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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think I can give up my car and survive using a bike/trailer?!

41 replies

arwen110578 · 10/12/2012 00:08

My second AIBU in as many minutes Xmas Smile

Not returning to work after having second DD. Will be relying on DH wage which should be fine except that when I was working we both brought in similar amounts so we are dropping approx 45% salary!

DH coincidently has a new job which has started same time as I have ended mat leave and finished work. I don't think we can afford to run two cars and so I am thinking about getting a bike and trailer to take kiddies to pre-school and into town.

We are lucky that we live on a good cycle path, if I leave my house and cycle 2 miles left I get to pre-school, if I cycle 2 miles right I get into town. I can do online shopping for food and we use DH's car at weekends. And there is a bus service which is quite frankly bloody expensive Any emergencies I would call an ambulance for and we live 10 minutes from the A&E department..

DH and most of my friends think I am being ridiculous. I think it is a necessity as times are going to be tough and people did survive before cars and I might stand a chance of shedding some baby weight

Am I being ridiculous? DDs are 8 months and 2.10yrs

OP posts:
Sinkingfeeling · 10/12/2012 00:11

Not ridiculous at all - 2 miles is really a very short journey. Can you get to other places, like GP surgery, library etc fairly easily too?

squeakytoy · 10/12/2012 00:13

Not ridiculous at all. Even walking with a buggy isnt that far if it is only 2 miles.

WorraLorraTurkey · 10/12/2012 00:16

Bikes with trailers that hold 2 kids are normally very expensive.

YANBU if you can afford one but for the sake of such a short journey, I'd walk with a buggy.

chrismissymoomoomee · 10/12/2012 00:17

I have 4 kids and have never driven. You have to be quite organised but its no big deal not driving really.

CoolaYuleA · 10/12/2012 00:23

We've just taken a similar drop in salary due to DH relocating so I had to leave my job and have decided to stay at home with DD for a while.

We only brought one car back from Germany when we moved, but will be buying another very soon. YANBU but I am a lazy sod prefer to have a car available. I don't actually use it all the time and definitely not every day, but I have always had my own so feel a little trapped if I don't have one sat there. I am probably being U there though Xmas Grin.

BrittaPerry · 10/12/2012 00:25

We do this :-). Except we don't have a car at all.

Very doable, although we do use buses and the metro.

Trailer cost £20, bike £30, other bike £35, but we were lucky with friends and ebay.

We have never had a car and are just now thinking of getting one as I will be travelling 200 miles with a 5yo and 3yo more regulary and it could be easier. When they were young enough for a buggy/sling combo on the train there was no need at all.

With one car in the house (esp if you are both able to drive it) it will be no issue at all. We very occaisionally need to get a taxi or have a lift (moving furniture, when I couldn't walk, etc) and relatives do kindly drive us places, but we could manage without.

cheddarcheeselover · 10/12/2012 00:26

2 kids, no car here. I guess you don' miss what you've never had, but we've never found it a problem. girls are 5 & 2, do shopping online, go on holiday by train....
you'll be fine.

oxeye · 10/12/2012 00:27

you're very sensible but think about the bike you would want. Cargo bikes might be easier, can put on two kids, turn into a tandem and also carry lots of stuff, cheaper and easier to park and store than a bike and trailer. Good luck!

Original poster
arwen110578 · 10/12/2012 00:47

Thanks for the positive comments.

Hoping to fund bike/trailer by selling my car. I wont get enough for my car to replace with a smaller run-around, but should get enough to get a bike and trailer.

GP is just off cycle path on way into town so that is ok.

I probably could just use the pushchair but parts of the cycle path are a bit creepy. We are semi-rural and path is through some wooded areas which are lovely but I like the idea of being able to go quicker through them! I am a scaredy cat

OP posts:
MammaTJ · 10/12/2012 01:12

My friend did this for ages. The DC loved it.

Then she moved to where I live and found it hard, but not impossible because this town is so hilly.

Then her DC outgrew it.

LucieMay · 10/12/2012 01:14

Of course you can survive without a car! I'm a single parent with no car and ds and I have always lead an ordinary life with school, work, leisure activities, socialising etc. People who've always had a car react with horror and are always asking me when I intend to learn to drive and the answer is never!

Glittertwins · 10/12/2012 05:27

The double trailers can be expensive and you would need to check that the trailer clamp fits your bike frame. The one we borrowed didn't fit DH's bike or mine, we didn't realise that it would be a problem. Having said that, the DTs loved it when we hired bikes and trailer and they are 4 and its great exercise but they did like to get out and walk. Do you think you could manage with your older one doing this often?

