Free at last free at last

L

Lon

Well-known Member
Location
Central California
I never realized how liberating not owning a car any more would feel. I sold my car for cash yesterday, cancelled my 3A auto insurance and membership that I have had for over 50 years and will get a nice refund. Now here I sit as a 82 year old and no longer encumbered with a large home or property & vehicles. Every thing that I own is now contained within my two bedroom, two bath apartment. With monthly income which is more than I need to live on & online only bank account and investments I am feeling fantastic & Free. All my driving needs will be taken care of by UBER & LYFT. I think I will take a TRANS CANADA Train Trip next Spring or a Mississippi River Boat Cruise to celebrate.
 

Lon said:
I never realized how liberating not owning a car any more would feel. I sold my car for cash yesterday, cancelled my 3A auto insurance and membership that I have had for over 50 years and will get a nice refund. Now here I sit as a 82 year old and no longer encumbered with a large home or property & vehicles. Every thing that I own is now contained within my two bedroom, two bath apartment. With monthly income which is more than I need to live on & online only bank account and investments I am feeling fantastic & Free. All my driving needs will be taken care of by UBER & LYFT. I think I will take a TRANS CANADA Train Trip next Spring or a Mississippi River Boat Cruise to celebrate.
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I'm happy for you. Nice not having to deal with a home or vehicle. It seems like you have everything in order. Your vacation plans sound wonderful also.
 
I too am 82, live in a 2 br, 2 ba condo in a geezer colony, but my convertible is parked 20 feet from my front door. I would sorely miss it if I didn't have it. It fetches groceries, medications, takes us to the beach and to see the medicine man and the dentist. A couple times a year it takes us across the state to the Atlantic coast to see my sister.

The last train trip we took was from Melbourne to Sydney back around 1990.
 

Lon said:
I never realized how liberating not owning a car any more would feel. I sold my car for cash yesterday, cancelled my 3A auto insurance and membership that I have had for over 50 years and will get a nice refund. Now here I sit as a 82 year old and no longer encumbered with a large home or property & vehicles. Every thing that I own is now contained within my two bedroom, two bath apartment. With monthly income which is more than I need to live on & online only bank account and investments I am feeling fantastic & Free. All my driving needs will be taken care of by UBER & LYFT. I think I will take a TRANS CANADA Train Trip next Spring or a Mississippi River Boat Cruise to celebrate.
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Sounds like something you should've done years ago.

Maybe you should consider getting a Moped or a Vespa for short trips to the store.

I'd hate to not have wheels at my disposal.
 
Victor Meldrew said:
Sounds like something you should've done years ago.

Maybe you should consider getting a Moped or a Vespa for short trips to the store.

I'd hate to not have wheels at my disposal.
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A Moped or Vespa would be fun Victor if I was still living in a Golf Course Retirement Community, but living in a community of 500,000 it's not practical, besides I don't miss having wheels. I like being driven where ever I want to go.
 
You mentioned you gave up your car due to a medical condition. If driving was no longer safe, you did the right thing.

I have to assume, in reality, if you didn't have this condition, you would still have your car. But at least it seems to be working for you.
 
Kitties said:
You mentioned you gave up your car due to a medical condition. If driving was no longer safe, you did the right thing.

I have to assume, in reality, if you didn't have this condition, you would still have your car. But at least it seems to be working for you.
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Yes I would still have my car if I didn't have Peripheral Neuropathy in my right foot with no feeling. It was due to Chemo in 2007 and came on gradually since then.
 
I'm glad you're happy with your situation Lon, good experiences with Uber and all that. You can't ask for more. You did the wise thing, I'd want the freedom of having my own car until I was unable to drive it safely, then I'd probably do things similar to the way your doing them, along with public transportation like bus or light rail if I was able. Nice thing about these days too, is you can order your groceries online and get them delivered if you can't hop in the car and make a run to the supermarket a couple of times a week, so that helps.
 
Congratulations on your new found freedom Lon! I loved my career as a state worker when I was on solo assignment; about half my working hours were spent in the field. I NEVER thought I'd be happy not being able to drive. But a few years back almost simultaneously, someone hit my parked car and although I didn't think it would be totaled, the insurance company did so and I received twice what Kelly's Blue book said the car was worth. During the same time, I had cataract and glaucoma surgery. The headlights facing in my direction really bothered me at night or on overcast days. I decided there was no sense in my buying another car and deposited that money into my savings account. I'm SO glad I did that otherwise I'm sure I'd be chauffeuring around either my husband's family members. But right now, he gets stuck doing it. I opted not to bother to drive at all because of my eyes since a sunny day can turn to a cloudy day anytime or I could wind up getting detained and would have to make my way home at dusk. Happened to me once and I had to take one way streets all the way home when I had borrowed my DIL's van.
 
Good for you. We have a house and a cottage for sale. My wife and I are sick and tired of home ownership and all those bills every month. We would like to move into a rental unit with one payment each month. We are both in our 70s and doing things around the house just gets harder and harder as the years go by. We too dream of traveling: first to Atlantic Canada and then to Cornwall in "Jolly" England.
 
Freeeeeedom!
Sounds perfect for you Lon :) Nothing like shedding some of life's shackles.

Unfortunately, My independent soul would be lost without my wheels. "Bud", my Honda CRV has been with me from mile 2 when I drove it off the lot in 2002.

I'm actually toying with being an Uber driver come Spring. We may cross paths (grin) Just be on the lookout for a silver haired goddess in a purple floppy hat, white Isadora Duncan scarf and Beatle tunes on the dash CD.
La la laaaa.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Congratulations on your new found freedom Lon! I loved my career as a state worker when I was on solo assignment; about half my working hours were spent in the field. I NEVER thought I'd be happy not being able to drive. But a few years back almost simultaneously, someone hit my parked car and although I didn't think it would be totaled, the insurance company did so and I received twice what Kelly's Blue book said the car was worth. During the same time, I had cataract and glaucoma surgery. The headlights facing in my direction really bothered me at night or on overcast days. I decided there was no sense in my buying another car and deposited that money into my savings account. I'm SO glad I did that otherwise I'm sure I'd be chauffeuring around either my husband's family members. But right now, he gets stuck doing it. I opted not to bother to drive at all because of my eyes since a sunny day can turn to a cloudy day anytime or I could wind up getting detained and would have to make my way home at dusk. Happened to me once and I had to take one way streets all the way home when I had borrowed my DIL's van.
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I had a similar problem after my most recent cataract job. They treated it with a laser procedure, which was a 100% success. The paperwork took longer than the procedure. I have driven coast to coast and border to border since that time.
 
Good on ya, Lon! Your upbeat attitude is admirable and you have some wonderful goals for the future!
 

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