FRUGAL LIVING 5
TRANSPORTATION
You know you shouldn’t own
a car. As one of my readers put it- and
he put it so well that he should be writing instead of me but won’t because he
is just a little tease, the bastard- owning a motor vehicle makes long term
financial planning impossible. As in,
even if the insurance is low and gas is low and the thing was free, one of
these days, if you are planning your life around the car and insist on using it
regardless, something major will happen like a transmission needs replacing or
other big money issue. And if no one is
waiting to gift you another well running vehicle, you now have to take the hit
financially which then gets you in major troubles. Life has enough risks, like medical accidents
or what not. Owning a car assures you an
eventual financial catastrophe ( please spare your comments if you are a one in
a million crackerjack mechanic who owns a car junkyard and can drive all your
life on pennies rather than dollars.
This is for the rest of you ).
Your best bet is to rely on a bicycle.
Yes, they have their own problems.
Lack of speed. Danger from
cars. Exposure to weather. The one problem they don’t have is cost. They are dirt cheap to run. My costs are $10 a month for 240 miles. I am in better shape at 50 than I was at 20 (
after being in the military a few years ).
I could care less what a gallon of gas costs, I drop my drawers and moon
the monkey molesters that forced us to carry car insurance, transportation
costs don’t alter my work considerations, I still have peace and quiet from the
nearby middlin size town and peddling home is a guaranteed stress release.
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Of course, since nothing
is free in life, I must bike to work regardless of the weather. It can be 105 or it could be 15 below
zero. I have cold weather gear now I
would have envied in Korea ( the military doesn’t always have the best or
proper gear. Try wearing what they issue
and stand up in a Hummer behind a machinegun mount while you blast down the
road in the winter. I know they didn’t
care if I was miserable or not, the east coast blue blood rich kid whores in
the officers corps, but how tactically sound is it to freeze your gunner to the
point they are ineffective protecting your expensive vehicle? ). Obviously, you must layer, but this isn’t
sitting in a tree stand. You are
exercising and must take sweating into account.
It isn’t expensive. You don’t need
$100 boots. I highly recommend Sportsmen’s
Guide company. Better quality than
Wal-Mart and at very reasonable prices.
Their swamp boots are $39 and are rated to protect at a lower
temperature than the military Mickey boots.
Continued on the same subject
next Frugal Living article.
END
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Don't let everyone know, I make decent money fixing cars even though I don't own one(damn things are too expensive ;-)
ReplyDeleteI guess your handle should have clued me in.
DeleteI've been thinking about getting a horse, maybe 2. The ultimate all purpose, all terrain, low maintenance, ready to go right now, without keys and insurance, vehicle. Horses are cheap enough each person could have 2, 1 for yourself and one to carry your stuff. Let it graze all day close to a pond or stream, when you get to where you're going do the same til it's time to leave. Yeah, if it dies you're out your ride but hey, you got another one anyway. If you get a mix of genders you can keep replenishing your stock and use the excess for barter. You do need an acre per though for grazing. I do plan on getting a bike this year.
ReplyDeleteBikes are just a transition transportation. Unless we go centuries long ever so sloe decline which I ain't betting my life on. Bicycles have a LOT of petroleum behind them, and the tires/tubes are oil, purt near.
DeleteTires (not wheels) can be made of solid wood and leather (think about the pioneer wagons) Lubricants can be animal and vegetable fats and oils. The real hard part is the absolute consistency required of the gears and chains - but they were able to achieve this early on in the industrial revolution so it should be doable even after. Our current light weight high speed bikes are going to be a highly sought after mid class status symbol.
DeleteWouldn't you think the light weighters are too specialized parts wise?
DeleteI mean the sort of bikes you recommend- those are going to be considered the light weights in the future. The ones built during the late and post collapse periods are going to heavy, unwieldy, unreliable, bricks in comparison. But they can and probably will get made.
