If you and Dh drive

amother

White

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 1:22 pm

We both have, but we didn't always. For years, dh took public transportation to work while I got the car for errands, carpool, etc. When it worked out for us financially, we got him a car to drive to work. But with one, it made more sense for me to have it because of the kids (plus grocery bags, etc.)

abaker

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 1:31 pm

yes but we made do with 1 car for the first few years. I didn't need a car until I went to work and was driving kids to school/babysitter. I am not a public transportation kinda gal, although if we lived in brooklyn I think I would be. I hate finding parking in NY. and traffic. oy.

mha3484

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 1:33 pm

One car. Large midwestern city. I have always had jobs that I can walk or take the train. DH does the school pickups so he needs the car. If I had one it would sit at my office all day unused. Parking by the train station can be big really annoying so there are many that carpool or their spouse drops them off. I would say one car here is a must two cars really depend on your jobs.

amother

Seafoam

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 1:33 pm

we used to live someplace where my dh took the bus to work so we only needed one car which I as the SAHM kept. We since moved and my dh has to drive to work so now we have a car and a van.

Aylat

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 1:39 pm

Yes but only for the last half year. I started a new job and the alternative was a three-stage journey involving hitching and two buses.

For all the years before DH used the car on a daily basis to get to work - public transport wasn't an option because of his hours, and I walked and bused everywhere - to work, shopping, with kids.

Even now, neither of our cars fit the whole family in because 7-seaters are so expensive. Before I got a car, when went away for Shabbat or to a wedding, I would always take public transport with one kid and DH would drive the others. Definitely easier now. BH. I have a lot more flexibility and opportunities now I have a car.

chanchy123

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 1:58 pm

Now we each have a car, but that is fairly recent. For years I didn't have a license and then when I got my license we still only had one for financial reasons. Cars and gas are expensive.
BH we have been doing better financially and can affford two cars becausr our schedules and the place we leave really necessitate having two cars.

amother

Sienna

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 2:04 pm

Zero cars.

We live in Brooklyn and have no real need for one.

Before we moved to Brooklyn we had two.

mommyhood

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 2:35 pm

We used to have 2 but dh takes public transportation to work so we chose not to replace our second car when it died. It was nice and convenient having 2 but taking the occasional uber or even renting a car a couple times a year comes out a lot cheaper for us.

Metukah

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 2:37 pm

We have 2, it's only a recent development though. Someone sold my husband a small car, it was really cheap, as was insurance. It annoys me though. I preferred not having the car and having to walk.

Rachel Shira

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 2:45 pm

We have two cars, but we only just got the second one when there was no way our schedules could coordinate anymore. We live in a place where you can’t get around without a car.

amother

Aquamarine

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 3:50 pm

I live in Monsey.

We used to have two cars. We only have one now.

Its crazy and had been the cause of many arguments and hard feelings. We both work and want to do different things on Sunday when the kids are in school. Friday afternoons in the summer is also a problem if both of us want to go out (me scheduling dr apt, dh going to gym)

amother

Firebrick

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 4:54 pm

We started of with one car for about 6 years. DH took public transportation to work and I drove, did carpool, groceries etc. Then it started to become not so realistic so we got a second car. It's a little tiny thing with about a million miles on it but it gets us around so no complaints.

If you live in NYC insurance is prohibitive, but where I live I'm paying maybe $15 extra a month for the second car.

happyone

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 5:22 pm

We made do with one car for many years . When it was interfering with my work schedule we got a second car.
The poll wont tell you location, if both parents work, if you commute and one parent carpools etc. In Brooklyn even one car is a headache to park!

mommy3b2c

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 6:12 pm

happyone wrote:

True, but almost everyone I know in Brooklyn has two cars. You just manage.

Notsobusy

Thu, Jun 21 2018, 6:22 pm

When my dh was in kollel we had only one car. He walked to kollel or got rides when we moved a little further out. When he went to work we needed a second car. There is no real public transportation here in Lakewood and we have totally different schedules so there is no way we can share. Most people in Lakewood have two cars.

amother

Brunette

Fri, Jun 22 2018, 12:03 am

mommy3b2c wrote:

True, but almost everyone I know in Brooklyn has two cars. You just manage.

I've been living in Brooklyn for 40 years and only know about five families who have two cars.

amother

Lawngreen

Fri, Jun 22 2018, 12:10 am

amother wrote:

I've been living in Brooklyn for 40 years and only know about five families who have two cars.

Brooklyn consists of 76 square miles. Plenty of space for many different neighborhoods and different behavioral patterns.