If you're a one car family, how do you split usage?

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We have one car. DH works 20 miles away. He either takes the car (30 mins) or the scooter (40 mins) if the weather is good. There is a bus/train route (45 mins) he used for his first year in the office whilst he waited for a parking space. Since Covid, they've had free parking but now things are settling down and people are deciding which days they're in the office they want to charge for the spaces again. It costs slightly over £1000 for the year.

I currently use the car three times a week, once in the evening offer DH is home and two afternoons to get the Dc to their activities. DH is moaning and trying to guilt 10 year old into choosing and specialising in one sport rather than two. I've just realised it's probably because he wants the car more now winter is coming. He has been trying to wfh on the two days I need the car but occasionally has to go in for meetings.

We could technically get the bus on the two days but it would mean a rush out of school (8 mins from bell to bus) one DC has to travel alone to their activity and one would be 10 minutes late if the bus doesn't connect. Also that we wouldn't be home until 7pm twice a week instead of 630.

How would your household sort it?
(second car not an option. DH on scooter in winter/bad weather not an option)

Tell him to get the bus! DC should come first and it isn't much more effort for him to get the bus than to drive, whereas it could mean being late and being home later if DC had to get the bus

DH gets the train again as not worth paying for the parking space.

You all get the bus and consider if you need a car at all.

We are one car and in the middle of nowhere with no bus. DH makes do at home with bike or taxi.

DH takes the train. Our problem is that now DC are older they quite often have activities at the same time in opposite directions which is harder to figure out who gets the car ( we generally go with whichever can't walk/ would have to change buses).

Why on earth wouldn't he take the bus/train to work to save spending £1000 a year on a space he's only using 3 days a week?! I know the train isn't cheap, but surely once fuel costs are added to that hour round trip each day, public transport would be alot more cost effective, and you'd have the car available for DC during the week. We only have one car as it just wouldn't be cost effective for DH to drive into the office each day, he gets the train and has a 20 min walk each side of that too, wouldn't even cross his mind to take the car and leave me and dc with limited transport during the week.

Also if he has the flexibility to work from home, that £1000k parking space seems even more wasted.

Who ever has the kids, has the car 🤷‍♂️

In your situation I’d just make sure DH either wfh on those activity days, or got the train to work those days.

Seems like a reasonable compromise to be able to be a one car household and not have to have your kids trailing about catching multiple buses for evening activities.

That your DH on the rare occasions he cant work from home gets the bus in.

TBH with those parking costs and fuel costs I cant see why he wouldnt use public transport more often!

We have had long periods of only having 1 car in our household.

Both DH and I are very well versed in using public transport. With or without DC. Indeed, by the time DD was in 6th class (11-12), she had her own Leap card (equivalent of Oyster) and was confident enough that one day when all went pear shaped, she jumped on the bus from school to the train, and train into town to meet me at the office.

I commuted by public transport for years, and am at the point of going back to it after the summer as traffic is a lot worse again this year as people actually go back to offices. I found that paying good money for a decent raincoat that is suitable for the office (I have a knee-length Ilse Jacobsen), decent shoes that don't let the rain in (and keeping a spare pair of shoes, and 2 spare pairs of socks at work, just in case), and having a bag that works for hauling around (I use a North Face backpack for laptops, I am eyeing up an eBags replacement as the waterproofing and 1 zip are failing after more than 10 years of constant use) made a huge difference. And having some earphones to listen to podcasts as I travel. You layer up for travelling when the weather requires it (thermal layer underneath, add a warm hat and gloves (maybe a scarf) to the coat for the actual commute, and if need be, an extra jumper/cardigan under the coat for travel).

We all have bicycles (I am the least likely to use it as fat, unfit and asthmatic). But DH cycles 12 miles to the city on his very happily, he used to bring DD on the back to her creche until she started primary school (and she would come home on the bus with me). He cycles in about half the time it takes me to drive, and the public transport option was taking the same time as driving in Covid but is far less stressful. (And traffic is a lot worse now).

I am the person who is most likely to want to commute by car - I am lazy, and I like the freedom. BUT. It costs more in petrol (and rising), and parking. I don't save any time. Drivers were bad but have become a**les on the roads here since Covid so I am always terrified of losing a front wing as others dive in. And it is rare that I get such a soaking or freezing once I am organised with my gear that it's a problem. (And if I do, I generally have a full change at work anyway because of last minute meetings called sometimes so can shower/change if necessary, and have a hot coffee - or a hot shower when I get home and into cozy trackies is lovely).

We have been back to 2 cars for the past 9 years again. (We shared a single car for 6 years, we only got a 2nd after DD was born but had often only used 1 (if even) and sold the other in the last recession when she was 8, but had to get a 2nd again when DFIL became terminally ill living 3 hours away so we needed 1 here and 1 there on a constant basis for months).

But despite actually HAVING 2 cars, for work commuting - 1 had done the commute by road over the summer (45-60 minutes) but is about to go back to just doing the 8 minute commute to the train station (and I could do that by bus easily) and the other sits at home as the driver commutes by bike. We mostly use them for transporting DD and her gear to sports, doing food shopping, being a Cub Scout leader and hauling gear for that etc.