DeleteI don't know why I am being so cantankerous lately! Oh well...I like my nice, comfortable car with air conditioning and heat and windshield wipers and a nice radio/cd player. I have 7 bulging discs and 2 inguinal hernias that haven't been fixed yet. I have severe arthritis. I don't peddle a damn bike! You are some torn cartilage away from altering your opinion. One broken rib will make breathing a challenge for weeks! I used to be called the Pollyanna. I didn't think things would ever get as bad as some believed. A broken ankle will prevent all this cycling. What is the contingency plan for when you can't ride your bike?
ReplyDeleteI hear what you are saying. I've thought about it myself. Just getting really old without major parts damage is going to provide a challenge. At this point, no answers. But, hell, a few dozen nuke plants melting down and spewing serious crap into the air, I don't have an answer for, either.
DeleteYou're still young, 50 I think. I was young too, then I got old, almost over night it seems. I'll be 60 next week and there's a world of difference between the 2, regarding physical performance and it's depressing. And it takes longer to heal but you never heal completely it seems. It's best to consider the future, while it still is the future and not the present. But none of us do and we all get caught in the same trap of growing old and learning as we go. We just can't seem to learn from the experiences of others.
DeleteThe problem of coping with age is only a problem because we live too long and because there is no social/cultural safety net from the family anymore. My plan is to just work/pedal until I die of an undiognosed illness. One of those old salty desert hermit dudes limping along cursing the whippersnappers among me. Or perhaps I'll actually go hermit and just die from a heart attack when the ambulence can't get down the four miles of snowed in unplowed road. Hey, I've got plenty of options to pick from- I'm considering.
DeleteLiving to be old will be the rarest problem in the future. Perhaps the Queen of your future inland empire will live to be old enough to have arthritis, and not just lay down and starve to death at some point around 52 when her grandkids are pretty-well assured of not being eaten.She's no good for chores and can barely fire a rifle straight and work the bolt. That's going to be the fate of a middle-aged multiply-widowed old woman and men, unless her children will take care of her ahead of the kids. and there is a surplus of easy food and water. You will be on your own, and unless your tribe has some surplus wealth and finds your ancient knowledge useful to keep, they will have your funeral procession while you are still breathing.
DeleteDisagree about bicycles being temporary. Bikes designed for Africa (withstand the poor roads, as well the owner abuse and no-maintenance) would hold up for a long time in the f/USA. If you can afford a stockpile of puncture-resistant tires tubes spares kept in the dark cool underground food shelter, you will be riding for at least 20 years post-collapse. The most useful part of biking is that you become stronger than 95% of car drivers, even when you are 50-something. Fitness in the immediate aftermath of collapse will be critical.
3 gallon-per-hour refined-fuel-burning vehicles are a temporary thing, just 150 years, then over. My 4300 pound Caprice and 4200 pound 240D will make good sprouting containers to get a jump on spring planting. With seats removed, they are locking sheds! The wheels and axles may be useful for moving heavy stuff, and the engine block is nice pre-collapse metal.
Elco has ambulance service? Cool.
Do they also have a Quickie Haircut Emporium? Ex-wife was trained stylist who did not appreciate the short USAF buzz-cut, but I learned a lot about her biz.
pdxr13
One McHaircut place just opened. Can't remember the name.
Delete"I could care less what a gallon of gas costs, I drop my drawers and moon the monkey molesters that forced us to carry car insurance, transportation costs don’t alter my work considerations".
ReplyDeleteHa! :D A classic James quote if there ever were :D
"Exposure to weather"
I saw some sort of new fangled bike in town recently that you not only sat down in, but it had a cowling that enclosed you in a cockpit of sorts. I'm guessing that you might not consider something like this as practical, but it sure would be nice for keeping the cold wind away, as well as the rain.
I know of what you speak, and I'm sure they cost several thousand dollars. As soon as you get into non-Chinese manufactured, niche market, Yuppie Scum orientated consumer goods, you might as well gold plate the item and sprinkle some Crown Jewels on top of that.
Delete"I know of what you speak, and I'm sure they cost several thousand dollars."
