I began cycling when I was a child and fell in love with the freedom it gave me. Of course being a child any quicker means of getting around is always a bonus. As I aged I learnt to drive which gave me even greater independence. I became a part of the car ownership alongside all the other millions on the road. From the age of seventeen to 25 years I never sat on a bike, but when I gave birth to my daughter I decided to get rid of the car and start saving some money. I also wanted to get fit so cycling became very attractive.

This was 10 years ago and this was when I began to cycle again. I sat my daughter Oshan in a child seat and off we went. It was great. We went pretty much everywhere for the first 3 years and got wet al ot. I didn't have waterproofs in those days and neither did I have any bike bags (panniers). I also didn't have internet access so all my shopping was squashed into a large rucksack and into carrier bags that hung off the handle bars.

As my daughter aged and things improved financially I got another car. It felt great for a while but when the big MOT bills came in and the large amount of petrol consumption crept up I began to feel pretty uncomfortable. I hated spending my hard earnt cash on petrol and other running costs. I still used the bike and my daughter was managing to go a few miles on her bike so we found ourselves using the bikes more than then car. The last 3 years have seen me alienate myself from the car more and more and It became quite common for me to clock up 20 miles a day on average with school runs, work runs and social events. I still found myself paying for a car that was used very irregularly. This I didn't like. I have now entered the life of a mature nursing student and every penny is counted for. Not only that I am very conscious of the environment and I want my daughter to appreciate her environment too, and to learn of the importance in doing whatever she can to take care of the planet in which she lives.

She needed the encouragement to get on her bike. It didn`t help to cycle pass the car every morning on the way to school (6 miles round trip), especially when it is raining or cold. Seeing the car would tempt us and I found myself using the car when we should be cycling. I would be driving the car and when I saw cyclists I would feel a pang of envy. They seem to have the freedom. They could feel the wing brushing against their cheeks. The cyclists would get a load of exercise in the morning that woke them up ready for a days work, and it was those cyclists not having any impact on their environment but plenty of impact in their pockets.

I decided to get rid of the car after thinking about it for a few months - it felt like some kind of psychological preparation. And at the turning of the season I put the car on Ebay and finally got rid of it, once and for all.

That was about 10 weeks ago and I feel great about it. I do all my food shopping on the internet so no more swinging carrier bags on the handle bars. My daughter never complains about cycling anymore because there is no other choice about our chosen transport on the school runs. I have developed a very strong heart and lungs (my very low pulse rate is proof of the benefit of the exercise). I am saving a huge amount of money. I work out that not paying the health club fees (don't need to go with all the cycling), car running costs and big repair bills I am saving a whopping £ 3050 per year. That breaks down to £950 for health club fees for Oshan and I. £1100 on petrol per year, £600 MOTcosts per year ( that's old motors for you ), insurance/tax costs of £400.

All that extra cash meant that we could do a spot of travelling in the summer holidays last year. I can afford lovely meals out, plenty of clothes for Oshan and I and all the other things that I would always think twice about.

So why am I writing this blog? Well in a nutshell I would love others to have the extra cash that we have to spend on lovely things instead of paying all that tax to the government. I want parents to stop blocking the roads around the schools on the very short distances they make on the school run. I would love it if all the school children learnt the importance of walking, cycling or scooting to school. This is not just about "saving the planet" ( even though it would be lovely if all the small things we do make that difference). It is also about learning to slow down a little, enjoying being outside in the fresh air, and noticing the difference in our children`s health. I too have noticed the difference in my health and when some of the 20 year old students and I go for a bike ride I can go the distance leaving them behind (despite me being 15 years older). And it feels very good!!!!

I hope you have enjoyed my blog and I will add to this on a regular basis, so if there is anything you want to ask or any comments you want to make then please feel free to write away and I will enjoy reading them.
Bye for now x