Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by ddoolin 2939 days ago
I see people say this all the time, but how is this possible? Do you work from home? I only live a few miles from work and Uber would still way out-expense a car payment, gas, and insurance...and even then, my car is worth a few thousand at the end, at least.

Not that I've seriously pursued this angle but napkin math tells me it would either break even or cost more to Uber.

3 comments

I can use Amtrak to visit family, which I greatly prefer to Chicago traffic. I walk to work and can use Uber with my company's pre-tax benefits when I need to go somewhere else. I don't have to pay for parking, which is pretty expensive and my driving insurance is half what it used to be. For the 4-5 times a year I actually want to drive I can easily rent a car. Uber pool is also pretty cheap if you are not in a hurry. Plus if I am desperate I can take public transportation. But at one point when I had a nonwalking commute I realized Uber pool was roughly the same cost as public transportation and much more comfortable. I probably pay 75 on Uber a month, plus the 25 for insurance. Vs 140 on parking and 68 on insurance. Car rental is 100.
I used to Uber in the morning and take the bus home in the evening. Came out to less than $350 a month, including the bus pass. Not sure how that compares to a car payment plus insurance and everything else since I've never owned a car.

What I will say is that I was in a car incident while I was taking a ride share (competitor of Uber) and for me it'd be worth it just to not have to deal with the aftermath of something like that.

> I only live a few miles from work

Bike?

Sure, but I was talking about Uber vs owning your own vehicle.