the how many cars poll

**Sara Noel** · 06-09-2005, 11:29 AM

I was reading the poll on how many cars you own. We only have one and I guess that's odd compared to others.

We get along fine with one. Gabe works not even 5 minutes away and we just share our truck. It's a huge savings for us.

For the others that have only one car, does sharing it cause problems?

I've found only a couple of situations in a complete year where it causes a problem. An example is when I have a school meeting and Gabe needs to come home, but he'd have to come home anyway to watch the kids while I attend, so that's not really a problem. Just more of a little inconvenience.

One of Gabe's co-workers views it like I'm trapped. It's not like that at all. I can take the truck anytime I want to, but if I don't have any plans, I don't. Gabe comes home daily for lunch and it's not a problem to take the truck then if I want too.

**homesteadmamma** · 06-09-2005, 11:32 AM

We have one. We just work around each others schedules. If I need the van and dh has something he needs to do, I drive him to where he has to be and then I use the van.

We've always been a one car family.

**Emerald_Mommy** · 06-09-2005, 12:13 PM

We're a one car family. So far it hasn't hindered us in the least. When dh subs I'm "stuck" at home but I don't think I would want to get out with both girls by myself anyway. Since my dh usually works at home we just don't need another car. We are trying to save cash to buy a mini-van but to replace our current vehicle, not add one.

**PrairieRose** · 06-09-2005, 01:11 PM

We've always had 2 cars (well we had more when the kids lived at home) and I guess I'm spoiled to it. I can stay at home for 2 weeks straight but put my car in the shop and I need to run to town in the worst way, first thing. It's goofy. I know it's all in my head too.

**Jayne** · 06-09-2005, 01:33 PM

we only own one car, but dh has a company truck ..its not ours we don't pay the insurance or payments, but we can use it like it is ours, they are very generous that way

**tbs727** · 06-09-2005, 01:45 PM

My husband and I just went from 2 cars to one and it really hasn't been any problem for us. Right now we don't have any children so that helps, but we do both work full time. We are blessed with the fact that my dad always has extra cars so if we absolutely need 2 he can help us out. It has been a budget saver. We don't have to fuel up 2 cars, change the oil in 2, parts, tires, etc. I much prefer only having to keep up with one and I REALLY don't miss the second payment.

**AmyMCGS** · 06-09-2005, 07:49 PM

We have two, and it would be hard to just have one since we both work half an hour away-- in totally opposite directions. I only work two days a week, but, still, there are many times when we both need to be at work and having to share a vehicle wouldn't be very cost efficient.

**Mamaw** · 06-09-2005, 10:27 PM

We have three cars and my daughter also has one. My husband had to have a big old truck but with gas prices so high, he bought a second hand clunker to run back and forth to work. So the truck is only used for towing and hauling stuff. Hubby works a ton of hours so I really need to have a car of my own here or I would never get anyplace! I live in a rural area and there are no buses

**Jasmine** · 06-09-2005, 10:56 PM

We were a one car family a few years ago. Before DD was born and DH and I worked across the street from one another. It worked out well. After DD was born, things got tricky. We were blessed with a used car from my FIL so we've been a 2 car family for almost 2 years. While I work part-time, we have to have 2. Like AmyMCGS, we work 1/2 hour opposite of each other and my DH doesn't have a set schedule he works. When I quit my job, we'd be able to do one car if DH's was to die (hopefully not for years, but it is 11 this year) while we save for another.

I definitely think one car is not as doable with 2 working parents. It's tough to work out schedules with work and childcare. When my car was in the shop for two days, we had to juggle rides and FIL had to give me a ride home from work. I'm sure there are those who do it but I'm thankful we don't have to.

**mom2matty** · 06-09-2005, 11:07 PM

We have 3 cars........up until a year ago it was 2 but dd is now driving and with her going to college in the fall we kept my little paid off car when we bought the new one a year ago. We coud very easily not have my car, dh works 1 mile from the house but he is reluctant to get rid of it....... I am working on him though!

**Darlene** · 06-10-2005, 07:32 AM

We could do it, I'd just do my running around on his day off. When the kids were younger & I had to drive them to appointment & pick them up from school (20 min drive away) 2 cars sure came in handy. We both drive older vehicles that are paid for & the insurance is low on them so it's still practical. When dh retires we'll prob still have 2 vehicles, the truck for hauling stuff & the car for reg driving. We'll see.
When we lived in town I easily got by without driving much, pulled the wagon to the grocery store up the street to get groceries, lol.

**YankeeMom** · 06-10-2005, 07:52 AM

I must have missed that poll.
We have four cars. But one is a classic (read: shown, hardly ever drove lol), one is a firebird that only gets driven on nice days in the spring/summer/fall (it's been driven ONCE in the last 6 mos...he's getting rid of it

).

Then we have our two 'daily' cars. My van and dh's truck.
There's no way we could do the one car thing. I have to drop off the older three kids at school between 7am to 8:40am, then twice a week I have to drop off my youngest at preschool (20 mins away) at 9:30am.

Then I have to pick up the youngest at preschool at 12:30pm, the oldest dd at 2:20pm, oldest ds at 3:05pm, youngest dd at 3:15pm. Not to mention MY classes (days sometimes, evenings other times), errands, & such.

Dh has meetings & appointments all over the place all day long (20 mins from home). Just not doable. Blah.

We did it back when we only had 2 kids, and they rode the bus to school, and we worked opposite shifts. Couldn't do it know though.

**Jerrie K** · 06-10-2005, 09:46 AM

We have two, an 89 blazer and an 04 Honda Civic, paid for. We could easily do just one car but it would have to be another Blazer or equivalent to pull the trailer that hauls the mowers for dh's side jobs. We just keep babying the Blazer(180,000 mi) and only drive it to and from the mowing jobs.

**jlxian** · 06-10-2005, 09:54 AM

We are a two car family and have to be because of where our jobs are located and because of kids and their activities. Just recently my car was out of commission for two weeks and we WERE able to function with just one car, but it was horrible. We can manage with one, but definitely prefer not to.

**Michele Annette** · 06-10-2005, 10:28 AM

We have one car and one work van (DH owns). The work van is just that...for DH's business. Not to say we don't use it for other things (such as hauling things to the dump). But I don't drive the van at all. Our small car is my daily driver and DH sometimes will drive that as well.