Possible to live without a car?

©Mr Green

For ages I've said that when our car dies, we'll try and not get a 'new' one...well the reality of that is now looming!  The verdict of the garage isn't positive, and so I'm trying to do some speedy research on alteratives.


We don't use our car on a daily basis, as I work from home and cycle with the kids in the area (the joy of living in a dense city is that everything literally is on our doorstep...well, except the woods).  Andy gets the train to Bristol for work and cycles there.  So we truly are infrequent car users.  It can sit in our street for a couple of weeks without being started and has definitely enjoyed it's retirement, since it's long IBM communting to Bedfont days.  However, we do need one for visiting relatives and going on holiday, and in fact need one for 2 weeks in the not too distant future.

For the odd short requirement, we have great local friends that will lend us their cars, although I do need to look into the reality of whether this still works if I don't have my own car insurance.  But asking someone to borrow their car for 2 weeks, is a bit more of a challenge.

So I'm looking into local car clubs (existing and possible to set up), car hire, permanent car sharing, and alternative transport such as trains (although not really workable with a tent and camping gear in tow!).  One of the challenging factors of car clubs, is where the car is based.  There is one that has cars based at the Civic Offices.  But with two small children in tow, and their two car seats, plus whatever else we need for the trip, it's an enourmous effort just to get to the car!

Ironically it might end up cheaper to buy another car, although there is then obviously the unknown factor of future repairs, as we certainly wouldn't be getting anything new.  But I really don't want to end up doing that.  This seems a great opportunity to try and do something good for the environment, and also to share resources with others.  So more homework required!

General Update

In addition to the car issue, the past two months have brought up several unexpected expenses, and yet talking with others and asking around have brought some great alternatives to cash being spent!  

The blinds in our living room have been on their last legs for a while, but now each morning that I open them, I pray that they will actually open and not disintegrate in my hands.  When I was talking about it with a friend, she mentioned that she had some curtains in her loft that we could use as a short term measure.  And my mother-in-law found her old curtains from two houses ago, and although they're too short, is happy for me to recycle them and make a long term solution.  (Just need to find some clear time to find some co-ordinating fabric, and get unpicking and then sewing.)


Kester was at the perfect moment to leave his cot and move into a bed, as he's so tired at bedtime, having dropped his daytime sleep, that he isn't worried about getting out of bed, and he also really wants to be like his big sister ;-)  A friend was letting us have her son's bed, once they'd got a new one for him off eBay.  M will have that one, and K would have hers.  And in the meantime we managed to borrow a toddler bed from another friend's loft for K, so he could make the transition.  This weekend the other friend got her son's new bed, so we got their old cabin bed.  Yesterday, was the big move day, and last night, M slept up high in her 'new' bed, and K slept in his big sister's old bed.  Lots of great recycling, and the only expense was a new mattress for M!

'I never want to sleep anywhere else, Mummy!'

We also got a bonus 3 months of membership at the local acquarium this week!  For the past 3 months they've been promising us our membership card, and keep mislaying it.  On about the 7th time of asking they decided to ask me to fill in all the forms again, and then said they'd start the year from that date.  Bonus!

And at last the front yard/community herb garden is starting to show signs of development!  Yesterday, Southsea Greenhouse (check out their community garden launch day below) came and dug up the large plant, and is going to rehouse it at the Pyramids (Mariella is very happy that we can go and see it when we have a swim there ;-)  The other main plant was taken last weekend.  A couple were passing on Mother's Day, when I was at the front door, and asked what the plant was called.  They'd admired it previously and tried to discover what it was, but to no avail.  I had no idea, but said they were really welcome to it, as I might need to move it for the herb garden anyway.  They were rather taken aback, but after further convincing, agreed to take it as long as they could bring me some herbs in exchange, and invite us to their open garden later in the year.  (A great deal!)  And so now that the winter appears to letting up, at last, I need to get some pots round the front, collect all the promised-to-me herbs and start growing.  Exciting!!!

http://southseagreenhouse.co.uk/events-and-news/

 

End of the Summer Update

What summer?  You might well ask! 

We ended August off well yesterday with a day out with the Smiths.  We rode our bikes to the Hayling Island Ferry, had a boat trip across and then cycled along to the beach near 'Inn on the Beach'.  Had a great time playing in the sea and on the beach and enjoyed a picnic lunch and a BBQ Sausage kids tea, before cycling back to the boat and then on home.   A great local day out!  (So much richness, so near by!)

