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

[TimeToInterfere]

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)

And yes dp rides in the dark, rain, wind etc. i did fetch him once when the weather turned fowl and winds exceeded 50mph on the bridge he crosses to get home (they had closed it to trucks)

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.

I think the poster probably assumed (like I did) that scooter meant an e-scooter, which you stand on and do maybe 15mph. So if you could ride a scooter to work in 40 mins then you could do the same on a bike.

But you meant a moped/motorbike thing?

I think you need to have a talk to DH about overall feasibility of the one-car thing. It doesn't work if you (as a family) are expecting to be able to ferry kids about while one person is also expecting it to be available for commuting most days? Somebody needs to lower their expectations, or increase budget?

We have one car and DP now just rides his motorbike in all weathers.
We live in rural SW so no reliable bus routes that would ever get him to work or me with baby anywhere.
We did have a few cars but trying to reduce costs so down to 1 and DP invested in brilliant bike gear to make it more comfortable in the bad weather.
Your DH should definitely just be getting the train or buses if possible as you need the car

My DP would never leave me without the car with DC as we would be screwed if there was an emergency

We organize it by who actually needs the car. The person it would inconvenience / cost the most to not have car gets to have the car. We both have ways of getting about town / to our normal place of work without it. For you, I think you both need to be comfortable and able to do the things you need to without the car. Then you need a plan that gives you a fair share of inconvenience. That may not be a fair share of the car.

I disagree. I think getting to work is no 1 priority and hobbies after that.

We had one car for years. We both commuted by train, which helped. The odd time we needed to be in different places at the same time we got a taxi, called in a favour with a friend or I cycled.

Your DH should take the train. There is no point a car sitting in a car park all day if it is needed for errands etc. And obviously scooter when the weather forecast is good.

My DP would never leave me without the car with DC as we would be screwed if there was an emergency
Ambulance/neighbours/taxi

I think getting to work is no 1 priority and hobbies after that.
well yes, else we wouldn't be able to pay for the hobbies! But he could still get to work... It's more the ease of knowing he can leave when he wakes and get home when he wants.

I think you both need to be comfortable and able to do the things you need to without the car.
I have always organised things so we could theoretically get the bus. I've cleared it with DD's coach, but obviously he'd rather she not be late every week. I thought last time we spoke it was a "he'll leave me the car when it's nice weather and we'll take the bus if it's cold/bad weather".

@TimeToInterfere My DP would never leave me without the car with DC as we would be screwed if there was an emergency
Ambulance/neighbours/taxi

Not possible, ambulance never turn up (I know when we had an emergency when my DD was 5 weeks old and stopped breathing, we waited 4 hours before they called to say they were struggling to get one to us". No neighbours and taxis very hard to find where we are.

I know my situation isn't the same as everyone else's but we are rural so I have to always have the car

This was our rule through primary (with some flexibility)

Now the DC are in secondary and I WFH (have done since 2019) we work it out on a case by case basis.

It's cheaper, just, for DH to take the train but it takes him 3 times as long. So sometimes he drives cutting his commute to 20 minutes one way. It's an hour or more door to door by train. (Actually one walk, 2 trains and a bus then another walk!)

Most activities are evening activities and we share pick up and drop offs with neighbours.

DS cycles to rugby training now.

Young kids and activities for them? Whoever has the kids, has the car. That should be the rule.

We’re also a one car family. DH takes public transport to work and I keep the car so I can get DC around school and activities etc. It’s never occurred to us to do anything else.

Tell your DH not to bully his child into doing less sport so that DH can sit in a car instead of a bus. He needs to put his child first.

45 min on a bus is a great commute, my DH has 75min each way on a good day, including a change.

Children come first. X

I think, and I'll have to double check tomorrow, that he uses £4.6 fuel a day. Plus 9 parking if you average it out for 3 days a week over a year. Which is still cheaper than a train ticket. So it is cheaper and more time effective for him to take the car. But more annoying for me and the Dc.

We're going to have to try with the bus aren't we 😫to see just how late we are. Not this week though as there's parents evening I would be late for if we take the bus and he won't go to that!

Most of the time he cycles, but then I do school runs etc.
If he needs the car then I walk/bus but he has to be back for school runs etc.
If he needs a lift and can't be back then I drop him.
If he needs to be further for work they hire him a car.