Driving An Older Car

green hills in Ojai

Having a reliable,  older car can save you a tremendous amount of money. I drive mine roughly once a week, combing my errands. By doing this, I keep the mileage low. That keeps my car repair and maintenance costs down, too. Most of the newer cars run for over 200,000 miles. A Honda can go way beyond that, but I plan to keep my VW Beetle. I think it will last me through  retirement. Right now it has 50,000 miles on it. 

As you get older, you realize that it's all of the little habits that really add up when saving money. When I first moved to LA,  I drove all over creation. I commuted from Torrance to Santa Monica each morning, for dance classes. I returned in the heavy 405 traffic at night. I picked up friends and gave them rides, and often drove them home. It never occurred to me how far out of the way I was going.  I just liked their company, and was happy to spend time with them.   That's how teenagers are, very social.

purple iris in my cottage garden

I would volunteer to take car loads of friends to the beach,  the mall, and to Hollywood. We loved shopping in Venice and on Melrose. As I got older, I traveled long distances to auditions, to relocate to perform in shows, and to visit my family.

flowers on the fence in Ojai

Now that I'm in my fifties, and more mature, I calculate the cost of everything that I'm doing. I plan ahead for oil changes, new tires, gas, car washes, and repairs. I had no concept of these things when I was  young.  I enjoy taking the train, the bus, and traveling by boat. In order to indulge in a vacation, I need to really watch what I purchase, on  a daily basis. Jean Chatzky says  that the average person spends $3,000. a year on eating out and buying coffees.  Now that I rarely do those things, I can save that money for travel. That's when I splurge. When on a ship, I eat in the places that are included in the fare. I skip the drink package, and make coffee in the room. I fill up my water bottle at the stations, rather than buying bottled water. I attend the shows that are included, and budget for a visit to the spa or something special. It makes such a difference in the final bill. What small things do you do to save money?

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