Just 5 more loads to go!

I've made it through the mammoth pile of washing after Greenbelt (I truely appreciate the washing machine and love it lots!!), washed mud from wellies and the buggy and just about got the house back to normal.  I'm now keeping my eye out for a bigger tent to get on pre-loved websites or through anyone we might know.

I've got a bit further on my running schedule and Andy also took up running this week.  It's a great free exercise, and I'm amazed at the amount of people paying to be shouted at military-style, down on the seafront and common to get fit.  Give me a quiet run any day!

Money

Changing bank accounts is progressing (slightly slowly), and the kids accounts are all set-up.  Our new Co-Op account is complete, and I'm now just waiting for their switching team to work their magic on all our DDs etc.  I'm now also starting the task of setting up our new ISAs, now I've got a new current account to link them too.

I've registered for a water meter, which should be installed in the next 3 months.  I doubt we'll get any savings from it, but I want to have more connection with this precious resource, and have more responsibility over how we use it.  

Giving

I got a letter from World Vision this week, saying that our sponsored child had moved away (not uncommon as families move for work or to be nearer other family members), so now we have to get a new child to sponsor.  I found it really sad news, and it brought back quite a few miscarriage emotions.  Irrelevant of the money that we send, M & I have sent letters and pictures to Grace, we've prayed for her, and we have her picture up in our bedroom and kitchen, and have spent lots of time talking about where she lives and how our lives are different.  It feels like a real loss, and I can't bring myself to take her picture down.  Even if the money can't get it her, our prayers can still.  But it does feel rather like losing a child again, and yet again I realise that I'd be useless as a foster parent and adoption is definitely more for me.

September

I have one more week off with the kids, which will include a visit to Grandma's.  And then it's back to work and nursery routine.  I'm also feeling the need to start planning Christmas gifts as when you make them all, you really do need a big lead time, so that might be quite a focus this autumn.  And I need to spend some time thinking about some changes for 2013 (watch this space), not to mention deciding on a school of M for Sept 2013.  How time flies! 

Putting my money where my mouth is!

So at last I'm starting to move our money!

How many years have I been thinking about doing it?  How many times have I started to investigate options?  Well, I think this time it's really going to happen.

In other areas of our life I'm really passionate about what happens to our waste, where our food is sourced from, what I spend my time doing, what I let the children be exposed to, so how come it's taken so long to get round to acting on what impact my money is having on others whilst we're not using it!  It's mind boggling really, and I'm sure that most of it is down to a lack of knowledge on what actually happens with our money that's sitting in accounts.  And part of me feels that it's just something in the ether, so it can't really be having an impact on world food prices, the arms trade, gambling businesses taking out loans, the list goes on.

So a few weeks ago I started asking others what they knew about good places to keep our money, and with a little delay due to the madness and sadness of life currently, I've started the journey of switching. 

• We're setting up small saving accounts for the kids, mostly for money that is given to us for them, and at this stage of life they really don't have many needs.  They're going to have Triodos Children's Saving accounts...they may not make the highest rate of interest (although they ain't bad), but at least we are clear who they are lending to, and we agree with the basic principles.
• For the occasions when we have some savings, I'm looking at Triodos ISAs and their saving accounts.
• And for the day-to-day current account, we're moving to the Co-Ops online bank...smile

We've decided on these due their ethical basis, and I've been astounded by the principles that triodos state on their website, here's what they say:

We're 100% ethical.

We only lend our savers' money to people and organisations who are working to make a positive impact - culturally, socially and environmentally. 

We only lend real money.

We only lend money entrusted to us by our savers, and not a penny more. In a climate that's seen so many banks around us thrown into turmoil, our approach has enabled us to remain solid and stable.

We're totally transparent.

We're completely open about how we use our customers' money. And you can see for yourself exactly who we lend to on our website.

And the 'who we lend to' tool...is amazing!  I could look at where we live and see who they've lent to locally, and there are some fascinating businesses that I've discovered.  Check it out!  (I'm not on commission, honest...it's just so refreshing to see something simple, that makes sense, and that fits with some better values.)

So now I've just got to get through the process of moving.  I'll let you know how the journey of switching is...they have teams to help do all the direct debit moves etc apparently...so fingers crosses.