How to Live Well Without Owning a Car
I’m reading this book right now called “How to Live Well Without Owning a Car” by Chris Balish and I want to post some things from a list in the book called “Things you won’t miss from owning a car”-
1. Rising gas prices.
2. Spending time at gas stations.
3. Sitting in rush hour traffic.
4. Construction delays.
5. Wasting time looking for a parking spot.
6. Paying to park.
7. Remembering to feed your parking meter.
8. Mysterious engine noises.
9. Screeching brakes.
10. Interior squeaks and rattles.
11. Annoying minor repairs.
12. Expensive major repairs.
13. Waiting for your car to be fixed.
14. Wondering if you were overcharged.
15. Hoping it’s fixed right.
16. Car theft, vandalism and break ins.
17. Automobile taxes.
18. Registration fees.
19. Dead batteries.
20. Tailgaters.
21. Road rage.
22. Waiting at the dmv.
23. Speeding tickets.
24. Parking tickets.
25. Shopping for a car.
26. High pressure sales people.
27. Worrying about paying to much.
28. Buyer’s remorse.
29. Fender Benders.
30. Driving over debris in the road.
31. The feeling of dread when your car won’t start.
32. Shopping for car insurance.
33. Shopping for new tires.
34. Developing a sedentary lifestyle.
I have been riding my bike full time for six months now and agree with pretty much everything on this list. I do have a car that I drive about once a month or so and so I still deal with insurance, registration etc- but I have cheap insurance since my car is considered a “pleasure” vehicle. Also all of the maintainance and cost of ownership is less since I’m putting less miles on it. Last summer I spent $60 on gas. Just the financial gain aside I would ride full time anyway because I feel healthier and happier. My stress level has gone down (I have an issue with road rage and “bad” drivers) and I always feel good since I’m getting regular exercise. Also commuting in a city is ALWAYS faster on a bike. When my friends and I meet downtown if they drive I ALWAYS beat them. Why? Because I can avoid lights that they can’t, and I don’t have to find a parking spot- I always get a spot right outside! Here is my list of things I like about riding a bike:
1. Exercise.
2. Less stress.
3. Notice things in the neighborhood I never noticed before. Meet my neighbors.
4. No environmental impact.
5. Bike repairs are cheap and a really nice bike is cheap compared to a piece of crap car.
6. Zero time spent sitting in traffic.
7. Faster downtown and only slightly slower everywhere else in the city.
8. Save a ton of money.
9. I’m starting out in better shape this ski season than I did the year before.
10. No DUI concerns.
11. It’s fun and relaxing.
12. I don’t stress about my car breaking down since I’m not reliant on it.
13. Freedom
If you are thinking about biking full time or just part time this book has some good information. I wish I had read it several years ago when I first started thinking about biking more. It has charts that you can use to figure out your total cost of owning a car etc. It also has information about how to deal with more difficult circumstances – ie. riding in the winter etc. You can get a used copy on amazon for $5- or you can bike to the library and get it for free. 
Click Here to buy “How to Live Well Without Owning a Car” from Amazon.
