Four Months and Counting

It is hard to believe, but it has been over 4 months since we became a one car family!  We are already 1/3 of the way to our goal of one year!  I have to admit that becoming a one car family won’t be a reality show anytime soon, but it is not as boring as you might imagine.     

We have been able to handle it pretty well.  There are usually 2 afternoons a week that Krystal has the car to run errands, but sometimes more.  Krystal has been awesome throughout this entire experiment and we couldn’t pull it off without her cooperative spirit.  However, the biggest test is yet to come, with the Christmas season bearing down upon us.  This is the time of the year that we usually have schedule overload.  For example, this year we have a kid’s band recital, an employer Christmas party, and a family Christmas party…..all on the same night!!!  Luckily, that is an anomaly this December and everything else is spaced out fairly well.  If we can make it through the Holiday Season unscathed, it will bode well for the rest of our journey.

As you probably know, I’m a number-crunchin’ geek.  That being said, here are a few REAL DOLLAR statistics from the last 4 months.   Over the last 4 months we have averaged saving $91 a month in gas expense when compared to the previous 5 month average.  I believe that I know what you’re thinking right now…..all of that sacrifice for that?  But check this out….conservatively assuming $3.30 per gallon of gas and 25 mpg, we have driven 689 miles less a month than when we had two cars.  That adds up to 8,271 miles a year or 330 gallons of gas.  So, in three years, the mileage would be roughly once around the earth and roughly 1,000 gallons of gas!!  Put that in your carbon footprint pipe and smoke it Mr. Gore!!  I’m not willing to say we’re doing it for three years, but that’s pretty amazing!  Keep in mind that in addition to the gas savings, we are saving by not having to pay car insurance, maintenance, or a payment for an additional car. 

The factors that contribute the most to us being able to pull this off are that Krystal is a stay-at-home Mom and that we homeschool our kids.  Krystal has been a stay-at-home Mom for 9 years!  I believe that was one of the most important decisions that we have made as a couple. When we began that journey we knew that there would be sacrifices involved, but we have found that those sacrifices pale in comparison to the rewards that we have experienced.