It's all about having the right gear for the purpose. And the mindset of not needing to drive.

He takes the bus / train.

We have one car, DH drives to work when he can but cycles or walks if I need it during the week for the kids activities.

Oh, and when we HAD reduced to 1 car after DD was in primary, we negotiated who needed it and had an agreement that the reduced running costs of not having 2 cars meant we could pay for taxis or a hire car on occasion when we found that someone without the car needed to travel in a hurry or we both needed a car for the weekend or similar.

So he could always consider leaving taxi money for you and DCs, or getting a taxi to the station himself.

For us it's whoever is working from home as we need a car to do the school run.

Dh takes the train to work and I mostly WFH.

We are just so used to checking with each other if we're booking something that needs the car.

DH gets the train again as not worth paying for the parking space.
A year's pass is £3400 or 16.20 a day.

You all get the bus and consider if you need a car at all.
We have considered this, but yes we do! It's only due to DC's timetable this year that we can get the bus (and be late). Last year it wasn't possible to get her there at all without the car. Plus holidays and weekend days out with kit etc etc.

He is only allowed to wfh maximum twice a week and if there are meetings he has to be on site.

In your situation I’d just make sure DH either wfh on those activity days,
This is what I've said, I need it X day, Y day and at 645 on Z day. It's not even all day that I need it, potentially if he has a meeting in the morning, he could come home for lunch and wfh the afternoon but I don't think he would appreciate that!

Whoever is looking after DD or has to do school run gets the car. We mostly WFH but get public transport if we have to go into the office.

We split half and half. DH works in 2 locations at the beginning of the week when it is easy for him to get the train he does and at the end of the week he has the car as that journey is more difficult by public transport. I try and arrange my trips around when I have the car and walk or cycle in between . If I need a car when I don't have it I use a car club to hire by the hour or taxi in an emergency. Being doing this since February and definitely works out cheaper than when we had 2 cars

How far is the journey for him to get to work? If he can take a scooter/bike and it's only 40 mins (only 10 mins more than car), why can't he just do that every day? Could you pick him up on bad weather days so he doesn't have the round trip? I understand the train costs are high, my DH pays over £2k a year and only goes in 3 times a week, but it's still cheaper than fuel there and back each day, or running a second car. If he could bike the whole way in he would but its a 40 mile trip for him.

definitely works out cheaper than when we had 2 cars
We've never had two cars so I don't have that comparison! Until a few years ago when DH was waiting for a parking space, I did everything by bus. It's so much easier with the car! Especially as the DC are getting older, busier and longer days at school.

On average it sounds like he's only really going in 3 times a week, I personally feel he should pull on his big boy pants and cycle in regularly, considering that is clearly an option. He may not love it, but trying to bully his child into giving up a hobby because of his sheer laziness to not use a bike or scooter is not really fair. Would a compromise be car once a week when you don't need it, cycle/scoot one day, and train the other? With you potentially picking him up in bad weather?

We have one car. DH works from home, if I'm out with car and he has to go somewhere, then he phones his parents and borrows their car. They are a 5 minute walk away. It takes a bit of organisation. Without his parents car on stand by, I don't think we'd manage.

On average it sounds like he's only really going in 3 times a week,
no, I don't think that's true actually. The max he is allowed to wfh is twice a week but he has to be in for meetings. This week he hasn't/won't be wfh at all. Probably it averages out at going in 4 times a week.

pull on his big boy pants and cycle in regularly, considering that is clearly an option.
Thats a bit harsh! It's one thing to cycle or go on the scooter in the summer but 1 hr15 on a bike or 40 mins on a scooter in the dark, freezing fog or rain, before the roads have been cleared, and the same again in the dark in the evening is unappealing to say the least.

What does it cost for e.g. a Flexi season ticket 8 in 28 days) and two days a week of non season ticket?

(and how long is the drive - if it's e.g. a 20 mile round trip at the moment that will be another 4 ISH quid a day on top of parking if he gets 42 miles a gallon or so.

What does it cost for e.g. a Flexi season ticket 8 in 28 days) and two days a week of non season ticket?
I posted earlier what the ticket for a year or a day single is:A year's pass is £3400 or 16.20 a day. It's 370 for a month.

Has he considered a timeshare system with a colleague for a carpark pass? If say he had Mon-Tu, colleague had Thu-Fri and they alternated Weds, or he could talk to someone who already works PT and fit round their days. It shouldn't be difficult to convince work that this is an efficient use of the limited car parking space, even if they initially say "computer says no". They need to be seen to be supporting innovative ideas on this kind of thing.

Generally I think your car use is extremely modest and 50/50 would be a reasonable starting point. You need to get stuff done. It's not just kids' activities, it's tip runs, medical appts, shopping etc that benefits you all.

Why can't he use the scooter year round (unless snowy)? Dp rides his motorbike 80% + of the year - he mostly only takes the car because he has to go somewhere for work and even then he often takes the bike