I ditched my car and now use Ubers and public transport – it saves me £250 a month

As households across Britain battle rising living costs, some are ditching their cars in an attempt to save themselves some money. Elizabeth Grey, 38, from Leicester, is one of them. She sold her car two months ago. The final straw was having to fork out £1,500 to repair the vehicle – money she was planning to save for a deposit on a new house. Shorts She bought the vehicle last January for £6,000 – paying a £3,000 deposit and financing the remaining £3,000 – and found the running costs were £350 per month before maintenance and repairs, as the finance payment was £134 a month, insurance was £64, and she was spending around £150 a month on fuel. The self-employed copywriter and editor said having to pay surprise repair costs started to take a financial toll. “It became another large and unexpected cost attached to a car I was already paying nearly £350 a month to keep on the road,” she said. “It slowed down my ability to save and made an already financially difficult period considerably more stressful.” Eventually, it got to the stage where she could no longer justify spending that much on her car, especially when it had become so unreliable. She sold it for £3,150. Research by Creditspring found 47 per cent of drivers had less than £250 set aside specifically for unexpected vehicle costs with just 20 per cent budgeting for unexpected repair costs. Elizabeth’s current transport costs are now between £40 and £60 a month, with her opting to use Ubers and public transport when she needs to get around. She said: “Compared with the car’s regular monthly costs, I’m saving roughly £240 to £260 each month. In reality, the savings are potentially higher because I no longer have to worry about servicing, maintenance, MOT costs, or another unexpected repair bill.” Around 17 per cent of drivers worry an MOT will uncover a repair bill they cannot afford, according to Creditspring, with 9 per cent of drivers delaying their MOT if money is tight. Elizabeth does not see herself getting another car as she says it is simply not cost-effective for her. She added: “For now, not owning a car gives me greater control over my finances and means I can put that money towards my home, my children and my businesses.” The number of households without a car has risen to the highest level since 2015. Figures from the Government’s National Travel Survey (NTS) show that 25 per cent did not have a car in 2025. Data from the NTS also found that those with two or more cars have been declining since 2020, with just 30 per cent having more than two vehicles. One of the reasons for the fall is rising running costs, with the latest data from Go Compare finding the average cost of an annual car insurance policy is now £399. Corrine says she has been able to put the money saved from her card towards house improvements Corinne Card, 45, from Brighton, also sold her car two years ago, after it was costing her £250 a month to run. The media company owner bought the car in 2020 for £6,000 and sold it in 2024 for scraps for £300. She said: “My son broke his arm, and I needed to take him to the hospital. The car broke down en route and we took the bus. This type of situation is why I thought I needed a car – for emergencies – and yet it let me down and the bus was fine.” Corinne says her family are now £250 a month better off and have been able to put that towards making improvements in their home. “We have uncovered extra benefits from not having a car. The kids are more independent by getting public transport. And we are less stressed. We have more time as we’re not behaving like a taxi service,” she explained. The high cost of having a car is set to come under further scrutiny in the coming months. The average price of unleaded petrol has risen by 5p a litre in just a week, according to the RAC, with rising oil costs as a result of the war in Iran having an impact on forecourts. The last time petrol prices were this high was in September 2022. There is currently a temporary 5 pence per litre cut on UK fuel duty, which has been extended until the end of the year. If oil prices do not ease, there may be pressure on the government to extend this policy until later in 2027.