Walking: If you live close to campus and work, this is the cheapest option. It is also a healthy option, as walking can help you shape up. Make sure you use good shoes for your walks.
Bicycle: This seemed to be a popular option for the students that lived on campus at my university. You can get bikes for $50 or less used.
Scooter/Motorcycle: Scooters can get around 60mpg, but their tanks are usually small (1-2 gallons). They can make excellent short range vehicles. I checked my local Craigslist and I found some for $900 and less. Motorcycles have bigger tanks and great mileage. You would have to get a special license for one and they cost more than scooters.
Bus/Mass Transportation: If you live in a city with reliable transportation, consider yourself fortunate.
Used Car: If you ask and dig around, you can sometimes get a fantastic deal on a used car. When I needed a car, but was lacking serious funds, I told everyone I knew that I was looking for a cheap car.
I was able to get a Geo Prizm for $500. It was a manual, so I had to learn to drive it. It was not fancy at all, but I got 30mpg on it (Toyota engine). It was pretty cheap to insure it and I was able to go to work and school.
A lot cheap cars aren’t advertised. I heard from a friend of a friend about this car. The man was selling it as his daughter had gotten a new car. Th engine and transmission were in good condition.
Car Sharing: My university partnered with a car sharing company and offered this as an option for students who didn’t want a car, but needed to get around.
The costs vary from location, but around here, I’ve seen it for $5/hour and that includes insurance and gas. Zipcar is available in many cites.
Finding cheap transportation doesn’t have to be impossible. Just use some creative thinking and you can even surprise yourself.
Photo Credit: Todd Baker << technowannabe
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Thanks for sharing these tips! I like to walk whenever possible. I’m bummed about our new place, which is far away from everything (my hubby doesn’t like to be around people). But we do sometimes walk to the bus stop, which is a mile away, to get us into town for small errands, etc.
Check out Mirandas last blog post..Good Fences Make…Jerks Out of Us?
@Miranda Thanks! Walking is a good way to exercise. We walk occasionally but not as often as we should.
I always wanted a scooter when I was in college, but never got one. Bikes work well and don’t require any insurance or dmv fees. Maybe someday I’ll get the urge for a scooter or dirt bike again.
Be careful with the used car route. You can find amazing deals if you have a budget. For example my sister wanted to spend 5k on a car. I would recommend for this you find a 2k car, have it inspected at a mechanic. If it needs an engine, pass. But put 1.5-2k into it (new brakes, tires and the like) and run it for a year or two. Then expect to put an engine in it. Run it another year or two.
This way you’ve spent around 6k on a car for 4 years, which is a $125 a month car payment. But you paid it in cash and only dealt with maintenance. Not to mention lower insurance (old car) etc. Once you’re a bit more prepared financially, go for a new car.
Great tips!
@Solar Power – It’s definitely a good idea to have a budget for repairs if you buy a cheap car (or any used car, for that matter), and your apporach of buying a car below your bduget and spending the extra on repairs and maintenance is a good way to go. But in many years of driving sub-$1000 cars, I have NEVER had to replace an engine- ever! Maybe I’ve just been lucky
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