Did driving change your quality of life?

[escapetothecuntree]

I have a baby now. Find where I live incredibly isolating.

It's not in the middle of no where but there's no where to go without a car or waiting for multiple buses that never come

For example, we have a big Next, a big Matalan. But you have to drive to the big B&Q, for example, instead of them being within the same shopping location. No bus stops anywhere near these things.

Also, it would be amazing to just hop in my car and visit the nearest big shopping centre, a proper one.

Or just bang our stuff into the car and visit family, and even go shopping there.

I'm always wary that I'll be needing a car for me to take DS to any endless activities I know I'll be bombarded into taking him to when he's older.

Did driving improve your quality of life?

I am keen to start but wondering if I'm over exaggerating in my head how convenient it'll be.

Yes, massively. Not just for being able to go somewhere spontaneously, but for emergencies - dashes to A and E, picking DD up from school when she was unwell etc.

There are far too many heartbreaking posts on MN from women who are trapped in difficult situations (usually medical emergencies) because they couldn't drive.

Well, I passed when I was 17, so a lot of change in life at that age anyway, but there is SOOOOOOO much in my life I couldn't have done if I didn't drive - from the job possibilities, training opportunities, to visiting dying parents, to hospital appointments, to opportunities for my dc, to just things for pleasure or fun. Or boring things like going to the tip, or picking something up I've got off freecycle, or just the normal shopping etc. To doing my current job.
Life would have been so much less, without driving - and I live in a big City with a lot of public transport.

Re costs - it is a 'how long is a piece of string?' question. My current car cost me £500 - but that is a one off payment and I'd expect to keep it 4 or 5 years generally. Then there's tax (£140 I think), MOT - I generally budget about £200 for work that needs doing, then I generally reckon I spend another £200 a year (often less but I allow that) for things that need replacing - maybe a tyre or light bulbs or windscreen wipers etc.
Your insurance - as a new driver - will be the biggest cost to begin with, but will soon come down. That is so variable it is difficult to guesstimate, but will depend a lot on your postcode. Then there is your petrol, depending on how much you use.

Yes it definitely did. I was late enough learning at 30, neither of my parents ever drove and I was used to using public transport but I was well aware that things friends could do in the evening after work were, for me, big chunk out of your day type efforts that had to wait til weekends.

DH (then DP) encouraged me to learn and honesty once I did I wished I hadn't waited so long! No more standing in all weather waiting for buses, the joy of taking 20 minutes to get where I need to be rather than an hour of walking and buses. I was amazed at the difference it made and how much more I was able to do.

Now with 2 primary school dc and both of us working full time it's absolutely invaluable. If I didn't drive I'd have to leave the house before 8, bus with dc to school, two buses and a bit of walking to get to work and I couldn't guarantee being in work by 10 (which is the latest time I can go in - flexi time with "core" hours). On my school run days I can leave at 740 to drop dc to breakfast club and be at my desk by 815/820 or leave at 830, drop to school and be in work by 920.

My car is £70 on finance, £60 insurance and £40 petrol costs. I don’t find it to be expensive but it’s pretty subjective sometimes.

Yes.

I don't need the car Monday-Friday as I live in a city so can walk or cycle everywhere.

But it's great at the weekend - I had exhausted all the days out possibilities by train. I can go anywhere and spend most of my weekends out and about in the countryside.

As a child neither of my parents could drive, so it meant walking to the shops EVERYDAY as we couldn't carry much back. There weren't that many buses (two an hour), and if we needed to get somewhere fast it was a taxi.
But it didn't help that where we lived in the 80s was quite rough, so the taxi wouldn't go right up to our door and we had to walk the last half mile if it was after dark.
I passed my test when I was 17 and it was luxury to have a car, but it quickly got to be a drag as I was now the 'taxi' for the family.
When I left to live with my boyfriend (now my husband) in the 90s, my dad decided it was time that he learnt to drive.
Annoyed me for years, the simple fact that he couldn't be bothered when we were younger.
Never went on day trips or had holidays with the parents.
Thank goodness my grandad had a car.

Oh gosh, yes! A thousand times yes! I can honestly say that learning to drive has quite possibly been the single most life-changing thing I have ever done; I actually rank it as highly as getting married and becoming a parent, if not higher!

I learned when I was 27 - and suddenly a whole new world opened up for me.

Playing Wow, that's fairly cheapish.

Is it a newish car if it's on finance?

PoisonousSmurf my mother and three of my sil don't drive. The expectations they have on their dhs, adult children and extended family to ferry them everywhere is ridiculous. They literally have zero understanding of the favour been done for them when we drop them home or collect them going between 5/10 miles out of our way each way. I like driving for for freedom it gives me and my family. I get resentful ferrying someone else around when they've chosen not to learn but expect doing so shouldn't curtail their own life.

Yes

So much more freedom.

I learned in my early 20s. Living near a town centre with good transport links was fine. Passing my test allowed me to move in with now DH and commute to my post graduate course. It's given me much more choice of work places and general freedom. In this suburb my options would be getting into town, or a mile walk to the bus stops for a couple of other town centres.

Non driving with 1 DC gets tough. Non driving with 2 DCs is very restrictive as lift sharing pretty much goes out of the window.

The cost of running a car can vary enormously, from the age of the car, its original purchase price, the value of newer cars depreciating, older cars perhaps requiring maintenance.

I run an (over twelve years ) old car, that has been used by my family since it was new, so we know its history which gets services each year and has, to date, not needed anything other than the usual consumables (window wipers, tyres, MOT, tax etc.)

Its costs are less than i would pay on public transport to commute to work, so i consider that i get leisure use for the cost of the fuel. Very good value and great to know i can go where-ever and whenever i want.

People n spend a lot on one new, fancy cards which are replaced every two or three years.

Yes, I learnt when I was 17, I have friends who don't drive and see how much more effort it takes to get anywhere (we are in a town too so have easy transport links to most places). Friends with children even more so and they definitely miss out on days out etc because they can't get there! Even getting to parties once the children start school becomes a pain and they need to ask for lifts etc which would drive me crazy having to rely on others so much! It's gives you so much more freedom and also time.

I will be paying for all three of my children to learn as soon as they are old enough!

Not really - it’s 2010 fiesta but I couldn’t afford to buy one outright when my last car broke down permanently. I make overpayments to pay it off sooner though.

it's a safety thing. The dashes to a&e or emergency drs when you have children. for starters.