“Too many people spend money they earned..to buy things they don’t want..to impress people that they don’t like. “

Will Rogers

In my journey to create a more calm and simple life, I decided to downsize my vehicle. BEST. DECISION. EVER.

When I became pregnant with my son, I thought I needed a big car with lots of space and lots of seats. I was driving a five seater, small SUV at the time, but that was not enough… I needed more… there was a baby on the way! I needed space for stuff, all kinds of baby stuff that I was sure I would need to travel with me from place to place to take care of my new little man. My husband and I decided to purchase a very big, and very nice eight seater SUV. I loved my new car. Plenty of seats, plenty of storage space, and all the bells and whistles a car could offer. I felt like I was a prepared momma.

When my baby boy came, the car served our needs well. I had plenty of space to store my stroller, my pack and play, and tons of toys. I had plenty of room to nurse the baby in the back seats for privacy, or pump on my lunch breaks. At the time I was very happy with the space I had.

After over a year of driving this large vehicle around I had a moment where I stopped and really thought about how this car was serving me and my family now that my son is a toddler. We don’t need so much stuff now. I don’t carry a stroller, or pack and play, and I don’t need room to nurse the baby. The car was becoming filled with stuff I don’t really need. I was carrying around way too many toys, snacks, clothes, and junk that just didn’t need to be there.

Most days I am the only one in the car. I have over an hour commute to work each day, so it’s just me, seven empty seats, and a collection of stuff sitting in traffic each day. I pick up my son from daycare in the afternoons so for 15 minutes one of the seats is filled. Do I really need all of this space?

No. I don’t. In my quest to simplify my life I took a look at my car and realized that I do not need the big “Mom Car” that I thought I did. I have a small family with just three of us. I don’t need eight seats traveling down the road with me every day. I also thought about how much I am paying to own this car and how much gas I use each month. I realized the money I could be saving if I downsized and how much more I could save with a hybrid vehicle.

After several conversations with my husband and our friends, we decided to go take a look at some smaller cars. I have a commute, so fuel efficiency was one of my top priorities. We settled on a Prius. A little, silver, used, plug in hybrid Prius. We traded in our big SUV that had served us well for the time we felt we needed it, and drove home in our much smaller, five seater, but oh-so fuel efficient Prius.

Simple. Small. Perfect. I have been driving my Prius for a week now and I absolutely love it. I have all the space I need to fit my family, my work bag, a few toys, and even my large haul of groceries. I feel so much more streamlined in my new car without all the empty space.

This decision has also been great for our bank account. For 2019 one of my resolutions was to spend less so I could save more. (More on this in a later post.) This purchase has been a great savings for our family. My car payment went down by a couple hundred dollars a month, my insurance premium decreased by $400 for the year, and the gas savings is incredible. The extra money can go right into paying off other debts and starting our planned savings accounts.

I don’t miss the space of the large SUV. I am not angry that I ever had it though. It served its purpose, for a time, but that time has passed. Did I really need the large SUV back when I first had my baby? Probably not, but it gave me piece of mind at the time. I am very happy with our decision to downsize our car. I feel lighter. Lighter payment, less clutter, less empty space, and the bonus of less environmental impact. Change can be scary, but this change was good. One step in a simpler, calmer life for us.

I would love to hear what kind of car you drive that fits the needs of your family. I would also love to hear from any Prius owners why you chose a Prius and why you love it. Please leave me a comment below!