I recently moved into a new house, about 5 miles from where I used to live. The move is a massive lifestyle upgrade for me and my family, but even with our increased lifestyle costs, we should still be able to meet our financial goals. Life can happen obviously, but we have a history of being good with our finances. And we’re fortunate enough to make a good income, with my wife in a particularly stable profession.
One big downside of our move, however, is how far away it’s taken us from our son’s daycare. We originally picked our daycare because it was close to our house – just a 10-minute walk. Having a nearby daycare was really important to us because of our schedules. My wife heads off to work early in the morning and usually doesn’t get off work until 5:00 pm or so. That means I’m the one that typically handles drop-offs and pick-ups.Â
By itself, this wouldn’t be a problem, but the wrench in everything is that we’re a one-car household. My wife uses our car because her office is in the suburbs. That means I’m left with the task of transporting my son without a car. When our daycare was just a 10-minute walk away, this wasn’t a problem. But now that I have a 4 to 5-mile distance to traverse from our house to daycare, things have gotten a bit trickier.Â
How I’m Getting My Son To Daycare NowÂ
Most people can’t imagine getting children anywhere without a car. But then again, most people aren’t willing to think outside the box or put themselves in situations outside of the norm. Faced with getting their kids 4 or 5 miles, they’d tell themselves they have no choice but to get a car.Â
Here’s what I’m doing instead. I took an electric bike with a suitable rear rack (in this case, I’m using my RadCity, although I may spring for a cargo bike eventually). I then put a Thule Yepp Maxi bike seat on the rear rack. And that’s all I need. It takes me about 25 minutes to get my son to daycare now, which really is only about 10 minutes longer than it’d take for me to drive there. And my son gets to see everything that’s happening in the city on his way to and from daycare. I’m not a child expert or anything, but I feel like he’s benefiting by seeing the city and all of the people around him.
That’s all it takes. An electric bike. Put a child seat or a trailer on it. And you now have a vehicle that can actually act as a car replacement for most of the year. It really is possible to move children around a city without a car.
Admittedly, I do have some advantages that make biking more of an option for me and my son. Namely, I live in a city that has made it a priority to create bike infrastructure. One of the reasons I’m comfortable biking with my son is because my route is safe for bikers. It has protected bike lanes and bike paths that are separated from traffic. Without that infrastructure, I’d probably be more hesitant biking. That’s the beauty of bike infrastructure. It gives people choices of how they can get around (in contrast to most places where the infrastructure has been created to only allow cars).Â
And yes, I know the weather can be an issue. But it’s not as big of a deal as you might think. A rain jacket and some rain pants can solve any rain issues. When you’re using an ebike, heat is rarely a problem (you don’t have to use your own power, after all). The only issue will be in winter, not because of the cold, but because of the snow and ice. Most likely, I’ll transition over to public transit during the winter months, when it’s simply too slippery for me to bike with a kid. It’ll take me a little longer, but I can still get my son to daycare without using a car.
Why Haven’t I Bought A Car?Â
Figuring out how to get my kid to daycare from my new house did have a simple solution. I could have just bought a car.
But I’ve never bought a car before. I grew up in a city, so driving really wasn’t something I did very often. And to be frank, the car buying process intimidates me. It may be strange to some people, but I’m in my mid-30s and I’ve never bought a car before. I don’t even know how you go about buying a car. Â
More importantly than just being scared of buying a car, the simple fact is, I haven’t bought a car because I don’t want to. I’ve always preferred getting around using other forms of transportation first. I think it’s better for the environment. I think it’s better for me. And since this is a blog about money, it saves me money too.Â
I think I also enjoy the challenge of getting to places without a car too.
The Lesson Here – Choose The Things You Want
The point of this post isn’t about the fact that I’m biking my son to daycare. I think it’s a cool thing that I’m doing and I don’t think most people would do it this way, but that’s not what this is about.
