Reasons to Try Car Sharing

Have you heard about the term ‘sharing economy’ yet? This new economic model is designed to connect people and allow them to rent or borrow resources and items owned by a company or someone else that they don’t need to use all the time. The concept is also known as ‘collaborative consumption’ or ‘peer-to-peer sharing’. Today, people can share everything from homes to cars, and with the existence of smartphone technology, this process couldn’t be easier and more approachable. When we’re talking about car sharing, what are its benefits and is it right for you? Let’s find out together.

 

It saves money

One of the biggest benefits that catch people’s eye is money. Being a car owner can be quite expensive, since transportation costs are often the second-biggest expense, right after rent or mortgage. If you consider the rising costs of insurance, gas and maintenance, owning a small vehicle can cost you over $8,000 a year. With car sharing, you can skip many of these costs and save a lot of money

If you don’t drive every day, sharing a car with others makes a lot of sense in the financial field. Car sharing allows you to rent a vehicle by day or hour and only pay for it while it’s in use. In most cases, memberships are cheap and involve zero maintenance and upkeep costs, parking and insurance.

 

It’s more sustainable

Today, people are getting interested in sustainability more than ever before, and all of us are trying to reduce our environmental footprint. With car sharing, we reduce the number of vehicles on the streets, miles driven and cars owned. Fewer vehicles equal less road congestion and lower CO2 emissions that get into the air. This habit also minimizes the need for parking, which leaves more space for parks, playgrounds and other green spaces. If you’re interested in protecting the environment, giving up your car and opting for car sharing is one of the biggest steps you can make.

 

It’s convenient

Do you need to have a big IKEA shopping run? You can grab a van or a pickup truck. Do you need to do a bunch of small errands all over the city? Having a small compact car might come in handy. Do you live in a household with one car and that situation causes a lot of drama among the household members? Car sharing can add another car to your family whenever it’s needed without commitment and financial stress. Best companies that deal in car share concentrate on convenience so they offer no lock in contracts and you can cancel any time. The process of getting a car is also very easy: become a member, book a car, tap on with your keycard to enter and tap off after you return the car—that’s it!

 

It saves space

 

Usually, cars spend most of their time parked while you’re at home, at work or doing other activities. No matter if you’re parked on a private or public parking spot, it still takes up precious space. It makes much more sense to only own a car when you need it. With car sharing, people use a car up to six times more frequently so it’s not just taking up space and collecting dust. Thanks to this initiative, we can have more space for street festivals and parks instead of parking lots and more space for garage bands instead of cars.

 

It saves time

If you’re used to having no time in your day for maintenance, insurance, registration and looking for parking, car sharing saves you time while still providing you with great flexibility and spontaneity. Having the ability to grab a car whenever you need it makes you more independent from traffic and public transport timetables and you will have more time for yourself and your activities and obligations. 

If you’re still not a member of any car-sharing program, join now and get ready to reap its many benefits. You will save money and time and provide a much greener future for upcoming generations.

 

 

Peter Minkoff
Peter is a lifestyle writer at HighStyleLife magazine, living between Europe and Australia. Follow Peter on Twitter for more tips.
Peter Minkoff