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Original poster

Learning to drive when poor?

21 replies

WorthingLass · 12/05/2019 13:34

We don't have a lot of money and certainly can't afford to pay outright for driving lessons but I would like to learn to drive.

We have a toddler and I work full-time (dp stays at home with dd). We receive tax credits and housing benefit. We can't afford for me to learn. My biggest regret before having a kid is not taking lessons. How are poor people like us supposed to learn and better ourselves when it's so bloody expensive? Has anyone else in a similar situation managed to learn to drive?

OP posts:
GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 12/05/2019 13:51

Get a friend or family member to teach you.

StickOfRhubarb · 12/05/2019 13:53

Yes, you get a friend or family member to take you to car parks when the shops are closed and industrial estates.

mimibunz · 12/05/2019 13:54

DP can get a Saturday job to bring in a little extra income.

Interested in this thread?

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Driving & parking
Erosisaprick · 12/05/2019 13:55

Following.

Jayblue · 12/05/2019 13:56

Realistically, if you can't afford an hour a week driving lesson, you won't be able to afford to run a car.

If being able to drive would help you at work as well, then having a friend/family member teach you may help- but you would probably need some lessons close to the test as instructors will know the routes that are used and what an examiner will allow you to get away with.

Could your husband find a way of bringing in some income (evening work, weekend work, starting a small business at home) which might free up some income for driving?

Original poster
WorthingLass · 12/05/2019 13:58

I don't really know anyone who drives.

Dp can get a Saturday job but the extra income would just be taken out our benefits. We've already looked into that. We wouldn't have any extra money. It doesn't pay to work, even if the Tories said it does.

OP posts:
Dontgiveamonkeys1350 · 12/05/2019 13:59

Have u look into the intensive courses. That is a shorter time. But I agree with the other poster. Buying and running a car is one of the most biggest expenses each month. And that is with putting money away for it every month.

mycatisblack · 12/05/2019 14:04

What are your future goals?
How are you going to achieve them?
Having a child can cause a huge drain on your finances and can limit your options whilst they are very young, but once at school, you will have more opportunities to increase your income.
When does you partner plan to go back to work?
I stayed at home and learnt to drive at 18 by saving up for the lessons from my low paid job. I later did evening classes to gain A'levels then a degree by studying part-time. My parents weren't wealthy so I knew I had to study and work at the same time if I wanted to eventually earn a decent living. There's no way I'd have saddled myself with a partner and child in my twenties as I knew it wasn't a financially viable option.
I have a couple of friends who had their children young and then went into nursing and they seem happy enough with their choices.

Bottom line is that you are the only one responsible for how your life pans out so it's up to you to make a plan and work towards your goals. If you really want to learn to drive, start planning how you might achieve that objective and work towards it.

Singleandproud · 12/05/2019 14:04

You just have to wait until you are in a better situation and bide your time unfortunately. Save what you can now, even if its £5 a week/month then when DD is at school your DH can go to work and youll have more income. Or he could work evenings etc now. Im a single parent and it cost me just over £1000 to learn to drive, I had 1.5 hours a week over a year and topped it up with other lessons when I had extra money after birthdays and Christmases. There are no car owners / drivers in my family to practise with so I had to rely on lessons alone. There is no real point in starting to learn until you can afford regular lessons and and to run a car afterwards, my car insurance was £600 the first year and tax was £180, my car was a gift from my parent. I didn't pass until I was 30 as I couldn't afford regular lessons before then.

Get your provisional if you haven't already as my insurer just asked how long I had had a license from the time I got my provisional, the fact I had had it 10 years+ despite never using it decreased the cost of my insurance.

Get a high way code, and a theory book, local libraries often have them in stock and start learning what you need to know for the theory. Then start getting friends / family to take you out if you have them.

Jayblue · 12/05/2019 14:08

If you can't up your income right now, are there any cuts you could make?

The average cost of an hour's lesson is £24- obviously this will vary depending on where you live, but if driving is really important to you, then it might be possible to find this- and if you can't one week, you can always skip a lesson. It will take longer to learn this way, but you'd get there eventually.

My car costs more than £24 a week to run (if you include insurance, tax, fuel, parking permit etc), not taking into account any large repair bills.

Alternatively, would it be possible to move somewhere with really good public transport links, where not being able to drive wouldn't seem like such a big problem.

StickOfRhubarb · 12/05/2019 14:57

He needs to work evenings and both weekend days then.

You can't have a stay at home parent and be able to afford everything you want to afford.

BackforGood · 12/05/2019 15:03

I do agree that if you can't afford a lesson a week, you would struggle to run a car, however, I also think it is an incredibly valuable life skill, so why not aim for it at some point in the future? Save a few £ a week now, every week, and start to build up a fund. Once you have money saved, you will be able to learn quicker by having lessons close together, so you don't forget stuff between lessons.

InTheHeatofLisbon · 12/05/2019 15:06

I did it week by week. Provisional first, then theory test, then lessons as and when I could afford them (putting £2 a week by until I could afford the practical test).

Between 20-25 a week seems to be the going rate for lessons.

But I do agree that if you're struggling to afford lessons then running a car will be hard. Is saving a few quid a week an option? (Literally a couple of quid even)

Theimpossiblegirl · 12/05/2019 15:15

If you are lucky enough to have family who give gifts you could ask for lessons or money towards lessons for birthdays, Christmas etc.
Or start saving, have a pot just for lessons and every time you sell something or can put by a few quid, pop the money in there.
It won't be easy or quick but it's worth it.

KanielOutis · 12/05/2019 15:16

I didn't learn to drive until my 30's because I couldn't afford to. In the last month alone I have had to pay £220 for 4 new tyres and £350 insurance excess because someone drove into the back of me and that has to be paid up front for me to claim it back.

Dillydallyingthrough · 12/05/2019 15:18

I learnt to drive later on in life (late 20's) was a SP in a low paid job. I saved and cut back were I could. Asked family and friends for money for my birthday or vouchers for the lessons. Asked everyne I knew if they would let me practice parking outside of lessons.

But I agree if you can't afford to learn to drive you won't be able to afford to run a car - I had a shitheap for my 1st car as it was all I could afford, but the MOT was SOOO expensive as it just used to scrape through with work. But this was a year after I passed and was promoted.

Is there a promotion you could apply for? Or your DP gets a job with progression possibilities? I know what it's like to lose benefits the more you earn (one point I was working more hours and worse off financially) but you need to think more long term.

KnifeAngel · 12/05/2019 15:30

If you can't afford lessons then you certainly couldn't afford to run a car. There is fuel, maintenance, tax, mot and insurance.

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 12/05/2019 16:20

‘Poor people like us’

It’s of your own making though, one wage supporting three people is going to be tight unless that person is earning mega bucks. Unlikely in your case since you’re relying on housing benefit and tax credits. Your dp needs to get in to work if you want luxuries.

dirtystinkyrats · 12/05/2019 20:35

I agree with others its worth saving for and worth doing it properly rather than doing an intensive course if you don't have any previous experience.

Its also not something everyone takes to - you could need relatively few lessons or you could end up failing the driving test a couple of times and it taking quite a while.

Kingslayer · 12/05/2019 20:37

Tbh If you can't afford £25 a week for an hours lesson how on earth are you going to afford to run a car? It's not just petrol, the initial outlay, regular services, tires, mot etc... Driving isn't free

dirtystinkyrats · 12/05/2019 20:47

To people saying if you can't afford lessons you cant afford a car... I would presume the point is ability to drive = greater mobility = chance of better paid job that would fund a car. Unless you live in a big city then not being able to drive severely limits your work options.

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