Buy a car and move to the suburbs? (Pittsburgh, Millvale: section 8, rent)

[raubre]

How often would you need a car? I would also maybe consider renting a zipcar if that is feasible.

[Hopes]

I defintely agree with curtis about buying a used car for under 5k.

Here's an efficiency for $445 with most utilities included in Friendship: Efficiency - ready for move in (http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/apa/2267260887.html - broken link)

[algia]

Add "car maintenance", winter fluids/tires if needed etc....yearly inspection...possible emission inspection...all can add up unless you buy a brand new car and don't have big issues mechanically. But season maintenance is a must if you want that car to last.


Why not enlist a realtor, they can drive you around to see what properties you're looking at online "really" look like.

Also, with so many online stores (with free shipping), who needs to go to the mall anymore? LOL Let UPS/Fedex bring it to you (on their gas).

IMO, Going to the suburbs would be 50% beneficial if you had kids and were looking for a "community" feel...

When we get there, we will only use our cars for travel outside to other cities, we're done with in-town car use.

Originally Posted by Undecided_Pittsburgher

Hi Hopes,

Thanks for the reply. I agree that it is simple math, but the main problem is that, although I can find houses online with rents that are $300 less than what I am paying now, actually going out and checking if those are places that I would like to live in is complicated (since they are always in areas that do not have bus service)

[hnsq]

Why not move apartments in the city? Move to Bloomfield, for example. You can pay the same as you are now (or even less) and be within walking distance of a zipcar station. Is it really worth it to move outside of the city? Especially to move to a place like Etna or Millvale (which are pretty run down compared to where you are now). You need to consider quality of life. With all due respect, the neighborhoods suggested so far will not give you nearly as good of a quality of life as where you currently live.

I mean...for $800/mo you can find some pretty good apartments in bloomfield, shadyside or squirrel hill (all of which have ZipCars).

[greg42]

Undecided, it would probably be helpful for you to share the base rent so we can compare apples to apples as far as comparable rents go. In other words if your rent is $600 or $700 that would be better to know than the fact that you're paying $800 including whatever internet and electricity and gas and whatever other such costs you have included in that figure. Or if it's $700 including heat. Whatever it might be. Easier comparison there, because the utility costs won't likely change significantly anyway. (One exception can be heating costs for gas if you move from a large building to an apartment made from an old house. If that house isn't well insulated the heating cost could go up.)

As far as the car goes, were you to live in the suburbs you would definitely have to figure in the not-insignificant parking costs to your car costs. With gas going up, car costs are only going to go up. Your $300 figure might be enough if you get a really cheap car, but 3 days a week parking at, say, $10 (which is probably too low) is still $120/month just for parking.

Keep in mind in comparing rental rates that Zipcar rates include all necessary insurance and GAS. As a non-car-owner renter this can be key; Zipcar is totally designed for that. Hertz and Avis rates don't include gas and insurance. Hertz on Baum is a good shop though, have rented from them several times. But they're also not open good hours. Saturdays are only 9-12, so then you're stuck paying until Monday. That sort of thing. To me, the only time the regular daily rentals become better perhaps is if you're driving out of town for a few days. Even needing it for several hours the Zipcar cost likely comes out ahead when you figure in all costs.

Now it sounds from what you've said so far that perhaps you don't much care one way or the other about living in the city. It appears you prefer shopping and eating at mall-type places, for example, and at other times would just hang out at home? (Not 100% clear to me, but I can say as someone who has lived in suburbs for years and now has some interest in living in the city, I would be doing a lot more things within the city if I lived where you do, or even just wander over to Voluto Coffee for a change of scenery vs home. But everyone is different.) If that is the case then you may be more suited to the suburbs. But cost-wise it is key to factor in every single aspect of the transportation cost compared to where you are now. As far as location, I think places like Millvale, Etna, Sharpsburg, etc. make sense. They are still fairly close to the city and might still make for reasonable bus rides and certainly reasonable drives. They have some of their own good places; Jean-Marc's bakery is reason alone to choose Millvale. Do you have income from wages at all? If so, that is one more little calculation you can put to the positive in the suburbs. The local wage tax in Pittsburgh is 3%, and in the suburbs it will be 1%.

It sounds to me like you're not exactly paying outrageous rent right now. So I think it could be tough to move and have it cost the same or less. But it probably doesn't have to cost *much* more either. It's mainly just a choice of how you want to live. And as Brian said, once you move, you will be more stuck in the car lifestyle, whereas now you have gotten by for years without one. To me I still think it might be more practical to look into occasional Zipcar use (if it's only sometimes you really want the car) or find a low-cost used car (if you feel like you're dying to get in the car all the time. ) Getting a car might be a separate question from whether or not you move, although if you move it'll be tougher not to have one. I suppose you could move and try to save up for a cheap car. Or try to find lower rent still in the city and have more left for car. There are many ways you could play it.

[robrobrob]

It might be difficult to reduce your rent in order to afford a car payment. $800 with utilities is a pretty good deal. How much can you reasonable save by moving to to the burbs? I would guess $150 max. You are really limited on where to live in the burbs because you want to be on the bus line that takes your to Oakland quickly. If you don't take the bus to school then the parking cost will kill you.

You have two choices, buying a cheap car or look into leasing the cheapest car you can find. Since you aren't driving that much leasing may be good for you in the short term.

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by greg42

As far as the car goes, were you to live in the suburbs you would definitely have to figure in the not-insignificant parking costs to your car costs. With gas going up, car costs are only going to go up. Your $300 figure might be enough if you get a really cheap car, but 3 days a week parking at, say, $10 (which is probably too low) is still $120/month just for parking.

Of course there are suburbs that do still have transit options, so that's a consideration as well. Just because you have a car doesn't mean you always have to use it. That would reduce that expense. Sub parking for bus (or T) fare and save a few dollars on parking and some gas. (Unless your student status would still allow transit to be free, which would be even better.) Just another thought.

[BrianTH]

This is one of the reasons I would love to see Zipcar move into an area like Regent Square, or other places outside the City but along the T or Busways. You could then expand the options for people who want to combine transit for commuting and Zipcar for other purposes with cheaper rents and lower wage taxes.

[MeinGlanzendMotorrad]

I live in the city and own a car, an SUV, a motorcycle, two bicycles, and a good pair of walking shoes. You don't have to move out of the city to justify owning a car.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by MeinGlanzendMotorrad

You don't have to move out of the city to justify owning a car.

He is hoping to save money so he can AFFORD a car. That was clear in his posts.