Should I give up my car

My DH has an eye problem that , if not treated quickly, can lead to scarring that would affect his sight if not treated quickly.
Last Sunday morning he woke up with a flare up. We could get up and drive straight to the hospital without delay. We live in a village with no bus service on Sundays.
I was so relieved we could act quickly. Still had a long wait when we got there though! Of course if he hadn’t had me he would have had to get a taxi, he couldn’t drive himself.
I think that puts me as just a little more valuable than a car!

Well I ve never had a car so always have used public transport very very rarely use taxis only in very extreme illness and can’t remember the last time I used one I even took two buses a couple of years ago when my BP unexpectedly shot up it never had before, never as since, but it wouldn’t go down
My daughter was cross I hadn’t taken a cab 🤣🤣that’s me it never entered my head

jocork

I recently renewed my licence on reaching 70. I expected my insurance cost to go up but got a surprise at renewal that it dropped slightly, so for now I'm happily still driving. Most of my journeys are to places without a bus route so I'd be in difficulties without a car, but as I plan to downsize and move areas I'm aware of the need to future proof by living in a place with good transport links and facilities nearby. I too don't drive a high mileage, but it includes going on holiday camping every year so that would be impossible without a car. I also visit family who live 200 miles away a few times a year. Going by public transport would not be convenient and would involve limiting what I could take with me. Ihope to move nearer them which would make life easier if I did give up driving, though I would probably keep my car unless driving became impossible for any reason.

One solution could be to rely on buses etc and keep aside the savings you make to pay for taxis if you need them occasionally. You could even hire a car if you needed one only very occasionally. In your situation I'd be doing a careful calculation of the projected total savings but it does sound like it may be possible to be without a car for you.

An elderly relative was hardly using her car and apparently wasn't safe but I didn't see it as I live over 200 miles away. She used a local garage for servicing and the owner suggested to her than it was time to give up the car. She had a bus stop virtually on her doorstep with a good bus service but protested that she couldn't manage. He said, "Sell the car, put the money in a special account for travel, add in the cost of tax/insurance/servicing and every month put in a sum you would have spent on petrol, that is your taxi fund." Eventually she did what he suggested and pretty soon there was so much money in the account she stopped putting the petrol money in.

I gave up my car a few months ago now and I have no regrets.
I live near two bus stops and a mainline station. I did nearly all my food shopping online even while I ran a car. The expense of running a car for one person when you live within good transport links does not really make sense to me.

I know things would be very different if you did not live near a main bus route and shops but my advice to the OP is go for it!!

My elderly neighbours used to bus to the shops and taxi home with the heavy shopping. We are lucky to live in London and have excellent public transport.

Witzend

I used to tell my mother that with what she was saving from not running a car (tax, servicing, petrol) - never mind the sale price - she could take a great many taxis.
Alas she never did - in her mind they were still a great extravagance.

Sadly, my elderly mum has the same attitude.

She hasn't driven for years, but until my dad died seven years ago, he would happily drive her anywhere.

Mum can't walk well now, and then only with a wheeled trolley, but on a good day she still manages (just) to use the local bus.

She will only use a taxi if it is totally unavoidable, for instance, if the bus home doesnt turn up or if she misses the last one which is at about 5pm. So two are three times a year, at most, but she really begrudges paying taxi prices even though she can easily afford to and they are actually quite cheap in her area.

BlueBelle

You must be pretty loaded , no way could I do a 5/6 hour train journey by taxi !!!! I think twice about one to the hospital 8 miles away
Lucky you

I wish!!

My point is that it's not very often at all I take a taxi - and my whole taxi costs over the year are noticeably less than other people will spend on running a car. Therefore it's cheaper to use taxis sometimes rather than a car all the time.

Horses for courses too - some people spend their money on children, grandchildren, pets, smoking, eating meat, gambling, taking drugs and I don't. Basically my money goes on a healthy diet, a reasonable amount of social life and LOTS gets taken off me for the extra costs involved in being single (but those extra costs aren't my choice = if you don't meet Him....then how can you get married to Him? So you stay single imo...).

Could you get a taxi to the garden centre?
They're nice at this time of year.

I gave up driving almost 2 years ago,when I was 78, my car was starting to cost more in repairs and at my age I wasn't going to buy a newer one, I have a bus pass , I can walk to the bus stop.
the only thing I miss it for is going to the garden centre for a browse around, the buses don't go there. but when I count up how much I save over a year on mot, car tax ,insurance I'm glad I did..

Will you lets us know how it goes, please?
Not that I have a car - I'm just a nosey sod!

