Every once in a while I check in mentally on how much we're spending on transportation to make sure it makes sense for us to continue as is. Our expenses for this category are fragmented as we use a combination of transportation methods and payment types.
- NT's bus pass is fully reimbursed by his job, up to $90 per month. During summer months he sometimes uses it less and AS or AA can use those funds while he bikes to work. During the winter he gets the $85 unlimited rides monthly pass.
- Bike maintenance is very cheap, a couple hundred bucks per year at most. He's probably looking to get a new bike next year but we'll partly fund it with the birthday gift budget. (AS and I also have bikes; we hardly ever use them but they're there if we need them or want to use them.)
- My bus pass is paid for with pretax money, so it comes directly out of my pay. I get the unlimited rides pass at $85 per month, but with the tax benefit the net impact is a bit less than that. (I should note the bus pass also covers traveling on the light rail, which goes to St. Paul, the Mall of America and the airport.)
- AS doesn't use the bus daily now that she works at home most days, so she gets stored value and pays per trip. Sometimes in summer this is covered by NT's work stipend. Otherwise it's out of pocket, probably about $45 per month. It's so irregular that I don't have a budget line item for it.
- AA is 6, which is when people are supposed to start paying for their bus rides. She would use hers about as much as I do, so I have $85 per month budgeted. But most bus drivers don't think little kids should pay, and AA forgets her purse a lot anyway, so it ends up being a lot less right now. Maybe $30 per month, though at some point I'm sure she'll get into the habit and she'll look old enough that drivers will expect her to pay.
- For times when the bus is too slow or doesn't go where we're going, and walking or biking won't cut it, we use a combination of two carshares (one works for longer round trips and rides the whole family needs to go on; the other one is better for short one-way trips for one or two people). And we occasionally use Lyft, though it must be getting more popular; more often than not it seems there's a 50%-75% upcharge for high-demand times, and it can get REALLY pricy (don't ask me about a trip to the airport we took at those rates). So what seemed like it would be a regular part of our arsenal is now only for emergencies or special occasions. We budget $90 per month for carshare services and it seems to work out most months; occasionally we're over or under a bit. For staycations we take car expenses out of our shared spending, not this category. If one of us wants to use these services and the budget has already been spent, it comes out of our personal spending.
So, a rough estimate of monthly transportation costs:
NT bus pass $0
Bike maintenance $15
My bus pass $85
AS bus pass $45
AA bus pass $30
Carshare $90
So about $265 per month for a family of five.
If we bought a car there would be a big outlay of cash plus insurance, gas and maintenance, so it would be a lot more than this at least initially. Plus, our current system allows all members of the family to travel independently, whereas a car would have to be agreed upon who got to use it when. NT and I go into downtown at different times, so one of us would need a bus pass anyway, and AS doesn't drive, so she'd need a bus pass or else be dependent on us to drive her places. Monthly parking in downtown costs more than a monthly bus pass.
Being carless requires patience and planning, but having a car comes with a whole other set of responsibilities too. So for us, it continues to be a good decision not to have one.
Transportation budget (and lifestyle) considerations
August 22nd, 2016 at 02:44 pm
August 22nd, 2016 at 05:03 pm 1471885399
August 22nd, 2016 at 05:56 pm 1471888584
Best thing about my daughter being on the West Coast is learning to navigate the public transportation system (which isn't the best, but better than nothing). She's getting proficient at train schedules and bus schedules. This will help when she's in Europe.
I think it is very admirable that you're able to be essentially carless. My biggest concern would be getting someone sick to the hospital, but I suppose that is what 911 is there for.
August 22nd, 2016 at 08:00 pm 1471896042
Yes, I feel pretty good that between bus, taxi, various carshare options and (as a last resort) friends with cars, we'll always be able to cover emergencies. When NT broke his collarbone we called a Lyft; when he collapsed at a party we called 911. When I was going to be in labor we had several friends (who had proactively volunteered) on standby, and when SL needed to go to the ER from daycare, NT raced there with her in the jogging stroller. It's never been hard to figure out which transportation option to use, either; the right one presents itself as the obvious choice, with several backup options available in case the first one doesn't pan out.
August 22nd, 2016 at 08:09 pm 1471896592
August 22nd, 2016 at 08:56 pm 1471899409
It is smart to evaluate those costs!
August 23rd, 2016 at 01:57 am 1471917446
$241 on gas for two vehicles
421 on car tax/registration for 3 vehicles
DH spent 473 on his car so far this month. and my brakes are maybe needing some attention soon ...
My insurance is 500/yr full coverage
DH's is 171/6 months liability only