How viable is a one car household in a smaller town with a stay at home spouse?

[jm21-2]

So one of the biggest expenses in life, and in particular for a woman immigrating here, is cars. The two-car household has become ubiquitous, but is it entirely necessary?

The situation would be a spouse immigrating to a smaller town in the US, from a foreign country, who will be a stay-at-home spouse, and who can start driving in the near future if they want to (prior driving experience and/or licensing).

In my situation I have shelled or will soon shell out a pretty significant amount of money to bring my fiance over here. Medical exam, visa fees, plane ticket, new clothes for the colder clime, wedding, honeymoon, and so on. That's an easy $7k for me in this calendar year, not counting the three trips to Asia and filing fees paid last calendar year. Buying a second car and insuring it would add another ~$6-7k onto that figure. So that's up to ~$14k not including basic living expenses. Quite a decent amount of money for one year. Even if I could wait until next year for the car and insurance it would be a huge help in spreading the costs.

But really, is the second car absolutely necessary? We'd be going to the grocery store maybe 2-3 times per week, probably together. We'd go on some trips together now and then on the weekend. I'm just not sure it's absolutely necessary to have a second car at this point. If she was working obviously it would be necessary, or if we had kids, but it just doesn't seem like a big deal right now. On the other hand I know she's used to having some independence, at least in the form of a scooter, so she probably wouldn't like the idea of not having her own vehicle. Might feel a bit isolated or helpless.

Anyways, was curious if anyone had personal experience with this or views to share.

EDIT:

As an update, we're just waiting on a few things. She had a tooth pulled and that delayed things a bit...hoping for April 23 but if she can't do it then we'll probably be waiting until May sometime. Tooth should be fine but she can't decide on a wedding dress. She doesn't want to co-habit before marriage and my parents (who would kill me if I got married without them) are leaving for a long-ago-planned month long trip to Europe on April 25...

[fathertime]

Well Jim, this question is largely dependent on each particular woman.  I think this question is not always going to be a 'needs based' question, but rather a comfort/preference issue.  If your lady is accustomed to driving, I imagine she will be interested in driving here sooner rather than later.  My wife had not driven a car in Colombia and we have done fine with one car up to now.  I don't think the one car status is going to last much longer for us though  Another factor for you to consider is, how soon are you going to get fed up with either having no car yourself if you loan your wife the car for afternoon, or having to drive your wife to wherever she needs to go.  For me this is not a problem because I don't mind driving too and fro, since I'm used to being a driver for my kids anyways.  For many this would be reason enough to just buy your woman her car and let her get around.  For some reason, I think you would be better off getting your wife a car and head off any mobility problems she would come across.  I doubt the 300 or so dollar payment will matter much in the long run.

Fathertime!

[Jeff S]

I totaled my SUV on the freeway last fall and we've been getting by just fine with one car for the two of us. However, I work out of a home office, and we go out to lunch a few days a week, and while out do the bank/ shopping/ cleaning pickup and other errands. My wife knew how to drive before we got married, and does some here - just grocery store runs and such, but not on the freeway. She'll occasionally go somewhere by herself when I'm working - usually the Japanese grocery or book store a few miles away. When I go out of town, I take a shuttle to the airport or will sometimes do an in-state trip and take the car for several days, but my daughter is close and has a car if she needs to get somewhere when I'm gone. We can, and do, walk to a Starbucks, half a dozen restaurants, three or four fast food joints, two supermarkets and some other essentials within 1/2 a mile or so, as well. I sure don't live in a small town, either.

[Capstone]

There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding if a one car household is viable. Her age, city or rural girl, previous driving experience, etc. A young city girl with previous driving experience probably isn't going to be too thrilled about staying at home by herself all day, every day in a place where she doesn't have any friends who can drop by and socialize with her or give her a ride somewhere.

In my case, we live in a rural community and generally make a trip to several large Chinese grocery stores in Atlanta every weekend or two to load up on the basic staples. But being Chinese my wife likes to buy meat, seafood & many vegetables the day that they will be cooked instead of buying them in bulk in order to insure freshness. This was a very big determining factor when I decided to go ahead and buy her a car shortly after she arrived - it just became too inconvenient for us to hit the grocery every day after I got off from work.

My wife was already very independent before we met, she owned her own car in China and so could come & go as she needed to. I really didn't see any advantage of taking that away from her once she got here and am very glad that we have 2 cars. My wife can hit the grocery or go clothes shopping any time during the day while I am at work and it has made things much easier on both of us.   

 

[robert angel]

As indicated, it sort of depends on the woman, where she came from, what her role is here and how well she can handle the isolation that can come from living in many parts of the USA while 'carless'. This is of course, in a land where public transportation hardly exists in most places.

