A Carless Life?

In June of 2016 I began simplifying my life. Some would say my life was already simple and I’d agree. When compared to the typical American life of hustle and rush, scrape and scramble, my life was already simple. At the same time, I had far too much “stuff.” Junk drawers filled with scraps of this and that, “just in case” I or the kids needed it someday. An attic and a garage full of things I hadn't used in years and had no plans on using anytime soon. Cleaning, arranging, organizing, and searching through all this stuff wastes enormous amounts of time and energy. The older I get the less I have of either. I sold, gave, and threw away books, clothes, dishes, weights, tools, and much more.

I still have way too much stuff.

I am planning another purge soon. That one will be far more emotionally draining. I’ve already gotten rid of most of what I didn’t care about. What is left is different.

I’ll write about that when I go through it.

This past week I was ready to take my vehicle in for an oil change. A couple of days before I took it in the Check Engine light came on.

Uh, oh.

The local shop did the oil change and ran diagnostics. They came back with an estimate of $2300. The vehicle is a 2007 Saturn VUE. 4 cylinders. Over 230,000 miles. The Kelly Blue Book website says it will trade in for under $1000.

$2300 is far better than a new car payment for the next four to five years, but I took this as an opportunity to explore my options for an even more simplified life. Can I live a carless existence?

I am currently looking into a combination of Amazon Prime Pantry and a grocery delivery service my local grocery store is using. If I miscalculate and run out of something important before it is time for my next delivery, there is the mountain bike option. According to Google Maps the grocery store is only 1.3 miles away.

I believe, with a bit of careful planning, I can avoid needing to use the bicycle option in all but the most extreme circumstances such as, bad storms.

I currently have to drive one day per week for work. This drive is about two miles each way. I could use a soft guitar case with backpack straps to carry my guitar and papers I need as I ride the bike back and forth. I would have to come up with a different option June through September. Folks don’t want me showing up at their house to teach them music when I am all sweaty and stinky. Also, this option needs to be available to me on days like today when Houston’s skies open up and pour for hours on end. Will Uber or a taxi work?

The next hurtle is bank deposits. The majority of my students still pay tuition with checks. I can make another and regular pushes to convert folks over to PayPal or other electronic options, but, for the foreseeable future, there are going to be folks who can’t or won’t use online payment methods. I have to accommodate them. To do this I’ll be making at least two trips to the bank each month.

Finally, I need a plan for when I want to go camping and hiking and for the few times per year I need to get into Houston proper. For these times I can rent a vehicle for a reasonable rate.

There are other factors to consider, but these are the major concerns and I believe I can manage them.

The great thing about this is I can test it – even long term, if I like – with my vehicle parked in my driveway. I don’t have to commit to anything until I am absolutely sure.

By simplifying my life I am giving myself more time to consider the life I want.

The more time I give myself to think about my life, the more I become aware of my questions changing. For instance, this question changed from, “How can I maintain my highly convenient and expensive car lifestyle?” to “Which lifestyle serves me?”

As the months go by the small changes are bestowing upon me a vastly more fulfilling life.

I’ll take it. 

I want to hear from you. 

Are you currently simplifying or making other changes? If so, what prompted you to begin making those changes? Do you see anything I missed I need to consider? 

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See you Thursday.