Sometimes, it feels like we – as members of society – have been a little hard done by. The country has been set up so that we all need to have our own vehicle just to enjoy the conveniences of modern life. But, of course, this isn’t cheap – quite the opposite, in fact! From buying a vehicle to keeping it on the road, it can sometimes feel like we’re spending much more than we’d like on those little horseless carriages that we call cars. Below, we take a look at some of the obvious and not so obvious ways our cars affect our bank balance.
Upgrading Your Vehicle
If we were able to have one car for the rest of our lives, then it wouldn’t be so bad. We’d all agree to a big one-off payment if it meant that we’d have a vehicle to see us through for decades. Alas, this is not the case. We have to buy a new car every few years, at great personal expense! Part of this is social driven – the need to appear successful – and some of it is practical; newer cars have been entertainment, safety features, and so on.
Getting From A To B
The real cost of a car isn’t in the casing and the seats and the steering wheel and the rest; it’s in the stuff that helps us get from A to B; gas! The costs have been rising recently, and look set to increase even more in the not too distant future. You can help yourself keep these costs down by buying a car with a high MPG and learning to drive properly so you can enjoy these benefits. Also, anytime you have the opportunity to leave the car in the driveway and walk or drive, take it!
Insurance and Other Issues
There are some things you’re just going to need if you’re on the road, like insurance. This isn’t just to protect you, but to also protect others. That being said, insurance can only do so much. The risk of injury on the roads is high, and the injuries can be severe, especially if hit by a larger vehicle. Across the country “the number of large trucks and buses involved in fatal crashes grew by 26 percent between 2009 and 2015,” according to www.GBW.law/personal-injury/truck-accidents. These injuries can lead to significant financial troubles unless you have the right team on your side.
Necessary Repairs
It’s always a good idea to have some money set aside when you’re a vehicle owner. You never know when you might need to take your car to the garage for an emergency repair. Newer cars should have little trouble, but older ones can be in the garage every few weeks!
Losing Time
Finally, let’s remember that cost isn’t just valued by money; time is also important. If you’re spending two hours of your day stuck in traffic, then it’s time to look for another job – that’s nearly three weeks you’re spending inside your vehicle!
In a perfect world – where I like to live from time to time – you wouldn’t need a vehicle for everyday life. Everything you need; your job, movie theaters, entertainment venues, grocery stores, shopping – it would all be within walking distance of your home. Until that day though, we will need our vehicles to get around to enjoy the things in life that matter to us. Of course, we could always go back to horse-drawn buggies like some Amish communities still use today.
