Bye-bye baby blue Camry, hello one-car world

R.I.P. 1992 Camry. The car, bought for $7,200 in 1998, served us well over the past decade with minimal maintenance costs. But in the past year or so, the car was spending more time in the shop. Plus the windshield leaks, the interior's a mess and rust is taking over.

Today, we decided that instead of spending $500 to patch the car together yet again, it's time to say goodbye.

We've been debating for months about what life after the Camry would look like. Situated on a bus line, Mr. Kablog takes public transportation or bikes to work most days anyway and I take our minivan. But I can take the bus if I have to.

Our oldest takes the school bus, the youngest is cared for at home. I drop off our middle son at a neighborhood preschool. The Camry's main job is to pick him up; without a new car, he'll have to walk 5/8ths of a mile home with his Dad  at 4:30 PM, even on dark January afternoons.

Doable? You bet.

Character building? Definitely.

Pleasant? You can answer this one yourself.

But is it worth some mild discomfort  and  a dose of inconvenience to juggle one car instead of buy another? Less money on insurance and taxes. Less money on maintenance and gas.Think of what we could do with the extra money. Save it. Pay for college. Take a sweet vacation to Mexico every year to thaw out our kid?

According to Edmunds.com, the true cost to own a 2009 Ford Flex, a car we have considered, would be $46,382. We wouldn't normally buy new, but there is the special sales tax deduction to consider and our grocery getter has close to 100,000 miles on it.

Or we can buy a reliable, used car for peanuts that would get my son home from school.

Do Segways work in the snow?