then buying a beater, which will certainly need repairs at some point or another. The savings on insurance and taxes would seem to me to be negligible. I'd keep the cars and drive them until it's no longer cost-effective to do so.
posted by Ideefixe at 10:34 AM on September 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Ideefixe at 10:34 AM on September 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
Here's how it works for us -- we have one car. For awhile, we both worked downtown during the same hours. We would either ride the bus, usually together, or during the dark rainy months of winter, we'd actually drive in together and park in the cheapest lot we could find.
Now, he still works downtown and I do not. However, my schedule is pretty flexible. Now, he bikes to work (great workout, pretty decent route with bike lanes) or takes the bus or occasionally I drive him to work/pick him up and very occasionally, he takes the car and I'm without.
It can create inconveniences and you have to plan a bit more. I'm pretty aggressive about us maintaining an online calendar so that I know when someone needs the car. However, I feel like it has totally been worth it. We've saved money. It's encouraged biking. Our car is all paid off in part because of the decreased amount we were spending on insurance/maintenance.
Now, we're about to become a 1.5 car family as we're having a kid this winter and the hassles of the one-car thing seem too annoying. We are buying a car for cheap from a family member so we'll still have no car payment. Hopefully, in a year, we can go back to one car + cargo bike! Heh.
Also, I agree with everyone: you need some sort of health insurance. Biking is really not inherently more dangerous than driving though obviously it depends on your area but if selling the car can buy you both some limited health insurance, that might be worth it.
posted by amanda at 10:57 AM on September 11, 2010
Now, he still works downtown and I do not. However, my schedule is pretty flexible. Now, he bikes to work (great workout, pretty decent route with bike lanes) or takes the bus or occasionally I drive him to work/pick him up and very occasionally, he takes the car and I'm without.
It can create inconveniences and you have to plan a bit more. I'm pretty aggressive about us maintaining an online calendar so that I know when someone needs the car. However, I feel like it has totally been worth it. We've saved money. It's encouraged biking. Our car is all paid off in part because of the decreased amount we were spending on insurance/maintenance.
Now, we're about to become a 1.5 car family as we're having a kid this winter and the hassles of the one-car thing seem too annoying. We are buying a car for cheap from a family member so we'll still have no car payment. Hopefully, in a year, we can go back to one car + cargo bike! Heh.
Also, I agree with everyone: you need some sort of health insurance. Biking is really not inherently more dangerous than driving though obviously it depends on your area but if selling the car can buy you both some limited health insurance, that might be worth it.
posted by amanda at 10:57 AM on September 11, 2010
Is biking with a helmet more dangerous than driving a car? I know it feels that way, but I thought driving was pretty much the most dangerous thing many of us do on a regular basis. I would think someone who doesn't have a health insurance would benefit from the health benefits of bike riding. But I'm nthing the calls to get health insurance, if only catastrophic coverage, first thing. I think that should be your financial priority right now.
Anyway, we are a family of four, with two young kids, and we have only one (small) car for us and our dog. But we live in a city with good public transportation, and I work downtown, where many buses go. We can also walk/bike to my kids' school. I don't drive to work, so my husband has the car during the day. Once in a while he drives me to work. Once in a while he takes the kids out of town for a couple of days, and I get by with public transportation, my bike, and my feet. It's sometimes a hassle--but we make it work pretty easily.
I agree with the idea of testing it out for a couple of weeks or even a week. That'll probably give you all the information you need.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:43 AM on September 11, 2010
Anyway, we are a family of four, with two young kids, and we have only one (small) car for us and our dog. But we live in a city with good public transportation, and I work downtown, where many buses go. We can also walk/bike to my kids' school. I don't drive to work, so my husband has the car during the day. Once in a while he drives me to work. Once in a while he takes the kids out of town for a couple of days, and I get by with public transportation, my bike, and my feet. It's sometimes a hassle--but we make it work pretty easily.
I agree with the idea of testing it out for a couple of weeks or even a week. That'll probably give you all the information you need.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:43 AM on September 11, 2010
My husband commuted by bicycle to his last job and hopes to do so again for his next job. He lost 75 pounds and dropped his blood cholesterol by 100 points, and his blood pressure from 135/90 to 110/68. The statins, antihypertensives, and antidepressants he's NOT taking now add up to close to $200 a month; if controlling health care costs is an issue for you, regular exercise is a great idea. Also, for complicated reasons, if he gets hit by a car while he's on his bicycle, YOUR car insurance will actually cover his health care costs up to a point. (We found this out the hard way.)
