You don’t need three cars. You probably don’t even need two cars. And you could likely get by with no car at all, especially in the city. If you live in a larger city, you probably have a bus available. Buses are cheaper than driving cars. Not just gas, but license, registration, taxes, repairs, parking, the list goes on. If you commute often, most bus lines have a discount program where you can buy your tickets in advance and save a lot of money. Oh, and there’s this way to get somewhere called walking. It’s slow, but it burns lots of calories. You could even cancel your gym membership. On the way, you’ll have the chance to notice things you missed while driving, and to talk to your neighbors. For longer distances, or for when you don’t have a lot to carry, you can also hop on your bike.

Now, I have lived about 15 miles from town all my life (in four different locations). And most of the time there was no bus. So I can understand that you may not have this option available to you. However, if you need to use a car, be smart about it. Plan shopping trips ahead of time, and optimize your family’s errands and transportation needs. Get a little organized, and don’t go to the store every time you run out of something. Carpool with a friend or neighbor, and if you are close you may even do some limited shopping for each other sometimes to save trips into town. You can also consider buying products like flour or potatoes in bulk, then split the price and product between yourselves. See more about shopping smart in my upcoming article about shopping money-saving tips.

Consider going electric or hybrid! If you just need your car for transportation, and you don’t need a lot of room for passengers and cargo, there are full conversion kits available to make your car fully electric. If you can’t go that far, there are hybrids and various other alternative fuel vehicles available. If you’re in the right area, you may even get a tax credit. If you can’t hybridize, downsize. Unless we’re going through the Outback in Australia, or through the jungles of South America, or the backroads of Arkansas, we don’t really need to drive a tank. There are lots of great small cars out there. Try a Honda Civic, Chevy/Geo Metro, or if you need a pickup, a Chevy S-10 or Ford Ranger. If you’re just driving back and forth to work, check out the Smart car. A cute little gas-saver that sells new for $11,000.

If you have a mechanical knack, check out your library for a repair manual for your car, whatever it is. Your local car dealer, auto parts store, or possibly Wal-mart will also carry these (but the library is free!) On newer models, you may have issues with the computer, which need to be fixed by a professional. But anyone can learn to change a tire, change the oil, or install new wiper blades. The parts aren’t too expensive, but paying labor can cost you a bunch of money. If you need extensive repair, check the dealer first. They’ll fix it right the first time, even if they charge a bit more. We always took our Chevys to the dealer, although we didn’t buy them there. It felt like we were spending more, but in the end, we would have paid 3 times more at Bob’s Shade Tree Mechanic Service because he would miss something the Chevy guys would get right, and usually guarantee, the first time. Sorry Bob, and this is not an endorsement for Chevy, but when you’re trying to save money it sometimes helps to go to the source.  Save money by keeping your car in good shape.  Drive under the speed limit, keep the tires properly inflated, and check/change oil , other fluids, and filters regularly.  These things all keep your gas mileage down, and also improve the performance of the car, leading to fewer repairs and better durability.

Besides the immediate financial effects, lessening our dependence on cars has a direct effect on our health and environment. If you do use the bus, you will still be around exhaust fumes, but the fumes are considerably less with every car off the road. This lowers the amount of air pollution in your town or city, and the air all around you will become cleaner. Exhaust fumes are known to cause cancer and other health problems, so it’s good to clean up. And, fewer cars on the road means fewer accidents overall. America has a heavy dependence on oil, both foreign and domestic. It causes wars and the destruction of habitat for wildlife. The byproducts and the extracting/refining process are hazardous. So getting your car off the road can also help peace, health, and safety throughout the world.

So, lower costs for transportation, fewer taxes (in the form of licensing, registration, and gas), a healthy, toned body, and a better relationship with your neighbors. What are you waiting for? Put on your walking shoes, grab your bus pass, or pull the old bike out of the garage and dust it off.

Want more tips on saving money in these tight times? Check out the next installment of Money-saving Tips for the Middle Class Part 2: Food

Photo credit: Jusben and MorgueFile.com (a great resource for free stock photos!)

And here are 97 way to save money