Realizing car ownership costs as a minimalist

Getting the car

The amount of times a personal vehicle for a working professional in the city is very little, especially for the working class who have the privilege to work at home. In these three months I had a drastic reduction in commuting related expenses. Transit pass? Unnecessary. Gas? Very little used as well - we only drove around for the bare necessities of grocery shopping in the early stages of quarantine (When the whole world wasn’t sure how crazy Covid-19 would be).

In fact in this unprecedented situation it showed clear as day how little I needed to drive around or take public transit anywhere.

I bought my used 2016 Toyota Corolla Sport edition in late ‘18 before I discovered the idea of minimalism and FIRE. This was a time very early on in my career of saving most of my money and not knowing what to do with it all. Doing what most Yappie millennials do, following what others say and do.

I purchased this in full by my parents suggestion and not thinking twice: “You should get a car! Everyone needs one, especially in this stage of life”. So at least since then I had the forethought of being careful with big purchases such as a vehicle.

I did not finance a car. I had suspicions financing or leasing a middle class vehicle was a huge scam and only benefitted the dealer.

It may be an S edition (For a slight cool sleek factor) but it is still a Toyota: I bought this for the sole purpose of its functionality Transport. This is also a vehicle that can last a long time. Our family’s Camry is still going strong despite being an ‘06 model.

After a year and a half I only use it lightly, unfortunate to say. Especially in Covid times the family and I don’t go out as often. I know I will keep this vehicle and not think about purchasing any others for as long as we don’t find it necessary.

After understanding minimalism and reflecting on my life style and preferences, I acknowledge that a car does not help me make or save money at all. Nor do I get joy with driving.

In a sense I was “minimal” with its use, hah!

To be pragmatic we will not be renewing the insurance of our other family vehicle after this is all over. Instead we go back to being a “1 car household” sharing the Corolla as we pair down.

Deliberate use and maintenance

As our province is moving towards its reopening plan it comes at a good time. For BC residents we are allowed to start summer travels within the province. I have a small road trip lined up over an extended weekend.

It is a much needed break to get out of my city and home and live a little!

This trip will take approximately 5 hours of road time. Again I don’t drive often, mainly for pleasure and light activities. It is a weekend vehicle with the partner and light errands. Over the course of this quarantine time even less so.

I will concede that after over a year of usage I have not given my car its proper care. Although being a tech professional I am not a savvy car fella. I am confident that given the interest and effort I can be handy.

Aside, it was long overdue time for some maintenance.

Especially after inspecting my tires; One was nicked, but thankfully the incision was not deep enough to let out air. However the treads of all tires were worn out.

The tires needed to be replaced, regardless of the pending trip. The oil and filter needed to be changed as well.

After learning what I could about car maintenance I can change the oil and spare tires on my own, but still needed to get 4 new tires. We went to several service centres to get pricing estimate. Oh boy, wow, car parts and services are pretty expensive.

The best deal I can get with included service would be approximately $200 per tire. The full service includes realignment, mounting the tires onto the rims. Which comes out to just under $1000 CAD, I am deciding to go with this because at this time I do not have all the equipment to manually remove and replace the tires onto the rims. In the future I must.

Tell me, is that a good deal for servicing? I feel that the price for each new tire is fair, I am only eating the cost of servicing.

I’ll have to regretfully fork this lump sum out… This is a lesson of the hidden costs of maintaining any sort of possessions. A core concept of minimalism is knowing what owning something means, in a sense they own you! Besides the upfront cost of purchasing some item, if we want to use them for a prolonged period of time, such as an important big purchase like a computer or car there are the ongoing but often ignored costs of maintenance and upkeep.

For our circumstance, I am glad we are deciding to simplify our usage down one vehicle: To the newer and more reliable Corolla. This still justifies using A vehicle. The maintenance is much needed besides going on a trip.

This will be a lingering through in my head for future anticipated large purchases…