Help convince me to get rid of my car

[lamborghinid]

I have toyed with the idea of getting rid of my car for a while, and now finally am in a place where it would be reasonable to do so, but an emotional commitment.

First of all, I have HATED driving for most of my life, but actually now have a car I enjoy driving but has horrible gas mileage. It's a 2005 Jeep Liberty with 240,000 miles that I've owned outright and have kept it well maintained with no issues. I now am moving to downtown Boulder and could bike or walk most places, with the exception of when I feel like going into the office in Denver. I've looked into just getting rid of my car, and would probably enjoy it, but I keep getting in my head the driving into the mountains, road trips etc. for hiking that I could do with the car. I've looked at the eGO CarShare in Denver and thinking about it.

So here's really the thoughts. I've managed to reduce my costs as much as possible while still owning a vehicle outside of gas mileage. But I would prefer not to own a car, but just need to rip off that band-aid and argue that I'd probably spend a similar amount on the carshare. I bought it for $1000 flat, and have already put necessary repairs into it. Help me get rid of my car.

Costs:
$100 - Insurance
$100 - Gas
$50 - Maintenance / Repairs

[Optimiser]

...
I've looked into just getting rid of my car, and would probably enjoy it, but I keep getting in my head the driving into the mountains, road trips etc. for hiking that I could do with the car. I've looked at the eGO CarShare in Denver and thinking about it.
...
Costs:
$100 - Insurance
$100 - Gas
$50 - Maintenance / Repairs

How often do you currently use your car for driving to the mountains, road trips, hiking, etc?  If you set aside $250/month would that be enough to rent a car when you want to do those activities? Do you have a car owning friend who also enjoys those activities that you could ride with if you covered the gas for those trips?

edit: Came to this thread expecting to see a post about a Lamborghini

[lamborghinid]

My last name is Longhini and nickname is Lamborghini. I thought it would get a laugh here given I've never paid for a car more than $1700.

But to the actual problem is I'm not sure yet, but I'm sure I could find people to drive with up skiing and rent when needed. I guess it's more of the never having had to rely on someone or public transportation before when I want to go up, but I'm sure I could cover it.

If I'm realistic with what maintenance has been it had probably averaged out to $300 and wouldn't necessarily decrease. But with eGO balancing out Gas / Hours it would cover roughly 30 hours of driving a month to do the CarShare instead.

One other thing I've been toying with is trying to share the car with others since I'll be living in a community living situation and see if people want to throw me $50 a month to use the car + gas since I almost never use it.

[wonkette]

Go for it! It is a great feeling! No more looking at gas prices, finding free parking, being on the lookout for repair issues, I felt like I got some space in my brain back. I do end up spending some money on Lyft and a rental every other month or so. Now I feel about cars the way many people feel about children - fun and cute for the day, but it is nice to give them back and walk home alone.

[Orvell]

If you're unsure, do a (3) month trial. Perm-park your car for that time and see how it feels. See how the money compares, too.

[lamborghinid]

Orvell. I do like that idea, I think I'd probably turn off insurance for that period and turn in plates just to keep from driving it unless there's implications in doing so.

[Miss Piggy]

edit: Came to this thread expecting to see a post about a Lamborghini

I'm also a bit disappointed. That said...Are those costs monthly? if so, that is really high insurance for such an inexpensive car. I wouldn't recommend getting rid of the insurance altogether, but can you at least decrease coverage or do some price checking? Also, I really like the idea of the 3 month trial.

[pyyj]

$3000 after-tax dollars isn't convincing enough?

Uber, taxi, car-share, bus, bike, feet. There's no reason you cannot be just as mobile as you are now, at a fraction of the current annual cost. I lived car-free for a decade in a similar small town, was a great way to save dollars in the early going; I look forward to returning to car-free decadence in years ahead. And that was before car-sharing options really took off!

Good on you for having a cheap car though. Depreciation is an oft-ignored component of overall car expense, and even a lightly used vehicle can depreciate $1000 / year quite easily.

[frompa]

If you are even close to making the decision to get rid of your car, just do it.  Getting around by foot, bike, occasional car share/rental, public transit, etc., is really a fine way to go. You'll rightfully feel much better about your place on the planet.  Many people have not set up their lives to make car-free living possible, but you have done so.  Now reap the rewards.   Good luck!