Oct 21, 2013

 

As I've shared, Teague and I have been pairing down and getting rid of things that we either don't use anymore or that we can get away with not having. Well, today was the day that I sold my car! By not having my car I am saving $275 per month, which is a good chunk of change to apply towards my student loans each month.

Now, I am in a situation which many may not find themselves in so this option may not apply directly to everyone who is planning a RTW trip, but it can still be applied and tailored to your personal circumstances. How did I manage to sell my car 5 months prior to leaving? Let me tell you...

My grandparents go down to Florida every year in October and stay there until May (aside from my Gramma coming home for a few weeks at Christmas time) so I was fortunate enough to be able to do a little vehicle swap between my mom and grandparents where I will drive my mom's vehicle and she will drive my grandparents vehicle. There will be some time when I won't have a vehicle myself, but we will still have one vehicle between Teague and I. Knowing my timeline of when I would have a vehicle available for me to drive, I posted my car to Craigslist a few weeks ahead of time with the caveat that whoever bought it couldn't drive it away until the day I had my mom's vehicle. I figured it might be a long shot trying to sell it under those conditions, but a young guy was in the market for a new civic and was flexible enough to accept my conditions. 

The moral of the story is to take a look at what it's costing you each month to drive your own vehicle - car payments, insurance, gas, maintenance, etc. Then take a look at what alternative options are available to you. Do you live/work near public transportation? How much would that cost you per month to use instead? Is the weather condusive to you biking or walking places? Do you know someone who has an extra vehicle that you could use? Are you living with someone that you could share a car with? Is there a car-sharing system in your city that you could use? These are all things to think about when it comes to evaluating your ability to cut your transportation costs. 

Getting rid of your vehicle early may seem drastic and leave you feeling a lack of freedom, but it's time to get used to figuring out how you're going to get from one place to the next now, right?

 

How have you altered your transportation to help prepare for a RTW trip? Share your experiences and tactics in the comments below!

 

Roam On!

 

 

Written by Jen Hays Jen is a marketer with a passion for the digital world and an insatiable desire to travel and explore all that the physical world has to offer; marrying the two to share her experiences with and inspire all who join her along the way. Find her on Google+ | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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