January 2016 by Xavier G.
I'm one of the 33% of Buffalonians who doesn't own a car, and it's by choice! People think you HAVE to own a car in Buffalo, but I'm proof that you don't. I walk or take the bus to work everyday, and I don't have to worry about car maintenance, car payments, car insurance, moving my car on the street every single day, or driving in icy conditions. People think, you have to own a car in Buffalo because how else are you supposed to get around in the winter? Really? You want to be driving around all the time in the ice and snow? Have fun! Sorry for the long intro, but it connects nicely with Zipcar. Even though I get along fine in Buffalo there are still times that are more convenient to have a car. Example, giant trips to Wegman's, Member Appreciation Days at the Lexington Co-op, visiting family in Ransomville (good ole Ransomville! Gotta love small town names), or picking up fresh veggies from Porter Farms. To cut it short, here are the costs: $25 to join (one-time) $52.20/year to be a member $10.33/hour to use a car, $11.48/hour if you want the truck or minivan. But they have a discounted rate on Monday through Thursday that you can rent a car from 6:30pm to 8:30am and it is $37.87 (same price if you are getting the truck or minivan). So, you can calculate the costs yourself to see if you'd save money using Zipcar compared to owning a car. Side note, you might also want to pay $9/month so that if you get into an accident you don't have to pay the $1000 deductible. But before you get that, check to see if you have Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver as a perk on your credit card. If you do, use that credit card for all your rentals and opt out of the Zipcar damage waiver. If you do that, VISA or whoever your CC company is will waive the deductible (assuming you were driving safely of course).
