To have a car when I only do very minimal driving

[Princedelight]

I have a car on finance. High interest(bad credit rating). 2 years left on finance. Its affordable to me.

However, I barely drive. Back story. Late learner. Very anxious re:driving.

Bought car straight after passing, on a bit of a whim.
Plan was to drive lots. Plan never happened. My anxiety about driving has improved loads ,but I'm still a shit ,inexperienced driver! It's never really taken off.

I do drive daily but its just school run, shops etc. Appointments. Apart from big supermarket shop, nothing I couldn't do on foot/public transport.

Up to now, I suppose I like my little car and I like the fact that I have my independence if I need it,or do actually have to drive(rare).
DP has his own car and drives a lot and does all the big trips/holidays and days out.

I've just sat here thinking why am I wasting my money- car finance, petrol, insurance etc for literally 100 miles a month. Its mad isn't it? I'm thinking sensible thing is to get rid when finance is up.
I could get bloody taxis for less. Or is it wise to keep driving and have my own car as back up.

If you can walk for the school run and any extra activities kids do then get rid. If you need to drive for the school run you won’t get a taxi at that time as most used for pre arranged pick ups

If you are driving daily then it must be useful to have.
I get why you are nervous, when I first passed I was also very anxious .
I now am a lot more confident but, for some, there's no easy route to confidence it's just practice practice practice.

But if you keep driving you WILL get there.
If you stop driving now you will be even more anxious about restarting and may not drive again which will limit you in the future. ( I have family members this has happened to)
So don't give up driving, when youve come so far!
But if you need to, look at alternative cheaper cars.

Keep going and don't give up your car ! You never know what the future will bring and you may need to drive. Maybe you may want to change jobs or regular visit someone in hospital.... if your children need lifts to work or social lives or in the future they live further away with grandchildren etc and you want to visit. I wouldn't limit myself just because DH can drive. I would aim to be independent. You can do it.

I probably drive a similar amount to you and wouldn't give up my car. Buses never run when you want them to. If I go into the office, I get the train but there's no chance I'm walking to the train station at 5.30am. It is so freeing to have the car available when you need it. As you and your husband don't drive similar types of car, it's not like you can even go down to one.

Do you have a city car club? I belonged to one in Edinburgh before I moved out to the sticks. £120 membership for the year and then a reasonable hourly rate to use the car. Brilliant for doing Ikea/ visiting awkwardly situated relatives etc.

D|riving does get better with practice I was a shit driver and it all clicked in eventually. What do you do for as living? Could you get a job delivering packages P/T just to give you lots of practice.

Extra activities are a bit awkward as they both do separate activities on the weekend.
DP is quite involved , but sometimes they clash so we take one child each.

So that suits DP ,as it means that I can 'help out', as logistically he can't do both. However, he insists on driving whenever he can(suspect he doesn't trust me!).

Before I had the car, these activities were awkward and involved multiple planning or asking other parents or family to drop one DC,which I hated ,as I do not like relying on people.
And before I had my car, I never asked for lifts and hated people feeling sorry for me.
But having said all of that, is it still worth having a car just to possibly need to take DC to a sporting event once a fortnight?

Try ROSPA - they have groups in many places. My local one charges £15 /£20 a year and someone comes out with you for free

"I've just sat here thinking why am I wasting my money - car finance, petrol, insurance etc for literally 100 miles a month. It's mad isn't it? I'm thinking sensible thing is to get rid when finance is up."

Keep your car OP - once the Finance bit ends ( which you are tied into regardless for 2 years), your costs will plummet.

Your then fully owned and finance free run around car will be totally worth it, with petrol costs dependent only on how much you use it.

Insurance, MOT, etc will become the cost of convenience, replacing the cost of the taxis plus public transport you would have to use anyway.

Plus your driving experience retained as a bonus.

I remember feeling like this mid-contract as am also a walker, but really glad I kept the car and have a good low cost runner now.

@Runnerduck34
Thank you.
The nerves have got better in some respect. I can get in the car now for familiar journeys without a lot of thought. Unfamiliar journeys involve much planning and overthinking.
It's not relaxing.
I'm still so limited as a driver.

And I keep thinking ,why am I bloody putting myself through this for the occasional useful lift for Dc?!
I think it all suits DP very well as he gets to keep his big car and drive on all the important trips but I'm useful for the odd occasion he needs me!!

