Go Car Free

Testimonials

Tony Traveis 5 stars

Commuting to school is now the best part of my day!

I ride my bike 7 miles to school most of the time now, and the trip is much more fun than driving in traffic. I’m in the best shape of my life, and I’m saving money at the same time. The information in this course and all the videos gave me a new outlook on transportation. It’s amazing how dependent most people have become on cars, and the idea of not owning one is almost unthinkable for many people. But this course gives excellent reasons to kick the car habit, or at least go “car-lite,” as well as some great tips on how to do so without diminishing your lifestyle. Whether your reasons are environmental (as mine were), economical (you can save a LOT of money), or just because you’re tired of driving in heavy traffic, and dealing with car maintenance and the other problems that come with owning a car, this course is a great help for finding alternative means of transportation. Give it a try!

Dane Brody5 stars

Two less cars on the road

Both my fiancé and I are from Los Angeles families with 4 cars each – that makes 8. I used my car quite intensively to get to school and back and do a lot of unnecessary shopping. Cars were a big part of our lives. Once I started to learn about how our lifestyles affect the environment, my outlook on many issues including transportation changed quite drastically. Thanks to this course, I was able to realize that owning a car:

  1. Has a significant financial burden, something that I never questioned.

  2. Negatively affects a person’s quality of life and the quality of life of city populations. (Who would volunteer to live right next to a freeway? What about sitting in traffic for 2 hours every day?)
  3. Encourages us to make impulse buys or otherwise unnecessary or unhealthy purchases. Burger and fries at the drive-thru!
  4. Has obvious effects on the environment.



As a result of this information, both of us were able to sell our cars. We settled in a place that enables me to use public transportation and him to use his bike to commute to work. We save a minimum of $12,000 annually. Retiring early has never been easier : )



Plus, it is much more relaxing to have someone else do the driving and be able to read on a bus. So if you are contemplating getting rid of your car or living a car-lite lifestyle, I definitely recommend this course!

Tom Leveen5 stars

Required reading for Americans

We are a two-car family that will be transitioning to one car soon thanks to this information. The course is easy to read, and makes a strong case without beating the reader up about it. There’s no guilt, just reality, and people are encouraged to take small or big steps at their pace and comfort level. I think most people will agree that reducing or eliminating their reliance on a car is not only a “green” choice, it’s a financially brilliant move. Well worth the time and definitely recommended to parents of teens looking to make their first car purchase. Read this together first!

Charmaine
Ruppert5 stars

I’ve gone car-free!

It’s a great relief to be car-free. A very freeing experience – try it, you’ll like it! Read these lessons to learn how and get inspired! 🙂

T. Purisa5 stars

Driving is the new smoking.

This eLearning course is pure gold. The first part is focused on reasons why you should give up your car. There are plenty! The second part gets into the details of how to make car-free life work. I found lots of ideas here that I hadn’t considered before. Once I read the section about “Rental Car Weekends” I was convinced that I can do it. So far I’ve found hardly anything that I can’t come up with a car-free alternative for. Not to mention the enjoyment I get from walking and biking, and all the extra money in my bank account from getting rid of our cars!

Frank E.5 stars

A fun and positive look at the car free lifestyle

Anyone who’s looking for a way to save money fast should take this course. But that’s not all. Chris Balish breaks down and challenges the assumptions about car ownership, then offers step-by-step suggestions for getting out of the car-ownership trap — including suggestions for dealing with the traditional car-centric mindset of ourselves and others. The course examines the seductive advertising claims of automakers and juxtaposes those claims against real-world car-ownership. Chris shows us how getting rid of one’s car doesn’t mean “giving up,” it means getting free.



Besides, the lessons are just enjoyable to read – and filled with videos and testimonials from people all over the place who have reduced their car dependence and the subsequent rewards they’ve realized by doing so. Comedic and pointed quotes and videos kept me interested in this serious yet lighthearted look at car ownership and the alternatives to it.

David McClain5 stars

Excellent Arguments, Logically Presented

Chris Balish has done a fantastic job of putting together a collection of concepts that help people see the advantages of getting rid of their car or at least using it as little as possible. Solidly presented, not long and drawn out, it’s a course that I recommend to all of my progressively minded friends and family. At least one family member has already joined me in going car free as a result of the presentation Balish makes. I highly recommend this course to anyone who enjoys riding their bicycle or who wants to take a different look at the world.

Thomas Lupo5 stars

From another car-free person

This course lays out the steps to becoming car-free and shows how easy they are to follow. Most importantly, it also shows that you are not alone and that automobiles are simply status symbols that have no connection to living your life to the fullest.

C. Ackley5 stars

Excellent resource

This course is loaded with money-saving ideas and practical advice. While my first thought was the dollar savings, money is actually secondary to the healthy lifestyle Mr. Balish promotes. The course provides practical alternatives to owning a car, and is layed out in an easy to read, enjoyable format. In today’s fast-paced world, Mr. Balish puts on the brakes and shows you why. An excellent program.

