Life Without a Car: Save Money by Learning to Live Without a Car in Providence RI and Other Metro Areas

Trying to save some money this winter? Who isn't? Whether you're scouring the thrift stores for Christmas presents or saying no to the yearly gift exchange, saving money is something on everyone's mind this year.

Want to save big? Ditch your car and start walking! If you think about your expenses throughout the month, you'll probably come up with three main ones: rent, if you live off-campus, food, and car-related expenses. Imagine if you could completely cut 1/3 of your expenditures from your existence. How much extra money you would have for the important things in life, like beer! Unless you live with your folks, you probably can't cut rent and food, but car expenses, especially in a city, can be eliminated without too much headache.

With rising costs of gasoline, not to mention car insurance, general maintenance, repairs, and parking, driving takes up a huge percentage of our weekly earnings. Okay, sure, the price of gas has been plummeting lately, but how long do you really think that trend is going to last? If you're like most people, you probably think that you can't live without your car, but you can, especially if you live in the city. Now that you can order your books online with Amazon and shop for groceries with Peapod, the need for a car is almost obsolete. Got dirty clothes? Try Skidmarks Laundry Service (www.skidmarksri.com), which offers semester-long pick-up service for local college students.

How to get by without a car? You've got three main options: walk, bike, or use public transportation. You could bug your friends for rides, but you won't have friends for long if you do. Living car-free tests your patience, requiring you to plan ahead. We're so used to having cars that we can't fathom life without, but after a few months car-free, most people find they don't miss the hassles.

Besides, Providence is a great city for walkers! Walk Score (www.walkscore.com) tests the walkability of cities through the United States. With rankings out of 100, the higher the score, the easier it is to get by without a car. San Fransciso, the most walkable city, ranks at 86; New York City, 83; Boston, 72. My west side address here in Providence? An impressive 83.

If hitting the pavement ain't your thang, buy yourself a bike. Located at 181 Brook Street on the east side, the Hub (www.thehubprovidence.com) sells and repairs bicycles. Higher end bicycles start at about $200. Cheaper than any decent car. Still too expensive? Check Craigslist; you might find one for $35 or so. (My Schwinn was $40, and the owner delivered!) Or check out the Build-A-Bike classes offered at the Steel Yard (www.thesteelyard.org) at 27 Sims Avenue in Olneyville.

Feeling lazy? Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (www.ripta.com) offers routes all over the city and the state. Brown, RISD, PC, and JWU all have free UPASS programs; RWU and CCRI Providence students can buy passes at 50% off. If you aren't a student, buy a 15-ride pass for $23 bucks. If your trips are under two hours, you can use the free transfers to save even more. Download the schedules online, and use a new service, which uses Google Maps to map your route from point A to point B.

Still not ready to give up your car? Make a commitment to try 30 days car-free. Leave your car at your parents' house for a month, and see how well you can get around town. Your wallet, and the environment, will thank you.

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Want to figure out just how much ditching your car will save you on your commute?

Visit http://www.publictransportation.org/contact/stories/calculator_08.asp

Enter the details about your car, your mpg, and your round trip, and this handy calculator will do the math for you.