Iteotwawki · 10/12/2012 05:41

Absolutely. I sold my convertible sports car a few months ago & got a bicycle. Does commute to work (8k round trip so similar to your distances), and would do shopping & kids too if I needed it to.

I did go for one with pedal assist electric motor though :) (I live at the top of a massively steep hill!)

blueballoon79 · 10/12/2012 05:44

I have two DC and have never had a car. From the age of 2, my DD has walked everywhere. She can now walk miles (3yrs old now).

DS used to be in a wheelchair so I'd push him everywhere, but since having surgery, he can now walk and he can manage 2-3 miles also.

If we're going further we take the bus or train.

We've never had a problem at all, but where we live is so close to everything there's never been any need for a car.

RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief · 10/12/2012 06:14

YANBU but a couple of things to consider

  • Are you really really going to cycle 4 mile round trip when it's pissing with rain. Be honest. Maybe you will, but then again, maybe you'll just end up getting taxis a lot. I mainly ask this as not sure whether you're currently a regular cyclist. If not, maybe the idea is nicer than the reality (I say that as someone who used to cycle 7 miles each way to work every day- some days were not much fun but made bearable as I could shower/change at each end)
  • Once you've dropped your older child at pre-school, what do you normally do with DD2? Are those places accessible using the bike or the bus service and do the times work with her usual routine (i.e. if going to library is suddenly going to be a 4 hour round trip, that's something to consider?)

Just think it's worth checking before you sell the car.

GrumpyOldWomanToo · 10/12/2012 06:28

I think you can manage with only one car... if it is really bad weather, you could take a taxi for that day, and still save money overall.

Glittertwins · 10/12/2012 06:33

Buy waterproofs, that's what I did when I had no other option to get them to nursery (they were in the buggy) and then on to work.

MakesCakesWhenStressed · 10/12/2012 06:43

We've just downsized to one car now we've moved into town.it's been very workable so far (one month in)

Our decisionwas hastened by one car deciding to ditch its exhaust 2 days after we moved in...

Violet77 · 10/12/2012 06:54

You will be fine 2 miles is nothing. I'm sure most families could cope with one car with a sahm.

gazzalw · 10/12/2012 06:56

You will be fine as long as you embrace the new and don't keep hankering after your car. My belief is that it's all a mind-set.

We have never had a car with out two DCs and whilst even now they're older it can sometimes be a bit of a pain carrying heavy stuff back or the amount of time it takes by public transport, we've never known any different so we don't moan about it at all....

You might find yourself such a convert that you decide you don't need a car at all...Xmas Wink]!

Good luck!

Glittertwins · 10/12/2012 06:58

We're also in a town which is why we still haven't needed a second car again yet. We've managed 8 years with just one. There have been times when he needed the car for work and I couldn't get out to places but it wasn't a life or death situation.

BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability · 10/12/2012 07:00

We cope with no cars very easily, I'm sure you can do it with one Xmas Grin
DH is a big cyclist and does to/from work every day. We also have a two child trailer that we're yet to use yet, but it wasnt that expensive, £100 iirc?

I bought my bike ready to get back into cycling in the summer, then got diagnosed with bloody arthritis, so it is as yet unridden... Hope to get used to it gradually once spring comes... (DH will pull the trailer if we go out though!!)

BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability · 10/12/2012 07:05

Town is 4 miles for me (just googled it). Invest in good waterproofs!

bidibidi · 10/12/2012 07:35

I think the main problem is keeping the children warm and comfortable on these trips. They need a covered trailer to keep hail out. for instance. The rest sounds quite manageable.

And you will save a fortune compared to gym membership. :)

BrittaPerry · 10/12/2012 07:40

How much IS the bus? Now it is cold, we have got season tickets. For us, the most expensive all zones bus, metro and ferry one is £20 a week. Less if we just use buses or just stay in one zone. It is free for under 5s and 5yo dd1 gets a pass by living in the area so she never pays more than £1.10 a day.

But then even people with cars quiteoften public transport into Newcastle from here (10 miles) as that is cheaper and easier than parking in the city centre.

Even buying new, you only really need to spend £150 on bike and trailer, much less second hand. If I were you, I would also buy a foldy buggy for aout £60 (the very cheap ones for £20 are rubbish) and a sling (find your local sling library on facebook for advice). You can take double buggies on the bus, but at busy times you will appreciate being able to fold up. Saying that, I used a double buggy for a year or so and it was fine.