Jim Halford5 stars

This is the way

This course gives you everything you need to enjoy living without a car. It covers why it’s better to live without one, and then it shows you how. This is for anyone interested in saving TONS of money, helping the environment, and decreasing stress.

K. Robbins5 stars

Great! Really helped me prepare for public transit!

Learning to use public transportation takes a bit of a learning curve if you’ve never done it, but it is such a blessing! You will be shocked by how much money you can save and so quickly when not driving a car. There is an initial adjustment period if you are totally new to public transit. That is why information like this is SO HELPFUL! Try it. I did it… you can too!

Sharon Lewis5 stars

Excellent course on living car-free

Chris Balish does an excellent job of explaining the true cost of car ownership and promoting cheaper and cleaner alternatives. Many people in the U.S. assume that they must have a car in order to function. That is not true. I know people who cannot afford to buy quality healthy food but spend a fortune every month on their car payment and car related expenses. I live within a 5 to 10 minute walk to the bus lines, which run every 30 minutes, 7 days a week. I can get to school and do my grocery shopping without a car. I have access to many different shops that are within a 3 to 5 mile radius, easily reachable on my bike or on one bus route. I don’t have to worry about parking, gas prices, oil changes, car insurance, maintenance, parking tickets, road rage, etc. If I owned a car, it would put me into serious financial ruin.

Guy Booker5 stars

It’s cool not to own a car

I’ve been car lite for about 3 years. I don’t want the expense; I’d rather put the money I save into my business, and eventually a home. I don’t want the liability, the parking tickets, endless traffic jams, the life of road rage, the time wasted washing it, getting gas, going to mechanics, worrying about whether someone’s going to dent it, scratch it, or steal it. Balish gives a lot of insightful ways to limit car usage, and how to keep a busy social life in the process. The chapter on socializing and dating is pretty key.

David Dowell5 stars

Live this lifestyle

I went car free about a year ago after reading this course, and it was a good move for me. As the lessons explain, not driving is great for your wallet, your stress levels, and for Mother Earth. The lessons are fun to read, videos are fascinating, strategies are easy to implement, and Balish answers many of the concerns that come up along the way. You can live well without a car. Study these strategies and then go for it!

Anonymous
Reviewer5 stars

The car-free revolution

If you feel like your finances are always drained, if you are tired and stressed out all the time, or if you wonder why you have such a hard time losing weight, you owe it to yourself to check out this eLearning. It could solve all those problems with a single stroke. Furthermore, if you are concerned about the environment, or are against oil wars, you absolutely MUST do this course.

Mr. Balish creates a compelling case for getting rid of your auto and offers plenty of inspiration to take the plunge. He also provides tips and insights to help auto-addicts reform, reclaim their health and rediscover their communities.

If more people followed the advice Mr. Balish provides, our communities would become more vibrant, healthy, and livable places.

Mo Money5 stars

I think everyone should own TWO cars

This course is BLASPHEMY! It is our RIGHT as Americans to drive enormous SUV’s fueled by cheap oil. It is our RIGHT to burn up 25% of the world’s fossil fuels with just 5% of the world’s population, to pollute the air and water, to deplete the global oil supply, and spend 20% of our income on cars… all so that we may drive to the mall four times a week to browse through the clearance rack. It is America’s new MANIFEST DESTINY to procure cheap oil so that every US citizen can own a Hummer or an 8-passenger SUV, even if we have to invade more countries to keep prices artificially low at the pump. Long live the V-8 engine! Long live government policies that provide BILLIONS of dollars for highways but not one penny for public transit. Why would anyone want to get rid of their car! To save money?? Ha! There’s nothing wrong with credit card debt, it’s the American way.



Sincerely,


ExxonMobil Shareholder



P.S. You should SEE my dividend check this quarter! Yeeee-haaah! Brand new H2 on order. You should all get one.

Brian Sun5 stars

The perfect guide to living the car-free life

Practical, real, and thorough. I sold my car after I finished this course, and now I live well without owning a car. This course will teach you to do the same. Mission accomplished, Chris Balish.

Corry Kramer5 stars

Food for Thought

This course really gives you an understanding of how car addiction has weaseled its way into our psyche. Once you start going through the lessons, you’ll begin to see things in a different light on how to get to school and run errands without a car. The concepts are good for any age; any demographic. Chris gives solid examples of how to adjust your car habits (or get rid of it) no matter who you are. I never thought I could function without my car. However, after studying this course, I purchased a scooter to get to work. It slashed my monthly gas cost by 75%! If you feel like putting some extra cash in your pocket, get started with lesson one.

Mary Archuletta5 stars

I never want to own a car again!

