Australian’s love their cars. And it’s just as well, because if you live in rural areas, or even in some outer suburbs, driving is pretty much your only real option to get around. But if you live close to the city or close to great public transport, do you really need to own a car?

After all, having a car can be a double-edged sword.

They might give us freedom and the joys of the open road, but cars are expensive to run. From rego and insurance to car parking fees (and fines), petrol, annual maintenance and the click-happy speeding cameras dotted around town, it’s easy to spend thousands of dollars each year just to keep a set of wheels on the road.

And that’s before you’ve factored in the price of the car.

So if you’re one of those people that love to get around, but also like to have a little spare cash in the bank for holidays, here are your options.

A bike.

In Melbourne alone, about 81,000 people ride a bike each day and the improvement of bicycle facilities in all major cities across Australia have made commuting to work by bike a real option – especially if you live close to town or near one of the many bicycle routes.

Public transport.

A study by McCrindle found that only 1 in 10 Aussies choose public transport as their choice of commute.  That’s largely because more than half of us say the reason why we don’t take public transport is because there isn’t a service nearby, or it’s not available when its needed.

But if you do live near a public transport route, it’s a great way to travel, and much cheaper than driving to work. You get to read a book and don’t have to pay for parking. How good it that?

Taxis.

For an occasional trip across town, taxis are a great option if you don’t have a car of your own. These days taxi companies are being given a real run for their money by car-hire firms such as Uber. While it’s frowned upon by the authorites because it is unregulated, Uber allows you to be picked up from any location, using a handy bookings app. Prices are competitive because their drivers are regular folk, who are happy to drive you around for a fee.

Car-share.  

Car-sharing makes a lot of sense for people who don’t need a car everyday. It’s essentially short-term rental, with hire cars spread across the city, instead of in one centralised location. Members of the scheme can use an app to locate the nearest car, and then simply walk up and drive away. You can also book a car in advance.

The hire costs are usually charged by the hour, and there are usually conditions about topping up the car with petrol and where you to return it. There are over 50,000 Australians and local businesses signed up to car-share schemes – the City of Sydney has been quick to embrace car sharing, because it’s good for the environment and reduces the number of cars on the road.

Car hire

Hiring a car for a short time makes a lot of sense, especially if you’re on holiday. You can choose from a funky convertible to a powerful 4WD, and pick it up and drop if off at a number of locations. It’s common to hire one from the airport, and drop it back when you’re on your way home. A lot of car hire firms allow you to use your frequent flyer points too.

So, relax. If budgeting for a car is too hard right now – you do have options.