Do You Need a Car?

Thoughts and Observations

Since the last two days were a bit “heavy”, insurrection and Covid, I thought today I would lighten things up. I have gotten about 2 dozen emails from readers over the last two weeks. I am shocked that so many people have taken the time to write. Thank You! I need your feedback and want to know what questions you have. Perhaps because so many of my readers are American...I am frequently asked, “Do you need a car?”

Wouldn’t you love one of these…I would!

Americans and Cars

If you haven’t traveled outside of the States you may not appreciate how obsessed Americans are with cars and car ownership. Of course, there is a good reason for this. In the late ’50s, my parents moved from the city to Bucks County. Our relatives must have thought we were moving to another planet…there was not a public transit route to the ‘burbs. You had to own a car. And if you have one, why not two? And when your children become teenagers ... three or four.

If you really study this subject, I don’t mean study as in books…just general observation…you’ll find that car ownership is less desired by the millennials. They have figured out that there are a lot of costs to car ownership in addition to the monthly payment. Why purchase a depreciating asset that spends 90% of its life not being used?

Car Sharing

You may recall that one of my first concerns once we landed was getting a local SIM card for my iPhone. Why? Because I knew we would need to use Uber. And we have…along with Bolt, which is a European alternative. Our D7 accommodations are not “in town”, we are 1-2 miles from all major shopping outlets. While walking to the market is easy, when we return with 4 bags we hire Uber/Bolt. And it is quite reasonable…in my opinion cheaper than the states. Since all the fees, including tips, are on my credit card I can accurately report to you our car sharing expense to date: $63.23. (This amount, which covers 6 weeks, is shown in USD because that is how my US credit card reports it.)

Admittedly, we have not been touring the countryside the way we had hoped. But all in all, we have spent just over $10/week on “a car”. The millennials may have it right.

When we are able to tour the countryside, we intend to rent a car for 1 or 2 weeks at a time. If you look for deals, you can find them. Denise found a deal the other day for 85Euros for two weeks. Pretty darn cheap!

Public Transportation

Across Europe, public transportation is ubiquitous. And that is certainly true in this area of Portugal. There is a bus stop 1.5 blocks from where we are currently living. If we took the time to figure out the bus routes, I am certain we could take the bus home from our shopping excursions. There is, also, a train that runs along the coast from Cascais into Lisbon. It stops in Estoril every 15 minutes…is clean and efficient…taking only 4 minutes to deposit us in Cascais or 20 minutes in Lisbon.

Today, we are dropping off the paperwork for rechargeable transit cards. As we are over 65, we will pay 20Euros a month (i.e. half price for seniors) for a card that covers buses, (local) trains, trams, metro, and ferries. We likely will only need this when we travel into Lisbon. In 2020, all buses became free for Cascais residents and students…365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Perhaps it is because the President lives in Cascais…though more likely it is because Portugal is focused on green transportation.

You Can Always Walk

We have walked quite a bit since we arrived. While in the States we had to plan to get in our 10,000 steps…here, it just happens. Unlike Denise, I have to really work to keep my weight down. In the States, I avoided “carbs” as much as I could. Pão, bread, is everywhere here. And OMG, it is good! Croissant for breakfast, a slice of crusty bread with cheese for lunch, a roll with dinner. Somehow, it seems, I haven’t gained weight. It would seem walking helps to manage your expenses and your waistline.

So What’s the Answer?

We haven’t decided yet if we will purchase a car. At this point, I would say we don’t need a car, and probably never will. We may want a car…but right now the jury is still out on that question.