This course is filled with practical, helpful information. Before taking this course, I lived without a car for about a year and managed okay, but I learned a lot from this course. I am a lawyer who represents people who have lost their driver’s license for one reason or another, and I am going to recommend it to my clients. However, even if you have a license, this course shows you that choosing not to drive can vastly improve your life. Also, the lessons are fun and the videos from dozens of people reinforce the message.

Laurie Flowers5 stars

We are now car free and it is awesome!

This course convinced me and my spouse to sell our SUV and replace it with electric bikes, public transportation, and the occasional Uber or Lyft. If we can do this, most people can. No more worrying about a breakdown, no more registration fees, taxes, insurance, loan interest, car loans, gas, oil changes, repairs, or being ripped off by car repair shops, worrying about accidents or break-ins, or frustratingly spending day after day sitting in traffic anymore. What it has given us is freedom. You cannot imagine the euphoria that comes after you sell your vehicle and realize you never have to have that burden again.

Lisa Dunaway5 stars

Great course! A must!

This is terrific content and I am recommending it to a bunch of my friends who always complain they don’t have any money but are addicted to their cars. Because of this course I have been living car-lite for 6 months and I’m about to go totally car-free. The lessons cover everything. Almost any question you can think of about how to live car-lite or car-free is answered, and if it’s not, you can email the course creator directly. Chris Balish is a true believer and practitioner of what he preaches, and he’s a real dude, not an AI bot.

If you’re in debt or broke and don’t know why, take this course. If you want to help the environment, take this course. If you are out of shape or don’t sleep well or have no energy, take this course. It’s practical and humorous and easy to read. And the videos are great and showcase a wide range of car free lifestyles. This course makes going car-free much easier than you might think. Get over yourself and do it!

Candice Kelsey5 stars

This course impacted me in a big way

I was skeptical of the idea of living in Los Angeles without an automobile. I was a victim of our “car-as-necessity” culture, but I was curious to see how someone could do it. Balish not only shows you how to do it, but how to DO IT WELL! If you are fed up with shelling out over $800 per month… nagging neck and back pain… being stuck in traffic staring at billboards… do it now.

J. Thomas5 stars

Great Inspiration

The information in this course is presented in a well-ordered format that includes the author’s own story of going car-free and nearly 100 testimonials from other people. It makes for a very convincing argument. After reading this, not only will you see that it is possible for you to live without a car (and why that’s desirable), but you will also know all the steps to get you there.

Chad Stone5 stars

The government should buy copies to distribute free

Whether you go car-free or not, it is certainly in your interest (and the interest of everyone else, except the car and oil companies) that other people go car-free. It’s not a “love affair” America has with the automobile, it’s an addiction. “Driving is the new smoking,” as one of the wise commenters in this course notes. You save lots of money and lots of time (so true!), and become healthier and happier when you learn to get around by other means.

Ike Brunner5 stars

Best decision you will make

You can go on dates, meet people, get to and from school, be a productive member of your community, buy things from all the stores that you want to buy from. You can get around without a car and Chris does a good job giving you advice from his real life experiences and many others. Takes a look at all the different alternatives to driving – bikes, walking, buses, rental cars, car sharing, taxis, public transit. Chris is not preachy or a doomer about climate change, he focuses on the benefits TO YOU of going car free or car lite.

Anonymous
Reviewer5 stars

NO need to have a car

What great content. It’s easy to consume and it is FULL of great advice and tips from people who are living well without a money-sucking hunk of metal and rubber sitting out on the street. It is utterly amazing (and shocking) how much money cars take to maintain and operate. $700+ monthly car expenses vs. $50+ monthly transit fees or passes – you tell me which is the smart choice. Just say, “HELL NO!” to owning a car.

Don Brummel5 stars

Just what I needed, when I needed it

A natural disaster recently totalled my car, and left me scrambling to figure out how the local buses work, etc. About a week later, I found this course and read it almost overnight. It is filled with some good math on why being car free makes sense, lots of suggestions on how to explain going car-free to incredulous friends and family, and importantly for me, information on dating and socializing ideas. I thought things were really going to stink for a while when my car first died, but now I am out and about more than ever, enjoying the extra money and better health being car-free has brought me.

Jane Avery5 stars

An upbeat story of going car-free

This course tells the story of a guy who accidentally went car-free and was amazed at the savings! Most people don’t realize how much they pay for their cars when you add up all of the costs. The lessons are fun and filled with great success stories and dozens of informative videos. If you want or need to save money, giving up the car is well worth considering.


Elizabeth Ellerbe5 stars

Truly amazing!

The scope of this eLearning is impressive. It is not a simplistic essay or a string of videos like a lot of online courses. Rather it is a profound, fact-filled multimedia course with surprises everywhere. And it’s not just about not having a car, but about not using the car you have, except occasionally. This author is a graduate of Dartmouth College, and it shows in his calculations, sources, and theories backed up with facts and figures.

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