Transitioning to a car-free lifestyle 🚙

Working on figuring out what I should get at the store before transitioning to a car-free lifestyle on January 1st. I want to try to get any necessary supplies that I can get in bulk and will last like toilet paper, big bags of beans and rice both to save money and reduce packaging, and because such things will be difficult to transport on a bicycle or on the bus. I also got extra bike lube and spare tubes, in case the ones I have at home get a flat that can’t be patched.

I’ve always kind of wanted to try the car-free lifestyle but never had the opportunity. I think this will be a very useful experience on many levels, I will learn a lot and maybe get to know my community better. While I’ve long used the bus to get to work and to a lesser extent around town, and have always walked or ridden around town, I’ve never been without a vehicle for an extended time period. I only usually drove once a week most of winter to go to store and visit family, so it’s not the biggest loss, still sometimes it’s convenient knowing you have a vehicle.

They say being a non-driver saves a lot of money, though I’m not sure it’s as great as they say, as it will only be a few hundred dollars I get back from my car insurance and I normally fuel up maybe once every 4-6 weeks in winter as I drive so little in winter unless I’m taking trips. But I’m actually interested how it changes how I grocery shop and run many other errands. Eat even more dried rice and beans, they’re cheap, healthy,  and easy to carry on the bicycle. Probably spend more on bus fares though and on certain things at Hannaford or Price Chopper compared to Walmart. Though that varies. Probably continue to do most of my shopping on weekends, by bicycle.

It will be a clean slate once spring comes, as I’m surrending my plates and canceling my auto insurance. Keeping my drivers license though. But I’ve needed to update my insurance policy for years, I haven’t updated my deducatables in decades, and it’s good to carefully revisit such things, should I decide to take up driving again. I probably will, but I need time think about this all, and it makes zero sense to have an automobile in winter when I drive so little.