I have been starting a photography business. I figured it was a good way to flex my creativity muscle and make a few extra bucks on the side. I booked two weddings just yesterday.

It’s easy for me to book the weddings. I just take a few calls and answer a few emails. Here’s the real challenge. Getting to the weddings! One wedding that I locked in is right up the street from me. I could literally walk there. The other is in Pittsburgh. That’s almost a four hour drive! Joy (my girlfriend) already said I could use her car for that one. A constant theme of being car-free for me is not relying on anyone. Every time I book a wedding I start with the notion that I will be responsible for getting there on my own.

I will rent cars. I am already getting deposit checks for the weddings I’ve booked. I have created a separate savings account. I am just sitting on that money. That way I can keep it straight what money is spent on what. I am already factoring in car rentals as an expense of doing business. One of the few in a digital world. I figure I can rent the car on Friday and use it to visit family on Sunday (most of the weddings are on Saturday). That way the business essentially pays for visits and any other errands I may need a vehicle for, like getting cases of beer.

I haven’t rented a car yet. But I was doing the math. Even with increasing the car rentals to (hopefully) twice a month I am still making out by not owning my own car. This is because of the increased revenue generated by the business. The wedding pays for the car rental and then still brings me in a profit. So in the end I will actually be making more money than I make now. I figure if I were to pay for a car off of my photography earnings alone I would have to do quite a few more in order to pay for the car, insurance, and everything else. Not only that I would have to rent a car for the first few weddings because the earnings will not be enough to purchase a car by then.

In the end though, I believe I could own a modest car completely off of my photography income, but that defeats the purpose. A large percentage of the photography income would go right into the car. I don’t want to work for a car. I would rather rent the car and use the rest to 1) legalize the business with the IRS 2) invest in better photography equipment 3) pay my debt!

Can you think of any other creative ways to get to the weddings? Any advice on how to handle the photography money?

We got hit by a pretty gnarely winter storm Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. As you know I decided to walk on Tuesday because there was no gaurantee what the weather would be like for the ride home. On Wednesday I decided to work from home because the roads were nearly un-ridable. On Thursday I decided to walk because the roads were still pretty bad. I took some pictures of my Thursday walk (below).

Where it looks like water it is actually ice. I have never ridden in ice and doubt my ability. I don’t have studded tires. Shoot I don’t even have a mountain bike! All I have is my Giant road bike.

Today I thought the roads were better. I was all geared up to ride, literally. Well, for some reason I got the smart idea to check my spokes before before I rode. One had come completly unscrewed. Rather than ride on it I decided to walk today. So that’s three out of five days this week that I walked to work (not to mention the times people offered rides).

To be honest I quite like walking. It’s a refreshing way to start the morning. It is a time for me to decompress at the end of the day. I use it as a time to think and pray. This morning I chatted with a guy about the edible properties of cattails. He has some growing in his yard and I told him that he could eat them in about five different ways. He didn’t seem about to try them.

At first I saw walking as a last resort. Now I think there will be times where I will choose walking as a way to relax over riding my bike, even when the roads are fine.

So I’ve figured out my pattern. For now I am not a “make a living from your blog” type of person. I have fallen into a once or twice a week post pattern. I wanted to have daily check-ins and running series. For my natural rhythm I just don’t think that works. I’m OK with that.

Although, I realized the other day that selling your car in order to save some money is pretty extreme. I started thinking about the other extreme things that I do: to save money or otherwise.

I wonder if this blog wouldn’t benefit from incorporating other areas of my life, not just my carlessness.

Just a thought. We’ll see if anything comes of it.

Yesterday morning I woke up to some snow on the ground. Just enough to suck. Plus, they were calling for more snow to start in the late afternoon/early evening. Since I had already walked to work once, I decided to just walk.

I was about three quarters of the way there when a van pulled up in front of me. It was a co-worker (co-worker 3 [it's a running theme]) on her way in. It turns out she turned around to get me. I feel a little sneaky. I was wearing my balaclava in such a way that my entire face was showing. I did that in case a co-worker might pass and pick me up. It worked. I thanked her profusely for turning around.

Then at the end of the day co-worker 4 asked me if I wanted a ride home. He heard that I walked in. I accepted the ride. I thanked him profusely too. Tomorrow I’m even going to put a thank you note in both of their mailboxes. I don’t want there to be any doubt I appreciate every ride I’m given.

After standing up co-worker 2 I couldn’t bring up the nerve to ask him again. I had made up my mind that I wasn’t going to ask anyone for a ride. For pretty much the entire week last week, my girlfriend was “stuck” at her parents’ house. She was having her car worked on and the shop was taking his sweet time. I realized something. People that have cars are at the mercy of a very complex machine and the chosen few that can fix them. I like being car-free. I have poised myself to be self sufficient. Where I am not self sufficient I am learning creative work-arounds.

