Families, especially those with children or expecting them in the near future, often move to the suburbs in order to have a house with a backyard and more bedrooms. They see this choice as a way to get what they think they want/need – a bigger house, for an affordable price. However, especially if these people did not have a car originally, the added automobile and inconvenience expenses can be much higher than you would have expected. If you want to work out the numbers on your own vehicle, visit Edmund’s True Cost to Own Calculator. Otherwise, just follow along for the general advice.

For example, if gas is around $2.50 a gallon (and in the coming years, it will only go up), and you get 20mpg, you are spending about $.13 a mile on fuel alone. This does not take into account the fact that your car is constantly losing value (depreciation), insurance costs (often charged based on how often/how many miles you drive a year on average), and upkeep/maintenance costs (the more you drive, the higher the costs). Even if you choose to live in the city and keep a car for occasional use, you can still save significant amounts of money by living close to where you work and play.

Many benefits of living in a suburban house, like having a backyard or a game room or workout equipment, can be experienced in a community room in an apartment complex or a condo, or in one of many public parks, dogparks, gyms, or playgrounds available for free or cheap. It’s always better to get out of your own four walls and experience the world, anyway. On your own, you don’t have many new experiences, but when you get out in the sunshine and meet new people, you will be a happier person. Leave the house/apartment/condo/townhouse for sleeping, eating, and playing, and explore your city to find all the other amenities you could possibly ever want or need.