Zipcars? Of course there's an app for that!

Walking down my street in Chicago I saw a curious sign for a zipcar. My brother explained its basically a car borrowing program that started in Boston and is now expanding to major cities across the country. Had I been in West Lafayette too long? This seemed to be the most original idea I had heard in a very long time.

So how does this all work? If you go to the zipcar website they break it all down in four steps. First, you join. There are a couple of payment plans you can choose from depending how frequent of a user you will be of the cars. Gas, the first 180 miles, insurance, and parking is all free for the user. The first question people may ask at this point is, "Is this really cheaper than buying a car?" In the city? It's incredibly cheaper. Living in the city makes everything from groceries to movies to gyms within a block or two from your place. With cabs, trains, and buses all circulating the city, there is no need to have a car to get from place to place. If you needed to go visit your sister in the suburbs or want to go on a road trip somewhere outside of the city, just get a zipcar and return it when you are done. No having to buy your own car for those few trips out of the city. No having to drive around your block for hours waiting for a parking space on the street to open up.

What about those who have cars and a parking space in their building? They are the lucky city dwellers, but not by much. The average parking space in buildings are $30,000. Yes, there are four zeroes. Did I mention you pay taxes on that spot, too? A parking space is its own form of real estate in the city! A zipcar sounds expensive at about 60$ a day with an annual fee of 50$, but its actually a bargain. You won't have to use the car everyday and even if you did, its cheaper than buying a car, buying a parking space, and paying for insurance and gas.

So what is the next step after joining on the zipcar website? You receive your zipcar card and then decide when you want to use it. When you decide you need a car, simply reserve the car of your choice online or over the phone. Here is where your iPhone comes in! The zipcar app is just as novel of an idea as the zipcar. Your iPhone can check the availability of the car you want to drive. It can show, make, or extend your reservation. Your iPhone even turns into the car keys, unlocking and locking the doors or honking the horn in case you cannot find your zipcar in a crowded parking garage.

Take your card for your zipcar and hold it to the windshield. The doors unlock and you are free to drive your car until your reservation end time. Then simply return the car to its space. Gas and insurance included! If you live in the city, check out this option for a car. If you are visiting a city, check the rates of a rental to zipcars. I guarantee paying 7$ an hour to drive the car around the city and then returning it is much cheaper and less stressful than paying for a car rental fee, looking for parking, and then paying for that on top of it (An hour in a Chicago parking garage=23$!)