There is a lesson in all of this. It’s the same lesson I heard when I was dating around. When you stop looking is when you find a girl. It works with getting rides too. When you stop asking for rides is when you get them.

In my last post I relayed a long saga about how I didn’t have my bike at home and needed to get to work. For those of you that are wondering what I did, here’s the answer; I walked.

I read quite a few reviews about the Harrisburg cab companies. None of the reviews were positive. Every one talked about how the cab never showed up and the operators were rude when they called. I figured there is no reason to rely on someone else to get me to work on time. Plus, if they did come then I would have to pay them money. I just didn’t want to do that.

It took me 40 minutes.

Based on this morning’s walk here’s why I say cycling is so efficient.

1) It takes me 1/4 less time to travel the 2.5 miles to work. Obviously, we know that bicycles go faster. But having only driven and ridden this stretch the difference was highlighted when I walked it.

2) It is much better for my legs! I don’t have bad knees, but I have known people in the past that have developed bad knees from walking and running. However, right now my shins are in terrible pain. I have shin splints. I can hardly walk. That’s OK because I am riding home. I was even wearing my hiking boots.

3) Cycling is more fun. I love careening down a hill at 40 mph. I love passing a long line of cars waiting at the red light. I love the “I-am-one-with-my-bike” feeling I get.

To walking’s credit some of the things that I love about cycling were enhanced. I had even more time to look at the beautiful scenery, and I could take greater notice of the things along the road.

What else did I learn from walking?

I should probably get out and actually walk more. I will use different muscles I don’t use when I ride. I learned that I can walk if I need to. It’s not a mystery any more. I am more OK with having burned my bridges. I don’t need to rely on other people (that is if I can walk with my shins being in such pain).

I also learned that socks make good gloves if you are in a pinch.

I only called co-workers for rides when it was snowy, icy, or very cold (now I just ride through the cold).

I had one co-worker (co-worker A) that I relied on most heavily for rides. She only ever gave me rides three or four times, but she lives the closest to me and works about the same schedule as I do. For no inexplicable reason, last Thursday, she said that she couldn’t give me rides any more. I’m not writing this post to complain about her. I don’t fully understand why she made that decision, but she felt it was right. I sucked it up and dealt with it.

Another co-worker (co-worker B) that lives close to me offered to give me rides. Before co-worker A even told me she couldn’t give me a ride I had it lined up that I was going to hitch with co-worker B last Friday. It was very cold (now I’m kicking myself because I’ve already ridden on colder days). All he said was, “All I ask is, don’t keep me waiting.” On Thursdays a buddy crashes at my place. I forgot to tell co-worker B that my buddy was gong to give me a ride. So yeah, at 7:45 he calls me and says, “where are you?”

I kept him waiting.

I apologized profusely as soon as I got to work, but still, I won’t be calling him for a while. I don’t have the audacity. I felt terrible all day Friday.

When I finally made the decision to be car-free I said that I did not want to be a burden to anyone. That was my greatest con. Both Thursday and Friday I felt like I was a burden. At the same time, I knew what I was getting into when I sold my car. I knew that by selling my car in the end I need to rely only on myself to do what I need to do.

Here’s the interesting part. I can’t call either of these people tomorrow and my bike is at work and I am at home.

Every Wednesday some buddies and I go for wings. Buddy A (I figure I might as well stick with the theme) drives right by my work to play basketball before wings. So Buddy A picks me up with the intention of taking me back to work later, so I can ride home. We go for wings. Then we go to a Lost party. Well, I left my gloves and headband in Buddy A’s car thinking I’d be riding home with him. He didn’t realize that Lost was two hours and couldn’t stay for the second hour. So that I could stay for the second hour I had worked out another way back to the office (with Buddy A’s sister coincidentally).

So on the way back to my office to get my bike I realize I don’t have my warming implements of utmost importance to me. I can’t ride in 17 degrees without my gloves and headband. It’s just not happening.

Buddy A’s sister ended up taking me home. Now my struggle for the morning is between walking to work or calling a cab. It’s only 2.5 miles. That’s only a 45 minute walk, and I have some stuff to keep me warm. But cab is faster. I figure a 2.5 mile fare in Harrisburg is probably pretty cheap. Especially when I compare it to all of the money I’m saving by not owning a car.

I just wish my bridges weren’t burned, so I could call co-workers A and B.

Yes, it’s true. Money of mine still goes towards funding an automobile. Not my automobile, my girlfriend, Joy’s!

Over the weekend Joy and I hung out. On Saturday we went to a bent and dent grocery store that’s a half hour from Joy’s apartment. I filled up her tank for her. That’s OK. I have a relatively hefty budget for giving people gas money. That money was accounted for.

