5 Reasons Why Students Should Car Share

Car Share – in short, the sharing of cars – should be a must for every student. Owning a car is crazy expensive (and GoGet’s student car share rates are cheeeeeeap), cars are a hassle to own, and car share gives you access to more cars for less.

Fact is, students just don’t have the time to look after a car, what with having to study and work at the same time. So student car share is seriously worth looking into.

Here are 5 reasons why car share and students go together like apples and pie (don’t take that analogy too literally).

Does this photo look student-y? Also they’re holding literally everything the wrong way around.

1. Car Share gives students the benefits of a car without the hassles of owning one

Even if you try to use trains, buses, or walking to get around, sometimes you need to drive. But as well as being a drag on the environment, owning a car is a hassle, even with the convenience it brings.

Car share gives you the good stuff about a car, with none of the garbage.

Car share members are able to use vehicles when and where they need them, and avoid the down time that most private cars suffer from (most sit unused for 95% of the day).

As a student, not having to think about things like maintenance, rego, or figure out insurance and parking means there’s more time for activities, work, or (god-forbid) study.

GoGet has cars in many locations across Australia (including at lots of uni and TAFE campuses). That means there’s probably a car near you, available when you need one. You can also book them for as little as an hour.

Look at this guy pretending to fix a car, he can’t even afford a real jack, he doesn’t even have a face.

2. Owning a car is stupid expensive

As a student, you’re not making it rain. So a car is probably something you should think twice about. Here are some of the costs you might rack up.

• New car purchase: $15,000+

• Finance/Interest: Up to $1,000

• Old car purchase: $4,000+

• Old car maintenance: At least $1,000 per year (highly variable)

• Insurance/Rego: $2,000 – $3,000 (more for young drivers)

• Petrol, Tyres, Servicing: $2,000 – $3,000 per year

We’ve done the numbers on car ownership, and you’re looking at at least $8,000 per year.

Getting an old clunker doesn’t help, as maintenance bills add up fast. Even if you get a car for free (hand-me-down, present, whatever) upkeep still costs thousands.

Car share gives you what you need from a car without going anywhere near a dealership. Or a service station. Unless you need to refuel. We pay for that, by the way.

This photo is a legit, totally real reaction of a student who realised how much his car cost

3. Student Car Share rates from GoGet are cheap AF

To fight the insane cost of owning a car, GoGet gives students mega cheap car share rates. We figure students are forced to travel a lot (to work and to school) but are those least able to afford it. So providing a cheaper option is only fair.

For students to join GoGet, it’s only $35 a year. That gets you some of our cheapest hourly rates, normally only offered on our highest plans.

Here’s a convenient button to see GoGet’s student car share rates. Very tech. Much useful. Wow.

We also pay for all these things:

• Fuel (you fill up with a card in the car)

• Rego

• Insurance

• Tyres

• Servicing

• Cleaning

So just forget about all that hassle and drive when you need to.

How much does a normal car share trip cost?

• Taking a Yaris to the shops: About $15 on the student car share plan, for about 2 hours. On our entry level plan, it’s closer to $25.

• Using a van from IKEA: That’d be about $35 for a couple of hours. For non-student car share members, that’d cost around $50.

If you’re thinking that doesn’t sound suuuuper cheap, remember how much owning a car costs – at least $8,000 a year.

If you drove a car 3,000km annually, then switched to car share instead, you’d save around $400 every month.

But data shows car share members drive 50% less once they join. That’s because they drive smarter and get more done each trip. So you could save even more, up to $800 each month.

Look how super chill this lady student is, probs coz she’s a GoGet car share member

Look, for $35 a year, it’s worth giving us a try.

4. On campus car parking for students costs a mint

Have you tried to park on campus recently? Don’t. It’s probably the most expensive thing you’ll pay for all year. Right after your tuition fees anyway.

Yearly parking permits for metropolitan universities, assuming you’re able to get one, normally start at $500. Casual parking will cost you upwards of $20 a day, depending on how long your classes are.

Owning a car makes it tempting to drive to uni, but it’s really a terrible option. Take the bus, train, or ride to uni or tafe, and you’ll save heaps of cash. Plus, you’ll be able to use that time more productively. Imagine if you spent an extra hour a day studying – you’d be a HD machine!

When you use car share instead of owning a car, that temptation disappears. Remember, owning a car costs upwards of $8,000 a year, which is about $155 a week. That could be enough to rent a place closer to campus, making your commute even more manageable.

5. Car share lets you use vans and convertibles if you need (or want) them

We mentioned this before, but it’s super useful. IKEA is great for student households, and we’ve got GoGet vans at all their stores in the states we operate in.

But we’ve also got vans parked on the street and in car parks, over 600 in our fleet overall. So if you’re moving a room, buying stuff off Gumtree, or taking your band’s gear to a gig, our vans are the ticket.

Considering HiAce vans cost something like $40,000 each, you’re getting a lot of value.

You can also impress someone with an Audi, if you’re so inclined. Yes, they’re dope for road trips. But they’ll also impress real estate agents at open houses. If you really want that slightly affordable diamond-in-the-insanely-expensive-rental-market-rough, you need to look your best.

This guy’s beard is even better than his car, though without it he’d probably look a bit douchey

We have other cars – press this button to see them.

Seriously, car share makes so much sense for students

And we haven’t even started on the environmental benefits of car share. In short, every GoGet gets about 10 privately owned cars off the road. By reducing the number of private cars, you’ll see less congestion, lower consumption, and lower emissions. And that’s awesome.

If you’re a student thinking about buying a car, try us first! The first year only costs you $35, so it’s not a big risk.

If you’ve already got a car, but think you might not need it, try us! For $35, it’s definitely worth a crack.

If you need access to cars you don’t own, join today! Our student car share rates are as cheap as they get.