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I lived like this for a while, both in Hong Kong and in Los Angeles, with two kids. There's a sense to it. But what's not discussed in this article is the fric

by jaaron 6y ago

I lived like this for a while, both in Hong Kong and in Los Angeles, with two kids. There's a sense to it. But what's not discussed in this article is the friction of this sort of lifestyle. The time when you couldn't get the rideshare when you needed it. The time lost using less efficient public transport. The hassle you go through every time you need to do... anything. And as the children get older? Well, the lifestyle gets old too. Don't pay for what you don't need and won't use. I agree. Just keep in mind you're paying for more than just the few minutes you're actually in a car.

babesh 6y ago
Yup. I rented a mini van once for a road trip over a national holiday. I got to the rental office, was in line for an hour, and then they told me it was no longer available. Not even a sorry. Drove our two cars instead. It takes 15 minutes each way to the nearest Home Depot to rent gardening tools and another 20 minutes in line. Then factor the drive back, and the return trip and it adds up to to 100 minutes of my time. Also, if you are using the tool more than a couple of times, it’s probably cheaper to buy. The only things that make sense to rent are specialized, expensive tools. Guest bedrooms can be used for many things. If you are sick, you can isolate yourself to prevent other people in the household from getting sick. You can have actual guests over and you don’t have to drive them to/from and get to spend more time with them. Whenever CalTrain breaks down, Uber prices surge. You either wait 30 minutes or pay quadruple prices. SamTrans will make you wait for the bus that comes every half an hour. So the pluses are availability, reliability, optionality, and lowered transactional cost.
munificent 6y ago
"Friction" is a great word. The author is essentially advocating a low-margin lifestyle. There is little spare capacity or other tolerances engineered into their choices. They may have cash in the bank, but they don't have any reserves of interior space, exterior space, or transit capacity. Instead, they rely entirely on being able to acquire that on-demand. That works out most of the time, but it's a risk. And, like any other risk, it needs to be planned for, and it carries its own emotional and experiential weight.

by jaaron 6y ago

babesh 6y ago

Yup. I rented a mini van once for a road trip over a national holiday. I got to the rental office, was in line for an hour, and then they told me it was no longer available. Not even a sorry. Drove our two cars instead. It takes 15 minutes each way to the nearest Home Depot to rent gardening tools and another 20 minutes in line. Then factor the drive back, and the return trip and it adds up to to 100 minutes of my time. Also, if you are using the tool more than a couple of times, it’s probably cheaper to buy. The only things that make sense to rent are specialized, expensive tools. Guest bedrooms can be used for many things. If you are sick, you can isolate yourself to prevent other people in the household from getting sick. You can have actual guests over and you don’t have to drive them to/from and get to spend more time with them. Whenever CalTrain breaks down, Uber prices surge. You either wait 30 minutes or pay quadruple prices. SamTrans will make you wait for the bus that comes every half an hour. So the pluses are availability, reliability, optionality, and lowered transactional cost.

munificent 6y ago

"Friction" is a great word. The author is essentially advocating a low-margin lifestyle. There is little spare capacity or other tolerances engineered into their choices. They may have cash in the bank, but they don't have any reserves of interior space, exterior space, or transit capacity. Instead, they rely entirely on being able to acquire that on-demand. That works out most of the time, but it's a risk. And, like any other risk, it needs to be planned for, and it carries its own emotional and experiential weight.