Giving up the car...

[Ranter]

...temporarily anyway.

I live in the centre of Leicester & am (slowly) recovering from CFS/ME. It's because of the illness that I've kept the car for so long (that & elderly parents living 60miles away), but financial constraints - the tax is due- are forcing me to consider doing without it. The environmental benefits are obvious.

I'm going to SORN it & keep it in BF's garage for a while to see how I manage. So from 1 Sept I will be carless. If nothing else it will be a big incentive to get on my bike & learn to ride it!

[ina]

Keep us updated how you get on with it!

[Shirley]

Good for you Lisa - do keep us informed.

[Thomzo]

Good for you. I wish I could be so self controlled but I can always find an excuse to keep the car.

Just remember that you should still insure it. Just in case anything were to happen to it while it was in the garage.

Cheers
Zoe

[Wombat]

Onya mate!

Been thinking along similar lines meself, when this job goes and I lose the company car!

Nev

[cir3ngirl]

I don't drive so no car here to give up. I am taking my boys camping at the weekend we are using the train. What an adventure 3 changes between here and the New Forest. It has never stopped me doing or going anywhere.

[Ranter]

Thanks for the heads up on the insurance.

The main thing worrying me was how to get to my folks, as the trains aren't exactly convenient. But BF & 2 good friends have all offered me use of their cars, if they're not using them, for these trips. All I'll have to do is pay to be added to their insurance for a couple of days & fuel.

I'm aiming to do without until the New Year. Can't really plan beyond that as my contract runs out at work & I'll be lucky to get another p/t job in walking distance. Bus travel around the city is an expensive nightmare. Suppose that's just another incentive to get on me bike.

[maggie144]

just seen your post, and i am sorry to hear that you may have to give up your car.

i hope you don't think i am interfering, but can you not claim disability living allowence. if you can you can apply for a car for which they pay for the tax and insurance.

i know this because my husband and i both claim disability living allowence and have a car this way

might be worth checking out.

maggie

[hetty]

Disability liviing allowance has to be at the higher rate for mobility to get the help with a car. It is veru hard to get with a condition like CFS/ME due partly to the controversy around the illness (the idea that it is psychological and not very physically debilitating is still around far too much) and also symptoms vary from day to day.
To get higher rate mobility DLA you have to be virtually unable to walk.My son is applying now and can't walk more than 30m without pain and exhaustion due to CFS/ME but we are not holding our breath over the outcome. He would much rather ride a bike by the way as he is just starting an OU environmental science degree and very hot on carbon footprints etc but unfortunatley can't due to the illness so wants to get a car to go short distances. With him being only 18 it's not so much the cost of the car that is the problem but the insurance.

His sister who also has the illness has an electric powerchair and my son is nagging me to get a greener electricity supplier so that charging the chair's batteries is more environmentallu friendly. It is something I must do but have been too bsuy filling in the DLA forms for him (around 45 pages!) It is apity no one has invented a powerchair or scooter with solar panels

[Thomzo]

You seem to be coping amazingly well considering you all have the ME. My mother and SIL had it so I know just how bad it can be.

Best wishes

Zoe

[Ranter]

I've SORNed the car, so have about 24hrs left of use out of it. Tomorrow I'm off to do a big stock-up at the Co-op & drop off some stuff at the lottie, then it's to the garage.

BF has found it very therapeutic to clear out his garage, so that's the first benefit

As I mentioned earlier, I'm on the mend now so no way I'd qualify for help for a car through DLA. And after the nightmare I've had with Incapacity Benefit/ Permitted work/ tax office & Council Tax Benefit, I really don't want to apply for any more benefits.

[Russian Doll]

i cope without a car....i do day trips to salisubury with my foour kids and love it.....

[Stonehead]

...temporarily anyway.

I live in the centre of Leicester & am (slowly) recovering from CFS/ME. It's because of the illness that I've kept the car for so long (that & elderly parents living 60miles away), but financial constraints - the tax is due- are forcing me to consider doing without it. The environmental benefits are obvious.

I'm going to SORN it & keep it in BF's garage for a while to see how I manage. So from 1 Sept I will be carless. If nothing else it will be a big incentive to get on my bike & learn to ride it!

Welcome to the club!

I swapped a LR Discovery for a pedal trike (to carry the boys and me). Although we already did a lot of walking, pedalling a load of up to 200kg at a time up 10-15 miles a day in hilly terrain in all weathers is proving interesting...

But while the environmental and health benefits are there, the financial ones are proving elusive. I thought that as the car was costing a whisker under £200 a month, we'd probably be about £150 ahead (allowing for the other car taking up a certain amount of "slack").

But all that seems to have happened is that we've had extra bills that amount to around £150 a month. Argh! And there I was thinking I'd finally be able to get some new trousers (only one pair fit for public display, plus three boiler suits).

We're now trying to get a car share sorted for the other half in order to claw back more financial and environmental benefits but while her workplace has a staff eco-committee to encourage this sort of thing, deeds to match words are a little lacking.

Anyway, good luck with the car-free status.

[ina]

And there I was thinking I'd finally be able to get some new trousers (only one pair fit for public display, plus three boiler suits).

Stoney, we can't have this! What size are you? I have a number of pairs of trousers/jeans knocking about that are too small for me (always living in hope ) - and there are also boiler suits going begging...

[Stonehead]

Stoney, we can't have this! What size are you? I have a number of pairs of trousers/jeans knocking about that are too small for me (always living in hope ) - and there are also boiler suits going begging...

That wasn't an appeal! Just a fact of life - I've ripped or split the crotch of three pairs of trousers in the past week. And no jokes about studs, please...