Honest Simplicity

My son wanted to say one last “goodbye” to the car

We are officially a one-car family as of today! For months, we’ve discussed the idea of going from two cars to one.  Here was our thinking: Dan already commutes to work by bike or bus during the week.  We live on a bus route and are conveniently close to downtown, which makes the commute easier.  I stay home during the week and use one car to run errands and go on outings with the kids, etc.  Many places are walkable from our house, such as grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants, parks, and the library.  If one of us needs the car in the evening, we’ll have to be sure to coordinate our schedules.  I don’t imagine that will be too difficult, since we are pretty good communicators.  If one of us needs to go out-of-town without the other, we can always rent a car.

It was a little strange for me to see the car go today, since that is the car I drive most often.  Mostly, I felt excited to have another area of our lives simplified.  We now have one car to maintain and insure instead of two.  We have more space in the garage for the kids to park their bikes.  Simplifying means getting used to letting to.  Letting go of what is unnecessary makes room for the important things.  I don’t believe everybody needs to go down to one car, but don’t assume you need multiple cars without considering the pros and cons first.  Whether you are car-free or own three cars, the focus shouldn’t be on comparing yourself to others.  Rather, the value of minimizing lies in figuring out what you really need and what works best for you.