General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Do Americans Know What a Massive Ripoff American Life Really Is? [View all]Moostache
(9,895 posts)They bike, walk and use public transportation FAR more than Americans from the suburbs can even imagine.
Now, I did not have a chance to spend much time in rural areas of the UK, France and Belgium, but the people I met with and interacted with did not seem to believe having access to a car at every moment (to basically have it sit idle 90% of the day anyway) was such a great expenditure.
The high-speed rail I used to traverse through the area (from South of France near Lyon to Paris, from Paris to London and back to Paris, from Paris to Brussels) was convenient, prompt, clean and not really a sacrifice I would miss by not having an automobile.
Cost of ownership of a vehicle - TOTAL cost - is always understated by Americans.
Car Payment - $250 - $700 a month (and I don't know many who are on that lower end)
*now, some people, the VAST MINORITY, pay for vehicles up front and do not finance a depreciating liability (cars are NOT assets)...but that is exceedingly rare today and for purchasers of new cars ($40-65K), that is permanently out of reach.
Insurance - $75 - $200 a month (depending on a lot of factors, but mine is high without being outrageously outside norms)
Non-oil - tires, belts, wipers, brakes --> estimating here at about $1,200 a year overall, so add another $100 a month...
Oil - change oil every 5,000 miles (about 2-3 times a year at ~$100 a pop with newer cars = about $25 a month)
Gas - fluctuates but average this year is about $3 a gallon for me, using 12-15 gallons a week - $45 a week with any leisure use of the car, we're touching 2 bills a month, so another $200...
Totals - $450 / mo. loan, $125 / mo. insurance, maintenance (non-oil) $100 / mo., maintenance (oil) $25 / mo. and throw in $200 / mo. for gas. - puts me at around $900 a month or $10,800 annually to own a car...and that is a 2017 Honda Accord, not a Bentley or Benz.
$8 a gallon for gas that you don't buy or use is actually $0.00 a month for many Europeans (obviously not all).
Fearing "high taxes" is living in denial and fear and under the thumb of people who profit off of negative emotions and human misery. Americans are CONSTANTLY bombarded with images and stories to make them afraid, keep them afraid and never let them stop being afraid for one second a day. At its core - that permanent 'fight or flight' state of existence - whether monetary, political, religious or social - ensures that overall, the people of the US run NOTHING, but they are RUN BY the monied interests that control the economy, economic and tax policy and are quite satisfied with their current cut, unless they can scheme a way to get even more of the total still.