I suppose I feel a bit useless and a a bit of a Sunday morning driver.

Thank you.
I keep thinking this

It's a small car to run and I don't fill up with petrol that much.
I still think would be cheaper to get taxis/public transport for the amount that I drive though.

You are not a Sunday Morning driver... you a a Mum driver😊

Big difference when it comes to the ferrying the kids, managing household shopping, emergencies, etc!

I've not heard of that. Is it like rental?
I work for the NHS
But funny you should say that, as I often think when I get parcels like from Asos etc that must be very good practice!!!

It sounds like a small inexpensive car to run. I'd just try to pay it off early and keep it. The prices on cars have gone up so much. Your DC may want to learn on it or their activities may change and you'd need it more.

Ha ha. Definitely mum driver. But not the kind of driver I hoped I'd be.

It would have been really difficult for my son’s football without a car. I’m an experienced driver though, passed at 17 and 1 month (grew up in north wales were transport is rubbish) and I regularly do motorway driving plus overseas. I only got experienced with more driving. I was so nervous at first. My mum gave up driving as she too was a nervous driver and regrets it hugely. Keep the car

Similar situation, I go into the office twice a week. DH perm WFH. We could very easily go to 1 car as we only go out in DH at the weekends and on holiday etc BUT theres no way I'd give up my independence and share a car....plus we couldnt decide on a joint car, DH has an estate which is good for the dog, mines a hatchback and I dont want to drive a big estate car!. So here we are paying out for 2 lots of everything 😂

It all depends on where you live I guess, for me taxis are expensive where I live and there is sweet fa in the way of public transport. Eg ds school is 1hr 15 mins walk, or 1 hour on a bus (1 in to the town from our village to get another to the village where his high school is) whereas it is a 9 min drive (he walks the last mile).

Plus there is no transport on a Sunday. I want to be able to see friends and family even if dh has gone hiking etc. So it really works to have 2 cars for us compared to someone in a different position with better public transport.

OP my best friend lost her husband a few years ago. They always used his massive car (manual) which she couldn't drive, so for their frequent long journeys she relied on him. She had a little automatic which she only used around town.

After he died she was thankful she had kept her little car, she quickly gained confidence because she now had to do all the long trips solo.

Sorry to be morbid, but at the very least you should BOTH be able to drive the family car.

If you’ve got it for another 2 years and you drive it daily you might become more confident yet OP. I’d try driving it a little more and make the most out of it, and eventually up to driving DHs car.

Not morbid. I totally get this.
I suppose I don't drive because I don't have to. DP needs his car as he drives everywhere and some of the dC activities are in another county.
I won't ever be able to drive his car though, even if I wanted to as I'd have to take another test as his his manual. And there is absolutely zero chance of me doing that!!!!

I would get rid of the extra car and walk day to day, but practise doing stints in your DH's car on holidays and trips, so you don't lose the skills. Much better for the environmemt and air quality. Tbh, I find longer drives much more relaxing anyway - short trips round town with the parking when you are in a rush for school etc are much more stressful. I hate driving locally and am amazed by how many people do it! Locally I walk / cycle everywhere. I have a cargo bike to take the kids to nursery & school (we could actually walk it, but I appreciate the extra time back!) Could that be an option for you OP as your younger kid dawdles? But I do drive on holiday / longer trips, so I don't forget how to do it.

Sorry OP, just seen the update - could you trade in both cars for a family automatic?

If I had to drive(and there is the odd occasion I've had to) then I'd do it.
But its not enjoyable at all.
It takes up way too much headspace.

I get all about pushing yourself and all that. But why do something that stresses you.
In all honesty, I think I started to late in life to benefit/enjoy/ become any good at it.

My mum was terrified of driving and so was I. So I’d say keep driving to set an example to your children as well as all the other benefits. Please consider working on your anxiety though - treat it like any other phobia, do gradual exposure. Reward yourself for the driving you already feel comfortable doing, choose the next thing you want to be able to do and work on making yourself comfortable with that.

That's because it IS lazy driving a short distance. Much better for your health to walk. And your bank balance. And the environment. And for congestion on the roads. Sounds like you don't actually need a car at all. You just feel you should have one.