Driving a car in 2026 is among the most expensive parts of our lives. The average new car is $50,000 with average monthly payments ballooning to over $760 per month, with the average car insurance bill now over $200 per month. Add in the rising cost of fuel and we’re all looking at a financial crisis level of economic burden on the modern American. Combine that with runaway stagflation, ridiculous housing costs, and all-time high credit spending and it’s clear that Americans simply can’t afford our collective driving lifestyle. It might be time for a change to two wheels.
On every American city’s Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace there lies the solution to your money troubles. Ditch your 84-month car note at 12% interest and go get yourself a nice little small-bore scooter to rock around town. You can get pretty much any flavor of scooter, mini-moto, or even small motorcycle for, say, $2,000 and instantly have access to financial freedom and riding fun. With no monthly payments, cheap insurance, and triple-digit fuel economy, you’ll have your credit cards paid off in no time. And you don’t have to suffer the indignity of driving around in a Geo Metro you overpaid for, like they did when the economy imploded in 2009. A cheap scooter simply provides a better quality of life than whatever mid crossover you’re schlepping around in right now.
If you’re already living the scoot life, tell me all about your experience in the comments below. If you’re committed to four wheels until you’ve been sapped of every last greenback you’ve got, I want to hear about that, too! Scooters, why or why not? Drop your reasons in the comments below, and later this week we’ll pick a few of our favorites to showcase.
I love my motorcycles and scooters, and I’ve endeavored to transition most of my travel to my electric motorcycle or stand-up scoot. Both are incredible ways to save cash and make my daily riding commute so much easier. You might have to bundle up when it’s cold and invest in some wet weather gear when the skies open up, but with the copious dollars you’re saving every day you’ll probably agree that it’s worth it. I’m enjoying riding these bikes so much I’m actually looking to sell a few of my cars to reduce my monthly budget further.
Your commute to work becomes a gorgeous opportunity to enjoy the sunrise and smell the fresh air. If you’re going to be stuck in traffic anyway, at least you can do it on a small, lightweight, and easily maneuverable machine. And the more people who commit to this level of riding helps reduce traffic jams for everyone anyway. It’s not just cost savings, it’s time savings, and potentially an improvement in your mental health. Financial health usually leads to mental health, after all.
There are so many countries, particularly in Southeast Asia and India, using scooters and motorcycles as primary modes of transportation. Two-wheeled travel also has a much higher percentage of uptake in Europe and South and Central America than we do here. Why have we allowed the small fuel-sipping commuter to pass us by? Why are you so threatened by a good time?
So, how expensive does everything have to get before you’re willing to commit to riding around on a two-wheeled smile machine that runs on a fraction of the fuel you use every day? If cars are two years salary, and insurance doubles again, and fuel is $10 per gallon, will you see the light then, or will you continue to drive yourself into debt because scooters are yucky?