In all our six-year plus marriage, Ravi and I have only one car. We've actually replaced the car twice, making the Sharan our third transport but that's another story.
It's really not about affordability, just a very conscious decision to not have another one. Carpooling has been, and still is, the practical thing to do since the companies we work for are just a block away from each other.
Having one car means single payment for petrol, road tax, insurance, maintenance and repair. All of which definitely saves us money.
We spend more spouse time with just one car and this by far is the biggest plus. Ravi and I get to talk a lot and spend time together. We don't like the 'you go your own way, I'll go mine' aspect of having two cars. We're afraid we might drift apart if we get separate vehicles.
We've become more accommodating and flexible to each others needs. We don't see it as an inconvenience. If Ravi has an early morning meeting, I have to work earlier as well. If I need to work late, he extends his working time too. If I have a facial/massage/hair cut appointment, Ravi waits up for me at a nearby pub before we head home, a win win situation!
Other times we cannot work out our schedule, the ever reliable taxi comes to our rescue. We've built a pretty good relationship with Mr. Ramli, a very trustworthy driver, who shuttles us from one place to another. A few times, my daughter and I have ridden the public bus.
Of course there are drawbacks to this setup. Two weeks ago, we sent the car for maintenance and was informed they need 2 days to fix some issues. Unfortunately it coincided with a long weekend and we can only retrieve it back on the fourth day. Yikes, we had no car backup! The only solution was to rent a car. But this scenario does not happen regularly so it's but a small, albeit expensive, hiccup to an otherwise practical setup.
This one car household structure is not for everyone though. If spouses work in opposite directions and if there are several kids to shuffle from one school and/or extra-curricular activity to another, it's logical to have more than one car, provided the household can afford it.
The one car household works well for us. We live our lives accordingly and it's been great so far. We wouldn't have it any other way.
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