DeleteWow; who would have thought that something that you peddle could cost so much? I'll bet with a little ingenuity, that someone could come up with a far more reasonable option? Perhaps an adult trike truck, with one of those poly-vinyl ATV cabs? Still probably not practical for your purposes, though I could see a few possible scenarios in which it might be handy? Never mind me, just sort of spit balling here.
The bike shop locally pays the rent selling $3/$5k bikes to overpaid Yuppie Scum from the mining industry. Nothing says "I'm a suitable provider for your fat assed demanding fem" like a grossly overpriced bike you only ride three months out of the year. The drama in our high desert crap hole is silly. But sadly true.
DeleteIf you are serious about this "you should not own a vehicle" stuff, this will be the last day I read your blog. Such Kuntslerian fantasy belongs in e-books, not in everyday living.
ReplyDeleteI don't own a vehicle. Or is that just a fantasy and you'all pay me so well for writing that I arrived at work in my BMW? Are you friggin serious? How did we ever survive prior? OMG!!!! WE must employ human powered devices again! OK, sorry, but I'm a bit put off with the whole American utter dependence on what should be luxuries.
DeleteI didn't have a car for 10 years. Used a bike and occasionally rented a car to do big stuff. Saved money, was healthier ,didn't get stuck in traffic. Bought a little 4 banger toyota a few years ago....Ride my bike pretty much everywhere under 10 miles if practical (aka not moving a piano). Use the truck for work. Funny thing is I was at a family members house the other day. They had given me a 6 pack of beer for helping around their place. Anyway, I went to ride home. They were all concerned "How are you gonna carry that six pack??". In my bag naturally...This very sweet relative of mine wanted to drive the 6er to my house....I live a mile away. Perfectly illustrative of the American overuse of the automobile. Good lord. I carry all of the groceries for a week (for 2 people) in one of my bags.
DeleteFantasy my albino hairy ass! Bikes aren't for hippies. They are for poor middle aged saps like myself.
You can please some of the people some of the time... Though I'm a bit surprised that someone would become so irate over the mere suggestion that losing the car can save someone a lot of money? After all,the article is on frugal living? I understand that it's not practical for many, myself included, but if I could, I would. Never have felt safe in those darn things.
DeleteI own 2 big operational cars, but have not driven either one since 11 june 2012. It has not been difficult, although occasionally inconvenient, to move groceries swap meet cargo and myself all over bicyclized yuppy hell of Portland Oregon. I am most-terrified of totally-silent Nissan Leaf cars driven by texting morons.
DeleteHow much am I saving? No gym membership required. At least $85/week in fuel (wasn't driving to work before), $1400/yr in mandatory car insurance, periodic disaster of major repair and periodic unavoidable service costs (lube/filters/belts/oil, etc), dropped lame "friends" who wanted me to drive them places. Side-effect: previously-low police contact has dropped to ZERO police contact- I am invisible to Police and all officialdom.
pdxr13
I had tons of police contact in FL when on bike. When we bought a van to leave there, more police contact-in just one week. I think FL just didn't like me ( there was police contact at work, too, with the underage sales enforcement ).
Delete758- I don't always feel too safe myself. After a new moron moves in on Bullion Road I have to train them not to run over me, then they always move over in plenty of time. Then, hopefully, they don't have a mean dog.
Delete646- they were concerned you would drop the beer and Alcohol Abuse would occur.
DeleteI don't know James...I had the severe misfortune of riding a Chinese beach cruiser bike a few hundred miles. The seat was basically a shovel that was bent over and covered in naugahyde....Heavy as hell too. I bought it for 75$ in a market in Saigon....Ugh felt like Id spent a week in jail with Bubba.
ReplyDeleteNot all yuppie contrivances are so bad. I ride a Bianchi now made in Taiwan. A step up from our friends on the mainland. Italian engineering/machining. Chinese price. Taiwan the best of both worlds
I've had good luck with Tawainese stuff, what little I come across. Which just sealed their doom. We can't have quality competition, invade them!
Delete