Then on Sunday I drove her car to a real grocery store to get produce and some stuff to make some casseroles. When I got back I parked the car the wrong way along the curb. I did this because I thought Joy had to be somewhere and would be leaving shortly.

It took her longer to leave than I thought, and she got a ticket. I ran out to ask the cop if he could forget about it. He said, “I don’t think so” and was going to bust her for not having her car registered. Thankfully, it was registered she just didn’t have the sticker on.

So, of course, Joy is not going to pay the $10 ticket. I am.

Speaking of Joy’s car, in Pennsylvania we are required to have our cars inspected once a year. Joy just had her car inspected. The issues were relatively minor. Her alignment is off and her shocks are old and tired. I know all the things total will be a few hundred dollars. So far non of the cons of being car-free are worth the thousands I used to pay to own a car.

Here’s a fun little tidbit. Joy’s mom is a black-belt Tightwad (in close second to Amy of The Tightwad Gazette [coincidentally Joy's mom got me The Tightwad Gazette for Christmas]). Joy is more than getting her money’s worth from her ‘95 Mazda. Her mom got it for $600 over two years ago. I’ve known Joy for two years and she’s had very minimal repairs. If there ever was a car to own Joy’s Mazda is the one.

“Dad, selling my car will be fine.”

“Yeah, if want to stay at home all the time.”

This was an actual conversation I had with my dad back when I was thinking about selling my car.

At the time I was like any person when their parent talks them. I was thinking, “Shyah! You don’t even know! It’ll be totally fine. My life won’t change that much when I don’t have a car.”

Well, my life has changed a little more than I thought. I don’t do that much any more.

I don’t think you can necessarily call it laziness. I mean, I sold my car and get around on my Giant bicycle! But deciding to run out to a restaurant, the store, or anywhere really takes more planning and ambition. For instance, I have a library book that is overdue. The library is only a 11 mile total ride. That’s just far enough to take some planning. Do I need anything else on that side of town? Do I have the time to ride across town before an engagement in the evening? It’s not Iike I can hop in the car and be back in a half hour.

Last weekend I really did pretty much just sit at home. To my credit, it snowed on Saturday, but otherwise I didn’t really have anywhere to go that was worth getting all geared up and making the ride. Would I have gone anywhere if I had a car? Yes. On Friday I would have driven to my girlfriend’s and gone with her to a concert. Then, on Sunday, I would have gone with her to her family’s for a late Christmas celebration.

I am not complaining…yet. Having some quiet time without running all over the state might be a good thing for me at this point in my life. I used to drive all over the commonwealth. Plus, It’s allowing me to focus on some things. I’m teaching myself Spanish, and I am talking with the local homeless shelter about volunteering. Plus, I am definitely accomplishing my main goal of saving money.

So file this one in the “Unexpected Challenges” category. I really do feel like I’m missing out on some things that I used to just be able to drive to. I find myself saying “I don’t have a ride” more than I expected.  Or maybe I’m just a bit more upset about some of the things I’ve missed than I expected.

Today I got an unexpected check in the mail. My car insurance company reimbursed me the remainder of my policy from when I canceled it. The check was for $76.

As I become more removed from owning a car the financial payback seems less and less obvious. I’m starting to take it for granted (If there is anything I would want to take for granted it’s the savings of not owning a car).

It’s great getting these obvious reminders of what I’m saving. That’s $76 I would have put towards insurance.

I am here. I am still riding too! Over the holidays I did what everyone should do. I spent a lot of time with my family. I ate a lot. I slept a lot.

Now I’m back to work and riding again. Man! I forgot how much I love to be on the bike.

Today, on business, I was to travel to near Pittsburgh, a three hour drive. We got half way there and the roads were insane with ice and our windshield was iced over. We knew it was only getting worse, so we turned around.

As we were crusing down the turnpike I remembered that some of my friends were to play a show in Carlisle. As it so happened the turnpike passed right by Carlisle. My coworker dropped me off at a truck stop. My phone was dead, so I was banking on the fact that I could call a friend to pick me up. When I got my phone charged I called my friend and I scored a ride.

So here I am sitting in the cafe. It’s almost 6:00 and I’ve been here for two hours. I am likly to be here for a few more.

Several weeks ago a wrote a post about being at other people’s mercy. Since my friend came to ge me I had to sit here. It’s good though. I did some work on my photography website. I’m able to do this blog post. I got some budgeting done, and I read a chunk of Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Then in comes my neighbor. I mentioned a long time ago that a friend of mine lives two doors down. Well in the door he comes. So now I have a ride home.

Not having a car always works out. I get where I need to go. I hasn’t been a burden at all. Only once have I had to make a sacrifice.

Well, with that said, now that I am back in a routine I will get back to this supposed series idea I wrote about so long ago.