Forum search & shortcuts

How much cash do yo...
 

[Closed] How much cash do you save by not running a car?

Posts: 36
Free Member
Topic starter
 
[#4326539]

Loads - although getting people to believe it is bloody difficult!
Just had a great family holiday touring though France, decent hotels, food, wine, went to do and see what we wanted and spent about the same as the chap at the next desk at work spent on getting his car through it's MoT.
My minor gripe: foreign holidays (apparently...) are for the rich and famous, not for people doing the same job as them. Spending well over £2K on fixing a knackered shed of a "car" is perfectly ok.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:11 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Is this a serious question?

How about "How much cash do you save by not going on French touring holidays?"

It all gets spent matey, it just depends what you decide to spend it on!


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:18 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

How much money do you save by not having a coke and gambling habit like the fella at the desk over from me?


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:23 pm
Posts: 17869
Full Member
 

Hmmm. Sounds like his MOT expense is not really representative.

Not sure how the title relates to the thread content?


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:25 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

To answer the question though:

you'll save the amount you currently pay towards running a car, less any public transport costs.

I don't think many people are under the illusion that running a car isn't costing them anything


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:29 pm
Posts: 36
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Hmmm, not getting my point across.

"It all gets spent matey, it just depends what you decide to spend it on!"

This relates more to what I'm getting at. It is my choice to have the holiday and spend my money on that whilst riding into work every day. My point is that the folks at work just see the holiday without accepting how I paid for it.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:34 pm
Posts: 5868
Full Member
 

I do run a car, but not for commuting use, do I get the best of both worlds?


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:35 pm
 IHN
Posts: 20191
Full Member
 

It would cost me money if I got rid of my car, as it allows me to get money out of my company tax-free by paying myself a mileage allowance for travel to client sites.

I priced it up, and commuting by train would leave me £00's of pounds worse off a month.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:44 pm
Posts: 2
Free Member
 

Aye. I have a car which I use a little bit but mostly I commute by bike. This saves me about £25-£30 a week I reckon (with the obvious petrol costs being £20 a week when I drive into work).

So £100 a month, over a grand a year. Sounds good to me. Plus I have the added bonus of being able to drive about at the weekend beeping my horn at scum on bikes.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:45 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Plus I have the added bonus of being able to drive about at the weekend beeping my horn at scum on bikes.

🙂


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:48 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I have a car that I use to commute to work in. It's just over 30miles each way so riding both ways each day isn't really an option.

I know it costs me money but it gets me to work in order to earn money.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:48 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

This relates more to what I'm getting at. It is my choice to have the holiday and spend my money on that whilst riding into work every day. My point is that the folks at work just see the holiday without accepting how I paid for it.

So this thread is actually a subtle rant that your work colleagues don't agree with you on some financial point?


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:48 pm
Posts: 251
Full Member
 

[i]I have the added bonus of being able to drive about at the weekend beeping my horn at scum on bikes. [/i]

I save my wrath for those who choose to export all their disposable income to France rather than spend it within the UK economy.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 1:49 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

So this thread is actually a subtle rant that your work colleagues don't agree with you on some financial point?

It might be. I have no idea what the guy is wittering on about personally.

I think he doesn't like France.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:05 pm
Posts: 13594
Free Member
 

I thought he was saying he'd rather run a car than holiday in France?


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:07 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I would rather be run into by a car than holiday in France.

EDIT: Not true, just said for comic effect. Was in Morzine at the weekend (working) and wanted to book a biking or boarding holiday there and then. 🙂


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:08 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

What transport was used to tour around France?


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:10 pm
Posts: 27
Free Member
 

I save my wrath for those who choose to export all their disposable income to France rather than spend it within the UK economy.

what if you book it through a UK travel company who specialise in accommodation provided by French-domiciled UK citizens still paying tax in the UK and who come back to the UK to buy all their groceries that are all produced in the UK therefore providing a unique UKish experience, in France?


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:14 pm
Posts: 251
Full Member
 

[i]what if you book it through a UK travel company who specialise in accommodation provided by French-domiciled UK citizens still paying tax in the UK and who come back to the UK to buy all their groceries that are all produced in the UK therefore providing a unique UKish experience, in France? [/i]

I'd hate you for being a smartarse 🙂


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:16 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I would rather be run into by a car than holiday in France.

A mate was recently driving through France (in his car, no less), and was hit by another car. Needless to say, he felt the need to start a thread on STW.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:16 pm
Posts: 7373
Free Member
 

Apart from riding into work, what are your other transport costs? Assuming that your partner doesn't run a car either.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:19 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

simple... £65 a month on insurance. Got rid of my car, £65 a month on finance for sexy new road bike. Plus fuel/tax/running costs/mot/environment/my health etc.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:19 pm
Posts: 251
Full Member
 

[i]£65 a month on insurance[/i]

blimey.