We've maintained our beater second vehicle, because we have it and because it's a truck, which is useful sometimes. But I'd say it gets driven on the order of once a month or so.
posted by KathrynT at 12:25 PM on September 11, 2010
We've maintained our beater second vehicle, because we have it and because it's a truck, which is useful sometimes. But I'd say it gets driven on the order of once a month or so.
posted by KathrynT at 12:25 PM on September 11, 2010
I'll chime in to agree with Ideefixe and not that girl. The car is almost paid off. It makes no sense to sell an $8000 car for something cheaper. Reassess when it's time to replace one of the cars.
posted by sockpup at 12:30 PM on September 11, 2010
posted by sockpup at 12:30 PM on September 11, 2010
On cycling risks: on a per mile basis, cycling is significantly more dangerous than driving, regardless of whether you wear a helmet or not. However, it turns out that building that amount of exercise into your daily routine is a huge benefit. The net result is that the health benefits outweigh the accident risks: regular cyclists live longer (on average) than those who drive to work.
posted by pharm at 12:48 PM on September 11, 2010
posted by pharm at 12:48 PM on September 11, 2010
Well, I can tell you; it can end up being rough on your remaining car. We went one-car and saved money, but even a tough new car like a Toyota gets run down chauffering around two commutes/errands/family visits/vacations. We're just hoping repairs don't get expensive before we can replace it. But we're in TX, land of long distances/shitty transit, and have the misfortune of only being able to find work far from our families (and having families that like to live in the boonies). None of which may apply to you.
But, as others have said, why not keep the extra as insurance? Selling it won't net you that much.
We have a kid, but aside from slightly-more-frequent family trips, he doesn't add much to our commutes--his daycare is close to my work, and he likes walking to the playground.
posted by emjaybee at 12:59 PM on September 11, 2010
But, as others have said, why not keep the extra as insurance? Selling it won't net you that much.
We have a kid, but aside from slightly-more-frequent family trips, he doesn't add much to our commutes--his daycare is close to my work, and he likes walking to the playground.
posted by emjaybee at 12:59 PM on September 11, 2010
For what it's worth, one of you could drive the other to work when there are errands to be run.
I like the old beater car idea, but you already have an old car, so buying an even older car won't really help, compared to keeping the old one. My now 19 year old Honda has cost me maybe $47 a month to own for the last 9 years, including repairs, tags (which includes tax in my state), and insurance, but not including fuel. Liability insurance is about $20 a month on it, and is by far the biggest part of the expense, far outstripping the $1400 purchase price. (I bought it in 2001)
If I'd bought it new(er), that expense would be much greater, but in your case it's an already sunk cost. You need to look at the cost going forward, not the money you've spent in the past.
You might consider dropping to liability only on the second car, so long as you have a couple grand socked away to get a beat up old Honda or Toyota if you wreck it. It doesn't have to look nice to be reliable, so long as the major maintenance items have been taken care of on timeish. (my car looks like it should be sitting on blocks out in a field, but runs like a top..I would not hesitate to drive it across the country, so long as I had a few quarts of oil at hand.
posted by wierdo at 9:10 PM on September 11, 2010
I like the old beater car idea, but you already have an old car, so buying an even older car won't really help, compared to keeping the old one. My now 19 year old Honda has cost me maybe $47 a month to own for the last 9 years, including repairs, tags (which includes tax in my state), and insurance, but not including fuel. Liability insurance is about $20 a month on it, and is by far the biggest part of the expense, far outstripping the $1400 purchase price. (I bought it in 2001)
If I'd bought it new(er), that expense would be much greater, but in your case it's an already sunk cost. You need to look at the cost going forward, not the money you've spent in the past.
You might consider dropping to liability only on the second car, so long as you have a couple grand socked away to get a beat up old Honda or Toyota if you wreck it. It doesn't have to look nice to be reliable, so long as the major maintenance items have been taken care of on timeish. (my car looks like it should be sitting on blocks out in a field, but runs like a top..I would not hesitate to drive it across the country, so long as I had a few quarts of oil at hand.
posted by wierdo at 9:10 PM on September 11, 2010
I don't think cycling is more dangerous than driving, for an adult who rides with traffic and follows traffic laws. It's prudent to get health insurance either way.
posted by SandiBeech at 3:52 AM on September 12, 2010
posted by SandiBeech at 3:52 AM on September 12, 2010
Response by poster: Thank you for the thoughtful answers, folks.
We began veering towards "no."
And then yesterday, just like that, we had a dog-related emergency.
The dog is fine now...but it certainly cemented the "let's just stick with two cars" opinion supported in this thread. Also, thanks for the idea about catastrophic health insurance!
posted by The ____ of Justice at 12:07 PM on September 12, 2010
We began veering towards "no."
And then yesterday, just like that, we had a dog-related emergency.
The dog is fine now...but it certainly cemented the "let's just stick with two cars" opinion supported in this thread. Also, thanks for the idea about catastrophic health insurance!
posted by The ____ of Justice at 12:07 PM on September 12, 2010
« Older I've played this game so many times I know it like... | Where to shop for vintage porn in Paris? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by The ____ of Justice at 2:09 AM on September 11, 2010