Thank you all for your comments. I have decided not to use my car for 1 month to see how I get on.I have 4 supermarkets within walking distance. I have bought a trolly to aid in carrying shopping.I have a good bus service into city ,with a choice of buses some stops nearer than others.
So I will see how I get on .

CariadAgain

Outa interest - there is a website where one can calculate what a taxi will charge for getting from A to B:

www.taxipricecompare.co.uk

So one can put in start point and destination etc and get given the likely cost. Might be a thought for people debating "car or no". Then it would be possible to do an analysis of total costs of having a car for a year, eg petrol, insurance, MOT, replacing that car at intervals, etc, etc on the one hand and then write down estimated taxi trips in a year and compare the columns.

For instance - I've checked and my home city is £295 away for a one-way trip by taxi. So I could put in return journey, (eg £590) two trips a year to the dentist in nearby town, one or two a year to the optician in a different nearby town, "social" trips outside the town I'm in and see what the total came to. I might manage to get that all in for no more than a £1,000 pa and certainly could get it all in for under £2,000pa and it sounds a lot to spend on taxis (which most of us regard as a luxury). But it'll be a sight cheaper than paying all the costs involved in having/running a car and whatever petrol one uses.

Basically, I take public transport where it matches my own personal schedule at least reasonably closely - but if it's going to take longer than I would reasonably take of myself to do a journey then I'll save myself the aggro and wasted time and take a taxi. For instance - my home city is about 4-5 hours away going directly but with having to first get to a train station and then swop and change trains it takes more like 7-8 hours. So these days - I take a taxi even for that long distance (saves my blood pressure sitting stewing on a vehicle that's winding all round the place in its journey and there's various 'waits' for the next stage).

Those are very expressive taxis. I put the postcode of my house to daughter’s (23 miles) and was quoted from £130 to £257. That’s crazy. Local firms would do much better.

You must be pretty loaded , no way could I do a 5/6 hour train journey by taxi !!!! I think twice about one to the hospital 8 miles away
Lucky you

NB; Just done a quick check on that taxi website and, if anything, it might be cheaper. I've just checked a taxi journey I did the other day and it said the cost is £92 - but I actually got asked for £70 by the driver. Though I'm in a cheap taxi area here....

Outa interest - there is a website where one can calculate what a taxi will charge for getting from A to B:

www.taxipricecompare.co.uk

So one can put in start point and destination etc and get given the likely cost. Might be a thought for people debating "car or no". Then it would be possible to do an analysis of total costs of having a car for a year, eg petrol, insurance, MOT, replacing that car at intervals, etc, etc on the one hand and then write down estimated taxi trips in a year and compare the columns.

For instance - I've checked and my home city is £295 away for a one-way trip by taxi. So I could put in return journey, (eg £590) two trips a year to the dentist in nearby town, one or two a year to the optician in a different nearby town, "social" trips outside the town I'm in and see what the total came to. I might manage to get that all in for no more than a £1,000 pa and certainly could get it all in for under £2,000pa and it sounds a lot to spend on taxis (which most of us regard as a luxury). But it'll be a sight cheaper than paying all the costs involved in having/running a car and whatever petrol one uses.

Basically, I take public transport where it matches my own personal schedule at least reasonably closely - but if it's going to take longer than I would reasonably take of myself to do a journey then I'll save myself the aggro and wasted time and take a taxi. For instance - my home city is about 4-5 hours away going directly but with having to first get to a train station and then swop and change trains it takes more like 7-8 hours. So these days - I take a taxi even for that long distance (saves my blood pressure sitting stewing on a vehicle that's winding all round the place in its journey and there's various 'waits' for the next stage).

I dread giving up my car. Unless I used taxis all the time I would not be able to visit my sons who are a 15/20 minute car ride away but impossible to get to by bus as buses do not go anywhere near where they live, the same for the doctor, no buses from where I live. I use my car most days so it would change my life dramatically.

MissAdventure

You could try not using the car for say, three months, and then decide?

Good idea 👍🏻

I'm nearly 77, still driving, but am fortunate enough to love in an area with very good public transport, which I use frequently. My DH had to give up driving years ago due to eyesight problems, so I'm only driver. My DD lives down the M3 in a small village, so I use the car to get to her house. However
,I know that I could get to see her and family by train, but she would have to pick me up from the station. My DS lives in the North so I always use the train to go there.

StevieD

I am very grateful for all your comments they are very helpful.
I never drive at night,and the bus will take me to the city and hospital if needed

The money you spend having it sitting outside will more than cover the cost of taxis when needed if you don’t fancy the bus or feel unwell. You could move the insurance, MOT/repair costs plus petrol money in a separate little ‘travel’ account so it’ll be ready when you need it.

