Vintage Ford Model A
Did you ever think about not owning a car?
What would your life be like without a car?
I've had a car since I was driving an A-model Ford Roadster in the cow pasture behind the barn on our farm, and that was way before I was old enough to get a driver's license.
When I was 14, I was hired by the federal government to drive around the county to farms and measure tobacco acreage. I didn't lie about my age. They didn't ask me how old I was.
Now, my life has changed
It didn't change by itself. I took steps to change it. I recently sold my car and motorhome while preparing to move to Costa Rica. I don't even have a bicycle now. When I go somewhere, I either walk or catch a ride. I wondered what it would feel like not owning a car.
The simple answer is that I don't miss owning a car
A bus passes within 100 yards of my house every hour from 4:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. I enjoy riding the bus and talking with the locals. It's a great way to listen to the locals speak Spanish.
My landlord drives into town almost every day, and I often catch a ride with him. Also, I can hire a driver to take me anywhere in the country for a small fee.
Having a car gives you a lot of freedom, but there's also a lot of freedom in not having the worries and expenses of owning a car.
I like not having to pay a monthly insurance payment on my car and motorhome or have any maintenance expenses. Of course, I also like not paying taxes, inspection or registration fees, or buying gas. I didn't have car payments, but depreciation is the biggest expense of owning a car. It's easy to forget about this big car expense.
When I was living in the US, having a car was necessary, but here in Costa Rica (as in most countries with a good mass transit system), a car is not necessary.
Bottom line: Someday, I may decide to buy a car here, but for now, I'm happy not to own a car. I don't miss having a car. I thought I might, but I don't. I could get to places quicker if I had a car, but nobody gets in a hurry in Costa Rica, and I'm adjusting to that culture. I try not to get in a hurry either. So what if it takes me 30 minutes to get down the mountain and into town on a bus when I could do it in 15 minutes if I had a car?