Challenges, regrets and mistakes

I walked away from vehicle ownership at the end of December 2011 when the lease expired on my 2008 CUV. I made the decision not to buy out my Chevrolet Equinox at what was a pretty sweet, pre-negotiated price ($9,998) when I realized my vehicle was a moving money-pit.

I was a late bloomer in this regard as I always needed a vehicle. It was my city friends who convinced me that my husband and I didn't need a second vehicle. I live near a major, although rural intersection that is serviced by both regional and GO transit. I can walk to a few amenities but if you want alcohol, you have to drive. If you want groceries, same deal.

Owning a vehicle made me lazy. Owning a vehicle also cost me a ridiculous amount of money - $8,048.00 annually, give or take a few dollars, just to drive to the GO station and make occasional trips around the GTA to visit family and friends one or two weekends a month. It was time for me to give it up.

I regret leasing the Equinox but I didn't know at the time that I would lose my job two days after I drove it off the lot. In total, it's $32,000.00 I'll never get back. When I made the decision to lease the Equinox, I was working for an IT firm as a consultant and I traveled to meet with clients. I would also be able to claim a portion of the lease payments on my taxes, at least, that was the plan.

My 2000 Ford Focus wagon wasn't aging well and with over 150,000 clicks on the engine, it needed major maintenance work I just didn't want to pay for at the time. The A/C no longer worked. The heater blew and as much as you try, you can't drive without heat when the temperature is below 5C outside. Only one windshield wiper worked (the passenger's), two windows wouldn't go down and the lift-gate needed new hydraulic arms. I decided the car had to go. Then my employer of eight years decided I had to go. My position was eliminated, I was shown the door and stuck with a brand new vehicle I had no idea how I was going to pay for.

As a final nail in the coffin, the only jobs I could find were in downtown Toronto. I wasn't about to drive to the city core every day so this meant I had to cough up another $275 a month to take the GO train (still cheaper than parking). So that added another $3300.00 to the already $8000 I was spending a year for transportation. It's sickening, I know, but it's not sickening when owning a vehicle is a necessary evil and justifiable.

I tried Leasebusters. No one would bite. Thankfully, I eventually found full-time, permanent work that allowed for our household budget to accommodate the additional expense of GO Transit, but all I kept thinking about was how much money we'd be saving if I hadn't gotten rid of my Ford Focus, if I had just procrastinated a little longer. If, if and if.

I regret getting rid of that car. It was a mistake. I should have just spent the money and fixed it.

The first challenge of not owning a vehicle presented itself when my husband's hours changed at work last Spring and I had to do daycare drop off in the mornings. I bought a bike and bike trailer and biked my daughter 2.2 kilometres (one way) to her daycare centre in the mornings and then biked back home, changed and caught the bus. I did this from May to October last year.

I also decided to change my diet. My husband is diabetic (Type 2, non-insulin dependent). He consumes very little sugar and watches his starches. He recently joined a gym. He's my inspiration to live better. Because of him, I no longer eat bad foods, over-eat, indulge or skip breakfast. It took almost three months for me to kick sugar from my system and four to six months for my body to adjust to eating three times a day. I cut my daily caloric intake in half. I am just starting to get into a routine of drinking water throughout the day. It's all been about baby steps for me. In 12 months, I lost approximately 32.4 pounds.

This Spring, I realized my daughter is too big for the bike trailer. Pound-wise, she's well under the weight restriction of 100 lbs but height-wise, she's too tall to sit comfortably. I moved her from the daycare centre to a babysitter who lives within a reasonable walking distance from us. This morning was the first day of our five-month journey of walking 1.65 kilometres every morning to her babysitter's. After I drop her off, I walk another 700 metres to the bus stop. Add in the 1.2 kilometres I walk to the office from Union and back, and the walk from the bus stop to my home, I'm walking a total of five kilometres, five days a week. I was going to join a gym but now I can save that money.

The only mistake I made was not wearing running shoes this morning. Instead, I put on a pair of shoes I have not quite broken in and I am paying for this in spades right now. I managed to catch my regular GO bus after waving frantically to the driver from across the highway (there was no way I was running as the back of my heels were rubbed raw) and I hobbled onto the train when the bus ride was over. The rest of the day will be like this.

Tomorrow, it will be more about comfort and less about fashion.

The great thing about this challenge is there is no alternative. It's not like I can give up the morning walk and hop into a car. I can't say, "Screw this" and abandon the plan. We're walking whether I like it or not.