I pay less than £20 a month for insurance.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:20 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I'm still confused...
I drove to France in my car for our last holiday. Nobody complained.
If I didnt have a vehicle I'd be turning up to fix your boiler with a pump and punture repair kit.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:21 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Talking to the photographer (that I was working with in Morzine) at the weekend. He got insurance for his recently-passed son's Mini 1 (worth £2,500). Costing him £380 a month!!!


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:22 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

£65 a month on insurance

blimey.

Ouch.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:26 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

yeah, £65 a month is cheap for me as well (30 year old camper van, 12 years no claims, clean license, Advanced driving qualifications, HGV license, vehicle kept in garage etc etc)

i'd rather ride a bike!


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:39 pm
Posts: 19914
Free Member
 

Conversely, running my car for work this earned me several thousand pounds at 45p/mile for the last 26,000 miles (6000 of that at 25p) I reckon I've made about £5k profit out of that.....


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:40 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Ahh, but do you holiday in France?


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:41 pm
Posts: 19914
Free Member
 

No, we don't really like France. But we went to the Isle of Man for the TT, which costs more, especially as we lumped £5k on a motorbike to get there on!
Been to Spain twice in the last year too, and next year we're off to the USA.

Is that the correct answer?
🙂


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:44 pm
Posts: 19914
Free Member
 

I've spent about £4750 on fuel in the last 12 months (quick mental addition, but I do keep exact records, per vehicle, if you like?)

🙂


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:47 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I don't know if that is the correct answer because I still don't know what the original OP question was 🙂


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 2:55 pm
Posts: 3457
Free Member
 

Costing him £380 a month!!!

I know not everyone can use a bike all the time, but I am astonished that somebody would think that was a sum worth paying. Surely there are better things to put £4.5k (+ fuel, tax etc.) a year towards?


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:00 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

If you don't have a car how do you get to the trail center?


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:01 pm
Posts: 17358
Full Member
 

I save £526 per month, now that the lease car has gone back. Of course cycling-related expenditure is errrrr, coincidentally, about the same 😳

We still have another vehicle for family duties.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:01 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I know not everyone can use a bike all the time, but I am astonished that somebody would think that was a sum worth paying. Surely there are better things to put £4.5k (+ fuel, tax etc.) a year towards?

He is a semi-pro rugby player and needs it to get to training and with his dad being a freelance photographer, he can't always be there to drive him around. Or something like that - basically it was the best solution to their transport problems.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:03 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I'm pretty sure my cycling habit costs a great deal more than my car each year, I'm not even going to think what motorbikes cost me


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:05 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I pay less than £20 a month for insurance.

I pay around £200 per month 🙂


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:09 pm
 Aidy
Posts: 2981
Free Member
 

He is a semi-pro rugby player and needs it to get to training and with his dad being a freelance photographer, he can't always be there to drive him around. Or something like that - basically it was the best solution to their transport problems.

Pretty sure he could have found a cheaper car to insure, though.
However, it might not have been as "cool".


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:26 pm
Posts: 251
Full Member
 

[i]I pay around £200 per month[/i]

don't worry, you'll be an old fart with a people carrier one day and then you'll see the benefit 😉


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:27 pm
 IHN
Posts: 20191
Full Member
 

[i]I do keep exact records, per vehicle[/i]

Those long winter evenings must fly by, eh Pete? 😉


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:32 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Pretty sure he could have found a cheaper car to insure, though.
However, it might not have been as "cool".

Probably - but that isn't my business.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:35 pm
Posts: 4041
Full Member
 

A lot of people don't have the option of not running a car. We run two - one family car so the missus can get the kids about (no, she can't realistically walk everywhere), and one so I can get to work. I've started cycling but it's a 35 mile round trip and too tiring at the moment to do more than three times a week.

If we can move closer to my work we'd love to drop to just one car and save some money, unfortunately that hasn't happened yet.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:37 pm
Posts: 11937
Free Member
 

I get to not drive [i]and[/i] pay for the wife's car. The worst of both worlds.

I also have to pay for the dogs, who I may hate more than the car. At least the car doesn't fart while I'm eating.


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:43 pm
Posts: 12888
Free Member
 

I've saved about £1600 in fuel by riding to work rather than driving for the last 14 months. Of course I have spent far more than that on bikes & bike bits, plus I'm still paying insurance, VED, MOT, etc. Maybe I should "run the numbers" and see just how much I could save by getting rid of the car entirely (GF has one, I use mine only once a fortnight on average!). There is a big fear-factor about being car-less, although I seemed to manage fine when I was younger!


 
Posted : 03/09/2012 3:45 pm
Page 1 / 2