Depends where you live. If I lived in London I would happily go without a car. No matter how much Londoners moan about transport, the fact is in London, it’s ubiquitous & it’s relatively cheap (for London at least, and certainly compared to all costs associated with a car!)
I however live in Devon. A place where sadly, a car is absolutely essential. I really wish it wasn’t but it just is. Public transport is utterly useless here. I struggled for many years without a car, The local operator (Stagecoach) does nothing except cancel unprofitable routes and services, and put prices up and up and up.
But I hate cars. I HATE them with a passion! We have 2 cars and they are both money pits. Every few months I swear we’re hit with a bill for something or other breaking on them. Sometimes £500, sometimes £300. Sometimes £800.
Literally just this week both cars broke at once. One car the clutch went. £500. The other had an engine fault. £120 for that.
Fuel is expensive. Tax is expensive (if you have older cars like us). Insurance is expensive. Tyres are expensive.
So it’s either that or pay out a lot of money for a new car but have the joy of being covered by a warranty/cheap or no tax/cheaper fuel, which is what we are now considering.
And another thing to rant about - the wheel was invented in approximately 3500 BC. And it was also around that time that I believe the very first DVLA training manuals and processes were invented, and they have stayed exactly the same ever since.
My V5C form has the wrong engine size written on it. It says it’s a 1399cc when it’s a 2l. Even though it also says quite clearly (ON THE SAME FORM!!!) that it has a 2 litre engine. Sent it off to them with a cover letter explaining this. Thought this is so obvious it should be no issue, even sent a pic of the back of the car where it says ‘2.0’.
They didn’t reply for 6 MONTHS.
I didn’t chase it up only because I had completely forgotten about it. And lo and behold, it came back ‘sorry we can’t update the information unless you get a signed letter from a garage stating this has a 2 litre engine.’
AAAARRRGGGHHH!