4 ms·

Isn't there a lot of prestige in owning a car? I remember discussing commutes with a developer in Singapore, she "had to" drive for an hour every day. We were

• refurb 5y ago
  Maybe among the very rich, but I worked with plenty of middle-upper class Singaporeans (~$100 to 150k SGD incomes) who spent money on cars. Keep in mind despite the rail lines, it's much cheaper to own a place that isn't within easy walking distance. For the same amount of money you'd get a much bigger place. But regardless, it was mostly just due to the demands of family. The train makes sense when it's you alone. When you're paying $20-30 per day for a family's transit costs (4 rides at $1.50 each times for 2 adults and 2 teens), then suddenly the $700-$1000/month to own a car doesn't seem so silly.
  • rdtwo 5y ago
    Yeah that’s also important math folks miss taking a family downtown it’s often cheaper to pay parking than bus fare both ways for a family of 4. Even at 2 it’s basically break even with 3$ fares
    • klipt 5y ago
      Parking is the obvious cost, but aren't you ignoring gas, maintenance, opportunity cost of capital put into a car, etc?
      • rdtwo 5y ago
        Yes and no. The cost savings from not using a car mostly is an all or nothing deal. You save a lot by not owning one all together but you don’t save much by not using one you already have