How I Save Thousands of Dollars a Year By Riding a Scooter

Two years ago I traded my 2015 Ford Focus for a scooter. The result? I now save about $4,000 a year — without feeling like I've sacrificed much.

That might sound exaggerated, but the numbers don't lie: I pay less than $5 to fill up the gas tank, park for free pretty much everywhere I go and spend less on insurance than most people drop on streaming subscriptions.

Here's how the savings break down, and what you should know if you're thinking of ditching your car, too.

Why I made the switch

I didn't start with a dream of owning a scooter. I made the switch because my car became a money pit. I held onto it for as long as I did because it was paid off and had only 55,000 miles on it. But when it needed a new engine two years ago, I sold it to a scrap yard for $2,000. One week and $2,800 later, I was the proud owner of a lightly used Buddy 125 scooter.

Buying a scooter wasn't about fun. It was a financial decision, plain and simple, although I will say I get a lot of enjoyment out of riding it now. A used car at the time would have set me back many times what my scooter cost, and its operating costs would also have been far higher.

How the savings add up

I used to spend about $1,000 a year fueling my car. Now? Around $200. With gas in Texas (I live in Austin) averaging about $2.75 per gallon as of mid-September, I'm filling up my 1.6-gallon gas tank for under $5. Since I work from home and live in the center of the city, I really only ride my vehicle a handful of times throughout the week.

Now for the biggest savings: my insurance bill. Insuring my car used to cost about $150 per month, or roughly $1,800 a year. Now, I pay $80 per year to insure my scooter, which is required in most states for engines 50cc and up (mine is 125cc). That's not a typo. It's $80. For a full year of insurance.

Maintenance and repair costs for a scooter are also a night-and-day difference compared to a car. Where my Ford cost me around $1,000 per year to repair and maintain (if not more), I spend barely $100 a year to maintain my scooter. A flat tire recently set me back only $75. An oil change is $50 every 1,500 miles, or under $20 if I do it myself. I've only had to change the oil once in two years.

In Texas, as is the case in many other states, vehicle registration is cheaper if you're riding two wheels instead of four. It costs me $30 to register my ride for a year, compared to $54 for a car. Registration does not involve a safety inspection in Texas, so I pay no additional expense for one of those. (Some states do require that scooters be regularly inspected for safety; ins=spection fees typically range between $15 and $50.)

Lastly, parking. I used to spend hundreds of dollars a year on meters (and the occasional parking ticket). Now I park for free almost everywhere, since Austin doesn't require scooters, mopeds or motorcycles to pay at metered spots. That easily saves me $500 annually.

All in, I was spending nearly $4,500 a year to own and operate a car — not including unexpected repairs — and I didn't even have monthly car payments. My Buddy is yet to require any major repairs, but repairing a scooter is less expensive than a car anyway.

These days I spend about $400 a year to keep my scooter running. That's an annual savings of an estimated $4,100 — and I really haven't missed my car much.

The trade-offs that come with the savings

As much as I revel in the fact that I'm saving thousands of dollars a year by riding a scooter, there are naturally times when I do miss traveling on four wheels.

For starters, there's inclement weather to contend with. When it's 100-plus degrees out — or pouring with rain — and I need to be somewhere, I definitely question my transportation choice.

Secondly, my scooter isn't legal to drive on highways, unlike most motorcycles. I don't really need it to be because I've mastered the back roads of Austin. But that limitation does preclude road trips, say to other cities in Texas. But such long rides aren't very comfortable on a scooter anyway.

Storage is also minimal. But you'd be surprised at how much I can pile onto my scooter, thanks to bungee cords and the basket I added to the back. Still, grocery runs and shopping trips require a bit of engineering. Forget bulk buying (but I'm a person who shops for one, so it works).

Lastly, theft was one of my main fears because my scooter weighs less than 220 pounds. That makes it light enough for burly thieves to lift it into a truck. However, I've been using an anti-theft motion sensor disc lock that sounds an alarm when the scooter gets moved — and it's been the best $24 I've ever spent. I also hide an AirTag on my scooter as a backup precaution. Sure, these aren't foolproof. But so far, so good.

Thinking of switching? Here's what to know

Swapping your car for a scooter is obviously not for everyone. I'm an able-bodied person without dependents, and I don't commute daily.

But for the right lifestyle, switching to a two-wheeler can unlock some serious savings. Before you buy, keep in mind:

• Insurance is mandatory in most states for scooters over 50cc, so check the requirements where you live before you plan to hit the road. And shop around for your coverage, which is usually written as a type of motorcycle insurance.
• Minimum coverage requirements vary by state, but liability coverage is usually the baseline minimum. Some insurers offer collision and comprehensive coverage, too — even for motorcycles and scooters.
• Licensing laws differ, so you might need a motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license, depending on your state and the vehicle's engine size. Ditto for the need by state to regularly inspect the scooter for safety.
• Storage, weather and road safety should all factor into your decision. If you have a daily commute, dependents or live in a city that's not exactly scooter-friendly — think harsh winters, steep hills or roads dominated by highways — relying solely on a moped might not be the smartest move. I always wear a helmet and drive cautiously. I'm the smallest vehicle on the road, so defensive driving is key.

It's not always glamorous to ride a scooter, but saving $4,000 a year? That's pretty sweet. Even when I factor in the occasional Uber ride because it's raining torrentially, or the odd airline ticket because I can't ride to visit a friend across the state, I'm still saving a lot of money.