When we received notice of our monthly fee increase at our retirement community last November, it prompted me to evaluate our expenses. What were we spending money on that we truly didn’t need? The answer was parked right outside—our car.
My husband, now 92, had already limited his driving to short trips to Giant, avoiding highways for years. I grew uncomfortable with highway traffic, where road rules seemed increasingly optional. Looking at our records, we realized we were driving less than 1,000 miles annually. Our 14-year-old car had barely accumulated 56,000 miles. When my husband suggested, “Kristen needs a car,” we decided to sell it to her. We were car-free in a week.
Though we didn’t calculate every expense of car ownership, we knew eliminating the $210 monthly insurance payment and $30 reserved parking fee would fund quite a few Lyft rides. We already had some experience with car-free living through using our community’s shuttle to Ascension St. Agnes Hospital. We knew about the free Charlestown shuttle to grocery stores four days a week, and group transportation to the Everyman Theatre.
After four months without a car, the results are clear: we’re saving money, reducing stress, and avoiding parking hassles. Our former car expenses would have totaled $960, while we’ve spent just $513.60 on Lyft—a savings of $446.40. We’ve discovered several pleasant surprises:
- Lyft arrives within 5-7 minutes (we learned to wait in the lobby when requesting a ride).
- You can schedule rides a day or two ahead of time for time-sensitive appointments.
- The joy of door-to-door service without parking worries.
- Grocery shopping became easier when the shuttle driver loaded bags from the cart onto the bus and the lobby bench.
- I’ve rediscovered the pleasure of looking outside as a passenger instead of focusing on driving, mirrors, and the windshield.
Perhaps most liberating is exploring places we previously avoided due to parking concerns. We celebrated my husband’s birthday with a weekend at the Canopy Hotel in downtown Baltimore. We visited Fell’s Point, Miss Shirley’s Cafe, and the Baltimore Museum of Art—all using Lyft without a care.
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