Comments on: Fed Up With Frugal Living, Your Brain and Credit Card Debt and Paying to Drive

By: Ken Schellenberg in Arlington VA

Ken Schellenberg in Arlington VA — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:59:24 +0000

I made a major decision last summer.

My motivation was really ecological: I was moved by the events of 7/7/7 to think about my car and why I kept it. I’ve been an avid bike commuter for years (I’ve only ever driven to my current job once… ever). But the green talk of that day had be thinking.. why do I keep a car? I don’t need it to get to work. I don’t need it to shop for groceries. I do use it to get to the gym, but wouldn’t biking there instead be better – you know – EXERCISE?

I justified my decision (a pretty radical once, since I have owned a car for my entire adult life and then some) by looking hard at the money I spent on it. Looking back through my Quicken files, I realized something. My paid-for car was actually costing me hundreds of dollars per month in fuel, repair, insurance, personal property taxes.

What I didn’t realize was that selling my car was the first step to financial freedom. The true cost of owning a car was actually far higher than I estimated. My rationale for selling it turned out to be even an understatement; since last August I’ve been able to pay off all my credit cards and a personal loan.

Now I pay cash for EVERYTHING. Best of all, I’m able to “splurge” on taxis and restaurants and theater… My quality of life has gone up.

Re-think your relationship to your “possessions”.. the one you think you need most may the ones that possess you!

By: Airline Credit Cards

Airline Credit Cards — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:38:26 +0000

Great post, I really enjoyed it. I will have to bookmark this site for later.

By: Sofia Kim

Sofia Kim — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:56:50 +0000

Credit card debt is on its all time high with today’s economy. Hopefully people can obtain the help they need to get out of debt. Thanks for the article!

By: Brianne

Brianne — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:49:02 +0000

At $4.54/gallon (what I paid this morning), I’m thinking seriously about public transportation. I carpooled with a co-worker this morning, but I’m moving to a different area at the end of the month.

To take public transportation to work after I move will require two trains, a bus, and a 1.2 mile walk to the first train station. Plus, I’ll need to leave my car at the last train station because it’s still pretty far from the office. But it will cost about $5/day instead of the $10/day for gas.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:44:07 +0000

Its great that your business inspires you so much; I’ve been slowly working on mine for a while but it hasn’t launched yet and I keep delaying it. After we move at the end of the month I’ll dedicate some time to finishing it up and launching it.

I can’t wait to hear about your project!

By: Pamela Grundy

Pamela Grundy — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:20:34 +0000

I was just thinking about this at work Saturday. I make a fairly low wage plus commission, but the bank is doing so poorly commission is hard to get. Already it costs me $50 twice a month to fill up my car. That’s $100 off my crummy paycheck, which I need much less than the health insurance. It’s really frustrating and I have no idea how I will handle it. Biking it is feasible but not really safe, and yet I think I may have to do that.

By: Claire in CA, USA

Claire in CA, USA — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 01:59:41 +0000

Here in So Cal, we’re already paying about 4.55 a gallon…$4.00 was so two weeks ago.

We drive less. We have been for a long time. Then, the daughter (almost 14) auditioned and got a part in a play at a theater about 25 miles away from home. Industrious one that I am, she is hitching rides with folks that are going that way anyway (people we know, fyi, not random strangers). We will have to go out now and then, but not as much as we would have.

L.A. is not rapid transit friendly, unfortunately. My work takes me to people’s homes, and never the same one twice. I could never use rapid transit for my work, so I frequently am the sole driver in my vehicle. My husband works in our town, so his driving is very short-distance, thankfully.