True dat Esmay - re the "school run". The local taxi firm does take part in the "school run". There are school buses here - and they take a lot of the children off to even remoter parts. But taxi firms here do get tied-up come school-leaving time (though, thankfully, the middle of the afternoon is a time I'm unlikely to require a taxi anyway). Personally, as far as I can I schedule appointments elsewhere for round about lunchtime.

Guess I just gotta remind myself that part of how the local taxi firm keeps solvent is those school trips - and, with that, I get what I require (which is the occasional trip from anywhere in the town to anywhere else in the town for what is a very reasonable rate to pay. Also, more importantly, any longer-distance trips I require).

Re those falls on buses - one blessing of more women taking on bus-driver jobs these days is there is at least a chance one will have one of them (as I've never yet encountered a bad woman driver doing that job - but I've definitely encountered several bad male drivers doing it).

Good advice to try to live without it .
I thought that it wouldn't be a problem with public transport and a taxi service nearby .
First of all , the local supermarket stopped
delivering groceries (they have begun again ) then the local taxi company stopped all fares after lunchtime into late afternoon due to taking children to school - this also caused an exodus of drivers unhappy with the arrangement and the bus service isn't as good as it was before .
I'm recovering from a fall on the bus only to witness another lady have a bad fall a few days later .

Someone suggested SORN and ‘third party, fire and theft’ insurance. I enquired about this rate of insurance this summer and was told it’s not offered any more. It has to be comprehensive.

CariadAgain

Helenlouise3

My dad gave up his car when his eyesight became a little dodgy. He missed it at first, but it doesn't bother him at all now. Like you he has a good bus service and also a train service. Sadly when the time comes for hubby to give up, it'll be missed dreadfully. We only have a bus every 2 hours and the last one is at 5.40.

That is very much why some people can't do so. I live in that sort of area now - and thank goodness I at least picked a town (that though small) has a noticeable number of facilities (as I could see the bus service was very poor when I moved here - and it's now since Lockdown pretty much as bad as yours!!!!!).

So, I manage to a large extent - with some facilities here and with Amazon to order goods I can't find here. But it does restrict my social life - as the definition of "social life radius" in this area in the group I mix in is "up to 1 hour drive to get there and ditto back again". If one is in a "small town" small town the need is greater - ie because of a large proportion of locals being relatives to each other or gone to school with each other - and so there's a side to the social life within the town itself that is pretty inaccessible to anyone moving there.

If, on the other hand, one lives in a city (even a small one) public transport will probably be good enough and there'll be a variety of taxi firms if need be as back-up. So yep....when I lived in a small city I literally didn't understand why so many people kept cars/used cars.

So - very much depends on the environment you live in.

Oh CariadAgain you really struck a chord with your comments about small town social life!
We moved to a small town in Lincolnshire from what everybody here refers to as ‘Dahn Saff’ - down south to the rest of us. You’d have thought we’d come from another planet.

We now several years on have a good social life, but it is true that so many people here know each other through school or family links.
Whenever we go out to dinner with a group of friends my husband and I have a bet with each other as to how early in the evening their conversation will turn to who knew who at school and what they’re doing now.
We just listen politely and smile until the conversation turns to more up to date topics, the groups average age is 66 so school was a looong time ago

Keeping a car off the road is great for the environment isn't t?
I sold mine when I moved to an area where local facilities are close by.
I walk to get groceries , a hair cut, go swimming, visit pharmacy, GP etc. So I am fitter.
I occasionally use the bus into the city for evening entertainment. I bought an ebike a couple of months ago and use it for daytime trips to the city and country leisure rides.
I have a supermarket delivery for heavy stuff every couple of months and take a cab home when I have heavy stuff from the DIY store. I aslo take a cab home after a night out in the city.
I am equipped for wet weather!
I do miss driving a car but my ebike has compensated somewhat.
Good luck with your journey

I gave up my car after I was widowed and moved to Merseyside, where bus and train travel is free for all over 60s throughout the region. I now live 10 minutes from bus and train. I do miss driving, the freedom and independence it gives you. But I don’t miss the stress of breaking down, car not starting etc. I have to plan in extra travel time for trips, but quite enjoy that. For urgent appointments I use a taxi. I get all my shopping delivered. I think I have saved thousands in terms of fuel, insurance, parking and maintenance. The only thing that makes me a little sad is the thought that I will never drive again, but my daughter says I can always hire a car if I feel the urge to take to the open road!