The real lesson here is about decision-making. It’s not that I can’t afford a car. I could easily buy a used Prius for $10k or $20k and it wouldn’t be that big of a financial cost for me. But for my whole life, I’ve chosen not to buy a car. It’s not something that I really value. Instead, I’ve chosen to get my son to daycare via other methods. It’s not the only or best way to do it. But it’s the way I want to do it.
It’s common to think about money in terms of denying yourself things. But that’s not what money should be about. It should be about making intentional choices. Buy the things you want. Don’t buy the things you don’t want. And when you buy the things you want, make sure it’s something you actually want. The important thing is you should get to choose.Â
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:
- GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
- Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- US Bank Business ($500) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: AZ, AR, CA, CO, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NC, ND, OH, OR, SD, TN, UT, WA, WI, WY. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- SoFi Money ($275) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $250 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
- Upgrade ($50) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $50 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on April 15, 2023. As long as you get your account opened before April 15th, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $50 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Digital Federal Credit Union ($20) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
- Netspend ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $20 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Varo ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $500 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
- DCU. Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a savings account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000.
- Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
We’re a one car household as well – I drive my wife to work, then drop my daughter to her daycare on the way back. My wife ubers home in the evenings. I love the idea of biking, but I’m not too confident about biking on roads.
You are an inspiration to us all. I wish more people would be more open-minded as you are. I think people don’t choose to use biking or public transportation because it doesn’t compute with the level of comfort that they are used to. And part of that comes from the general American culture of everything having to be ‘convenient,’ but I want to invite people to step away from that line of thinking.
Great article. My wife and I also downsized to one car this past year, and I doubt we’ll go back. It’s amazing how much we are saving in terms of insurance and maintenance. I’m also starting to commute to work via ebike, and it’s great! Now that I’m biking, I really see the value of biking infrastructure too. We have bike lanes along our busy streets (which I use), but I would love to see them protected and marked with lane posts. I’m hoping we see more people pushing for these changes too to help encourage alternative transportation options.
Very well done. Your point about infrastructure is important… and the reason I wasn’t able to pull it off when I tried to do something similar a few years ago. The main roads simply weren’t safe enough for bikers, and the neighborhoods between me and where I needed to go had too much criminal activity. I do really resent that most infrastructure is built around the assumption that every adult owns a reliable car and is okay with driving it all the time. It’s very presumptuous and very expensive! You’re right though, we do still have the ability to make some (tough) choices with respect to where we live, where we work, how long we’re willing to spend getting to where we need to go, etc. And I admire that you’ve stuck to your guns even when it’s gotten more difficult.
Life is very different for city dwellers and rural people. We’ve got three vehicles between my wife and me and we each drive some 15,000 miles a year. We are retired and don’t have jobs to commute to. I doubt we will ever go back to two cars because we prefer smaller and sportier cars for our daily drivers but need a large SUV to pull our boat and trailered ATV. The cost of cars is not a significant expense to us as we tend to keep them a very long time. We much prefer rural life over cities and a greater dependence on automobiles just goes along with that. To us it is a small price to pay to be surrounded by wooded wetlands instead of concrete and tall buildings. And I think it is more than offset by much lower housing and other costs of living. Like anything else you find what works for you, which is often very different than what others prefer.
We were a single-vehicle household for the first 5+ years of our marriage, and honestly, we think about going back to it. It’s really not necessary for us both to have our own cars since we both work from home. I love the creativity you have to find a solution to get your kid to daycare and not compromising on what you want. Great exercise too, I bet.
Personal finance is personal for a reason.
The car buying process is a huge headache and hassle anyway. I wonder how much better my life would be if I hadn’t gone through the yelling, interrogation, and the fake pretending to be mad at my “low” offer.
You probably could have gotten a used Nissan leaf for not much more than your electric bike. Probably more versatile, but less exercise and don’t get to use bike paths…
I’ve been thinking about getting a used Nissan Leaf as a second vehicle as some point. I know a guy who did that – he doesn’t have much range on it, but it get him to where he needs to go in the city.
One thing to note – a car, no matter what type of car – is far less efficient in terms of energy use and practicality. One is a 2 ton vehicle moving a 150 pound person. The other is a 60 pound vehicle moving a 150 pound person.