- I drove my kids to school and then picked up my free public transportation pass from work. (Value = $744!)
- Dropped my 1997 Subaru Outback at the mechanic for a serious look-see. It became gutless, and the check engine light came on while I was on the freeway yesterday. It was a harrowing ride, to say the least. My mechanic is somewhat pricey, but they’re the most honest, skilled, sustainable and community minded business possible. When we took our mini-van in last year for what we thought would be a pricey repair, they researched the problem and found that it was a recall issue, and sent us to a dealership, so the repair was free! They also once talked my husband out of a tune-up. I ♥ them.
- Talked to my older son about working together to clean and reorganize his bedroom. I already have some great ideas that just involve repurposing some of the things to make better use of his storage. He was surprisingly open to the idea.
- Made school lunches for my sons, which is our regular routine, and saves us thousands of dollars per year.
- Am looking forward to going to lunch with my father this afternoon.
- Am recalling my day at work yesterday, where I helped two different families welcome their babies into the world.
- Am appreciating my husband who is a Take Care of Business kind of guy. It involves rats in the basement, and I won’t burden you with the details.
- Am anticipating that the becoming-a-one-car-family decision may have been made for us without our permission.
Car problems, rodent issues and messy teenage bedrooms. My life is unbearably glamorous!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
You know, that’s just real life! BTW, did you ever announce the winner of Gretchen Rubin’s new book?
I did, and the winners have been notified. Sorry.
Katy
I am trying to talk my husband into the one car family thing–he’s the one with the issues!
Would love to know the name of your mechanic. My Subaru Outback is 15 years old and my mechanic is retiring! We’re already a one-car family so I need to keep this one running. Thanks.
Hawthorne Auto Clinic.
Katy
We are a sort-of one car couple. We had car problems which force us to carpool for a few days (at that time we worked in opposite directions of our home), but since my husband started his new job we drive to work together. We have a second car which we plan on selling & replacing with a pickup, but will continue to drive together. In the 2.5 months since we started driving together, our regular gas expenses has been cut in half (although we wiped that out with several unexpected long trips in the last 2 weeks.). Its totally worth the slight inconvenience to share a ride.
We purposely became a 1 car family 15 months ago and would never go back. It has only been a problem for us once and that time I asked a friend for a ride and gave her some garden produce in exchange. We have saved literally thousands and have become more efficient about planning errands. We’ve even biked and walked more!
Oh, we would *love* to be a one car family, and talk about it often. But since hubby and I work in opposite directions from home, and neither (currently) has a good public transportation option, for the moment we need two cars. But I’m ready to change that when we can!
How lovely to help two families welcome precious little ones into the world. I know it’s not all glamorous, but it’s still pretty darn awesome.
And, THANKS for withholding the rodent details. Believe me, I don’t need to know!!
I am a Subaru Outback girl too! I would love to go without a car, but I haven’t figured that out yet. Mostly I feel this way when car repairs are involved. I had $772 bill last week for car repairs.
When I was married, we were a one car family for about 15 years. It worked well because I was a stay at home mom and my (ex) husband worked 3 miles away. If I needed the car, he could just drive home. It takes some planning but saves a ton of money!
Love your blog!!
Good thing you drove to get you public transportation pass since it sounds like you might need it 🙂
I almost contacted you the other day to see if I could borrow some mousetraps, but then we decided it was a raccoon in the crawlspace. Sounds like yours might be in use anyway…
So basically your day was like every other day! LOL I have those days too. Funny how you don’t really appreciate them that much while you’re in them, but when you sit down at the end of the day and replay it in your head, you ask yourself, “How Blessed Am I?”
And that one car family thing…way over-rated! Been doing it now for 3 years and I can’t wait to join the 2 car family ranks once again. Used of course 🙂
I’ve noticed lately that when I click on comments, I get redirected to an ad. Today’s was particularly hilarious, as it was a Nordstrom ad. Given that you’re the famous NCA, why do “they” think your audience would be receptive to that kind of ad? The worst of it is that every time it happens, I have a sinking feeling that you’re not even getting paid for it. Do you know why this is happening?
I have no idea why that’s happening. I am not benefitting from those ads and need to put some research into why it’s happening.
Katy
That just happened to me as well. It’s early here & I thought I must have hit a wrong button so I closed the window & hit comments again & actually got here. I was redirected to the Google play store.
same here on the Google Play Store. But when I went back it got me to the link I wanted. For me it was a link to a blog post INSIDE of the comment.
This is super annoying, and I’m really sorry. 🙁
Katy
I have to say that I so enjoy your blog!! I read it almost every day but rarely comment. I like that you are so ‘down to earth’ about life and living it!! And your writing style is so entertaining!
Thanks for being here!
Thank you, that is very sweet of you to share. I am so far from perfect, that it would be completely false to present myself any differently.
😉
Katy
We unexpectedly became a one-car family (of 4)in the spring. At first it was very unpleasant, but now we will never go back. My husband buys his bus tix pre-tax/payroll deduction from work. It has saved us so much money already. It also has promoted more family togetherness since we have to really link errands. It was that one big radical thing that has really reenergized our simple lifestyle.
Do you both work, or just your husband?
Katy
My husband works and I manage our home (my job became eliminated last January). We often commute together in the morning, dropping our teen off at her Catholic HS about 25 min away, then swing around into the city of Cleveland to hubby’s work. Then I finish the commute back home so I can use the car during the day. My folks are chronically ill seniors who are still living in their home…my sis and I help out quite a bit there. I pick up our daughter after school, then my hubby at the bus stop about 10 min from our home. On days I don’t need the car, he and our daughter commute together. (Our oldest daughter and third driver in the home now lives away at a local university.)
Oh, rats in the basement. We have had them too and one time one got caught by the tail in a trap while Hubby was out of town. I stared at it a while and then called a retired military neighbor figuring anyone who has gone to war can face down a live rat. Well he did but the major learning for me was the fact that he put on heavy work gloves first in case it tried to bite. The second major learning was to periodically go carefully around the outside of the house and check for new holes they make to get in. Yuck!
Double-yuck!
Katy
We’re sort of a one car family, the hubs has a work car he uses. So the best of both worlds two cars but the expense of only one!! We don’t have any options with public transportation and we’re not within walking distance to much of anything, even though we live in town.