- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
3rd Trimester
MSUMands
member
Single car family when pregnant/just after birth?
MSUMands
member
My husband was just involved in an accident that was not his fault that totaled his car. Luckily for us, the lady that hit him (going 45 and texting... grrrr!) had Progressive, who just wrote us a check for MUCH more than we paid for it when we bought it in December. We just deposited it, and now my bank account is singing.
I work from home, and don't NEED need a car during the day as of right now. The issue is about to be that I'm coming up on the time were I will go to the doctor weekly. DH works about 40 minutes south of our house, and doctor is about 30 minutes west of our house. The pediatrician we picked is less than a mile from home.
If there is an emergency during my last few weeks of pregnancy, this puts me at least an hour away from the hospital. Can anyone think of reasons why I would need a car after baby is born more than I do now? Obviously in an emergency, there is 911, and my neighbor works from home and has a car (although I wouldn't want to bother him in non-emergencies).
Anyone else at home without a car now or will be after the baby comes? 
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Single car family when pregnant/just after birth?
Hmm. I feel trapped when I don't have a car. Sometimes I just needed to get out of the house and walk around the mall, go to a coffee shop, etc. Obviously not necessary, but sort of for my sanity (speaking when DD arrived and I was on mat leave/became a SAHM). I know a few single car families and I get that they need to. But it's annoying when they beg for rides or complain about it. If you need that money to go into savings to make you be able to survive baby without going into debt, then by all means keep it there. But if not, I would consider looking around for a good $8k-$12k car with good value and pay cash for it. It's good that there is no rush, but I would definitely want one eventually with a child to care for.
We have been a single car household for several years now. I am not overly worried about not having a car here if/when I go into labor. DH works third shift about 20 minutes away, but his family is closer about 5 to 10 minutes away if I was to need something. Even if I went into labor with DH at work I feel like it would take me at least 20 minutes before I was ready to leave the house.
We schedule all of my doctor's appointments around DH's work schedule. That might be harder to do if your husband works a 9-5 job however.
My husband and I have only one car right now, and he just got a job that he has to commute about an hour each way for. My mom works Thursday through Sunday, so she's off Monday through Wednesday, and I always just go over to her house. If I couldn't go over to my mom's house, I would not be sane....I don't have a job, so it gets way too lonely and way too quiet really fast.
My husband is probably going to car pool after the baby is born, but we're not totally sure at the moment.
We've been a one car family for 10 years but I would not want to be left alone without a car while I am on maternity leave. There are lots of situations that don't rise to the level of "911 emergency" - if your baby has an ear infection or a cold, or you run out of diapers, or if you want to be part of a mommy group or take your baby to a play date, for example. It's hard to imagine, but being home all day with a newborn is pretty isolating and you're going to want to get out of the house, even if it's not an emergency.
That said, you can always sit on the money awhile and see how it goes.
TTC #2 since July 2010
March 2012 IVF (MDL Protocol) Started stims 3/3; ER 3/11 (9R, 8M, 7F) ET 3/16 (5dt of 2 blasts graded 3AB and 3BA, 3 frosties(!!) Beta 3/26 = 386; Beta 3/28 = 827; u/s 4/11 says TWINS! Boy/Girl Twins delivered at 36 weeks 6 days
I couldn't imagine not having a car of my own, but I live in BFE and the closest gas station is 15 mins away so I don't have the option to walk anywhere.
Maybe you could get a cheaper base model no frills car so you aren't spending all of your money from the prev one if you think it may be difficult to live without?
DH and I have been a one car family for a few months now. I stay at home so the days he takes my car I just try to rest and get my home stuff done. It's really not that bad. The most important part is planning ahead and making sure we have groceries, dinner ingredients, etc. that I can't just run out to get during the day.
That being said, DH's job is very unpredictable and he works 1-2 hrs away from home every day, plus there is the possibility that he has to stay overnight unexpectedly. So I can't really make any plans and it's kind of a drag not knowing if I'm gonna be stuck at home for 8 hours, 15 hours, or 3 days.
We are hoping to buy a Ford Focus by the time DS is born. It's a safe car with good MPG, it's American made (for those who care about that) and I think the base model is only about $16,000 new, or if you want to spend less a 2008 model is only $8,700. Plus it's gotten excellent consumer reviews and seems to be a good car in general.
I can say that, in my experience, we have always been a single car household. My husband is Chilean and we live in Santiago. The average Chilean doesn't have a car, so having one car is kind of a luxury. Having two would be overkill as most urban apartments don't provide that much parking.
I don't really want to drive in Chile, so even though we have a car, I don't drive it. If i need to get somewhere there are taxis, buses, metro, walking, and friends (who helped me when I got sick in the middle of the night while my husband was out of town).
It's not always the most convenient, because in the States it seems like every member of the family must have a car, but we do it. I would say to make a list of everything you could possibly imagine that would come up: illness, emergency trip somewhere, etc. and try to see if there is another alternative than owning two cars. It might be easier if you live in a city, instead of a rural setting.
I never had a car at home when we lived in Madrid, but I had access to public transportation and was able to get anywhere very easily even after DD was born.
We just moved to suburbs in Germany and I felt a bit more trapped without a car, but my H only works 5 minutes away so when I need the car I can take him to work and I have it. I would probably be fairly unhappy if he worked 40 minutes away, had to take the car to commute to work, and would be stuck at home.
I think you should get another car if you have the means.