My wife was used to walking out of her tenement and onto a busy, thriving street where food, internet cafes, people she could talk to--basically everything she needed, was a peso toss away. When she came here, she saw how even in our white bread subdivision, people really don't mix, never mind really know each other. To go to the comparatively (to her country) boring mall, means driving miles. Save for one grocery and a dollar store half a mile away, there's really not much to walk to.

Combined with her being anxious to work, all this sort of made learning to drive and buying a car a necessity. I actually bought a gently used car before she got here for about $7000. To her, it might have as well been a Rolls Royce. She refused to send pictures of it home--she didn't want to seem too proud or boastful. It actually looked pretty good, but like any body's first car, it has picked up it's fair share of mysterious scratches and little dents. I sometimes think it must magnetically attract shopping carts or something. I guess that's why we don't get Aston Martins and such as first cars.

Teaching her to drive cost me several layers of tooth enamel, as she felt the safest place to drive a car is in the middle of the road, be it a one or six lanes, which was rather unsettling when an 18 wheeler was oncoming. Nonetheless, she passed her written and actual driving test the first time out and promptly announced that she never intended to have to parallel park again and damn if she hasn't--she gets me to drive downtown. But to be honest, she's a better, safer driver than me out on the road and unlike me, she never gets mad--zero road rage. Very odd--it almost annoys me. Are all foreign women terrified of police? She can spot a cop car from over the hill!I don't know why someone who's never been in trouble, never speeds, obeys all lights and signs worries, but she does.

Maybe if she didn't work, a car wouldn't have been necessary right away, but I think for most adult women in the USA--the land of the AUTOmobile, learning to drive and having a car is inevitable, I think. Still, there are times where she will say to me "I sometimes STILL can't believe I am driving a car"...

[Tanuki]

JM, I was just wondering about this very situation.  Currently, the woman I am talking with, does not know how to drive.  I do own two cars, one for every day driving and the other is my baby.  If things were to work out, I was thinking I might have to buy another car. 

I have enjoyed eveyones thoughts on this.

Thanks!   

[jm21-2]

Good points from everyone. Robert's post really struck home with me. I am an enthusiastic driver and have had several speeding tickets the last few years....tend to have a bit of a lead foot. I somehow managed to contain myself as my fiance went slightly under the speed limit on the freeways in Taiwan as other cars whizzed by us....keeping a careful eye on the GPS for when it alerted us of a speed camera (thank god we don't have those here).

Actually, in many ways I am more worried about insurance than the car. I just renewed mine for 6 months and the best deal I got was about $720. We were looking at cars that were old enough you couldn't get a loan for, but still had low miles. Maybe $6k for a car that would last 5+ years pretty easily with light driving. At that point the insurance would cost more than the car. Well hopefully her insurance ends up less than mine. That will be a big factor....

[ignorante]

Maybe $6k for a car that would last 5+ years pretty easily with light driving. At that point the insurance would cost more than the car. Well hopefully her insurance ends up less than mine. That will be a big factor....

  Smart to pay cash for the car - at which point there is no need to have full coverage but only the state's required liability coverage, which will drop your $700 insurance bill to close to $100.

[Ray]

Of course a second car is not a necessity, especially for a cheap-ass like you. LOL!

My first wife and I both worked full time jobs and got by for several years with one car. I worked days and she worked nights.

Don’t they have any public transportation in your town? There is nothing wrong with using the bus for a couple of years while you save up for a second car, even if she has to walk a half mile or so to the nearest bus stop.

For a second car, look for lease returns that are 3 years old with low mileage and save a bundle.

In the mean time, add her as a second driver on your insurance policy, and teach her how to drive the American way before you turn her loose on her own on the freeways.

Ray

[jm21-2]

Well in my case it would be hard to make the argument "we can afford a boat, but a car for you? I don't know...sure you can't walk half a mile to the bus stop in the cold rain?"

[fathertime]

Well in my case it would be hard to make the argument "we can afford a boat, but a car for you? I don't know...sure you can't walk half a mile to the bus stop in the cold rain?"

You got that one right!

Really you are always talking about money, money, money!  Why don't you relax a bit and start thinking about more important things!  It sounds like you are doing ok with being a lawyer and all, why all the focus on material things and money?

Fathertime!

[ignorante]

you are doing ok with being a lawyer and all

Popular misconception about lawyers . . . on TV and in the movies they are always rich and drive fancy cars . . . 

[fathertime]

I don't mean to pick on your posts personally but it seems you are always bringing up these financial issues.  I don't see why they are so paramount in importance because it appears to me that you have plenty of cash. If you have enough for the essentials that is  a great start and the important thing!  Don't let money ruin things for you, spend all you have to keep your woman happy, if that is what it takes!

Fathertime!

[jm21-2]

Yep. I make OK but not too much. Mortgage and student loans take quite a bit. Much of the funding for this venture came from the new homebuyer tax credit.

