Both our cars are older (7 and 13 years old) and have been paid off for some time. Not having a car payment is great!
The interesting thing is that with the years this has also affected other broader considerations. Nowadays I don't really think about buying a house anymore, as it is too big of a 'money and time' commitment and also because it would make it harder for me to move somewhere (which I've been doing quite often now).
Same applies to having a car. While I agree that having one can be incredibly convenient (and, sometimes, even necessary), I feel so much better not having to worry about gas, taxes, or maintenance.
Gas - certainly a concern, but so is bus/subway fares, which replace gas if you don't have a car but still need to move around.
Taxes - for 2 cars we pay about $150/year.
Insurance - possibly $1000 per year.
So... maybe $100/month for taxes/insurance on 2 cars - for most people this won't break the bank. This also allows us to live in a more rural area with a somewhat lower cost of living (lower taxes for a start).
Maintenance - yeah, some. I don't think we worry about it, much like you don't 'worry' much about your electric bill or internet bill. It's a factor in life - there are repairs that come up, but again, the ability to be mobile when we want, in areas that aren't otherwise served by mass transit - is, for us, a plus right now.
Replacing gas/tax/insurance with monthly subway tickets, which I'd probably need to do if I lived in a major city, seems like it might be about the same (IIRC, a two week pass in Moscow cost be about $50?).
But my point was not really related to cost, but to "freedom" in some sense. After the money saving, then no longer wanting to spend money on unnecessary things (but travelling), then moving around, I feel I no longer want to have a car.
Mainly for two reasons:
- I don't miss being stuck in traffic on the drivers seat, or trying to find parking spots. If I'm on a bus, and there is traffic, I don't mind as much as I can read, or browse the Internet, or game or whatever.
- If I don't have a car, I don't need to worry what to do with it if I want to move. No worries about trying to sell it, or wondering if it is worth it to take the car to the new place, what's the traffic legislation on the new place, etc.
Yet another part of my PoV is that, even if a car is necessary, I no longer want a new/expensive car. For example, before moving to the city where I currently live, I had to have a car (as there wasn't much of public transportation there). But at that point all I wanted was a used car that's good enough for the daily needs; and that I wouldn't mind getting rid off later.