My fiance thinks about money far more than I do. I can't imagine not thinking about money a lot before getting married. Supporting someone is not exactly cheap and finances are a big source of problems in marriage. I am not materialistic really, and my fiance is not materialistic at all, but we both have never struggled with finances and I want to do my best to make sure we never do. We're both fine with buying clothes out of the clearance bin or second-hand furniture, but I never want to be forced to do so. I never want to be that guy who has to borrow money to fix his car or chooses ground round instead of a steak out of necessity instead of choice. Both of us are also committed to not borrowing money...I had to borrow for the student loans and the house but I hope I never have to borrow money again in my life (including credit cards).

Also bear in mind that money does buy happiness....being in a good financial situation is, as far as I can tell, the best indicator of a successful marriage, satisfaction in life, successful offspring, and just about everything people want out of life.

So I worry a lot about money so that I don't have to worry about money....preemptive worrying if you will....if you are not a worrier that probably makes no sense to you. Many, maybe most, can go through life, borrow money in the lean times, spend some more in the good times, and never really worry about it....not me...

[Researcher]

    I bought a small cheap car for my wife to learn to drive.Recently I bought her another car that is safer and more reliable. We kept the first car I bought her because it isn't worth much now with all the "learning" marks that are on it. We now have 3 cars but I will drive the car she learned to drive to keep the miles off our newest one.


     Researcher

[Researcher]

   Well JM, I don't know what kind of buying habits you have when it comes to cars.Automobiles are the biggest money pits in history. I have only owned 2 new cars my entire life. I have always bought late model used with low miles.I wouldn't have the new car I have now but I work for an auto manufacturer and my employee discount combined with the cash for clunkers program was hard to pass up, I bought in 2009.Other than that you can't beat buying used. I'm a pretty good mechanic and always buy a Haynes manual for the used cars I own. I had to replace 2 sensors on my wife's car that would have easily cost $300 each to have replaced. I did it for $60 worth of parts. I put new brake pads all the way around on and changed the oil and filters myself.All you can ever do is try and save money on cars because the only people making money on them are the dealers.


    Researcher

[ignorante]

You sound like me, Researcher. 

The dealer wanted $365 to get my car to pass emissions.  I pulled the code, spent a little time on the internet researching it, ordered the part off the internet (it was AC Delco, the GM supplier) for $16.50, then spent all of 5 minutes on my back replacing it.  This 5 minutes was because I had never seen it before and had no idea where it was, and I did not have the proper tool.  I am guessing this is a 30 second job for a competent dealer mechanic who does this for a living and has the proper tool.

So how do they come up with $365? 

Anyway, all my own oil changes (taught my son how to do it, too) and brake jobs.  I have even rebuilt engines in my younger years for older cars.

[jm21-2]

I left the top down in the rain and the water screwed with the electric system and made it display some odd behavior....took it into the shop and they wanted to charge me almost $2,000 to tell me it got wet. I've been afraid of taking it into shops since....except for the one my best friend's dad runs down in OR when I visit him...

I'm not good with cars but damn. Definitely money-sinks. I buy used in cash and get a bit back from counting them partially as business expenses.

[robert angel]

It seems to me that more than any other race, Asians tend to prefer to buy 'new' cars, even if it means spending a bit outside their comfort zone. We had 43 Filipino teachers move here and making less than $40,000 a year, with families to support, most went out as soon as they legally could and bought new Hondas and Toyotas.

But I don't think I'll ever buy a new car again.

The car I drive was purchased by an old lady in 2006 for almost $70,000. Before she traded it in for the latest model, she kept it garaged and dealer maintained to a 'T'. The 64,000 miles she put on it were almost all highway.

In 2010, I bought it for about $28,000, so she took about $10,000 a year in depreciation. I thought: "Man--she took a ten grand a year depreciation hit--insane". Then the salesman showed me how much higher the 'd' rate was on comparable BMWs and Benzes against my Japanese built car, as well as the average yearly costs and reliability ratings, which again favored the Japanese rides.

The dealer put on all new floormats, brakes, tires, a new battery and repainted the entire front and rear bumpers, which had superficial scratches. After a final 173 point inspection and a full tank of gas, I drove off, with a full 'as new' 36,000 mile or three years, warranty.

It would have cost me more to buy a new, full dress Camry, and it certainly wouldn't launch from zero to 60 MPH in 5.4 seconds or maintain 5 people in eerily quiet comfort while doing so and still give me 18 or 19 MPG around town. Nor would it handle as well or adapt itself from it's ignition point, engine performance and suspension characteristics to my sometimes demanding driving style. I hit 80 MPH and it automatically hunkers itself down down an extra inch, and off we go...

I have seen dealer certified and warrantied cars for as low as ten grand. If you want to spend less, you can always try and find a good mechanic to check out a decent used car for any major issues and come out way ahead. I honestly think there are decent used cars out there for about $5000 and up--you just have to choose carefully. Try to remember:--> "EVERYBODY out there on the road's driving a used car"