Uber operates in 83 countries around the globe. Since 2009 it has gone from a startup to a $50 billion company. We took our first Uber ride in June 2015 in Washington DC when the metro broke down and we didn't want to walk 3 miles to our hotel.

Since then, we have fallen in love with the idea of "private driver" service, which both Uber and Lyft provide around the globe. (If Uber is Coke, then Lyft is Pepsi).

In case you didn't know it, we are a one car family and we have been for almost all 15 years of our marriage. (Don't ask me why we purchased a Pontiac Aztek thinking it would be a good addition to our vehicle lineup....)

Having businesses to run makes having one car difficult at times, especially when I need to be in one place and she another. 

Which is why we are thankful for Uber. 

2016 saw us take 101 Uber rides and spend $784.46 on our rides. (If you're interested in the original article, you can find it here...)

2017 saw us take more rides and spend more money with private drivers.

We took 157 rides with Uber on 2 different continents, 8 different cities and spent $1,641.23.

We took Uber rides in North America and South Africa this year. Yes, we got off an airplane in Cape Town, South Africa, fired up the Uber app and were driven to our hotel.

In the US, we took rides in Grand Rapids, New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Las Vegas and New Orleans. When we needed to get somewhere, we didn't think to ourselves "should we spend the money for an Uber..."  We just took the ride, knowing that the overall annual cost would be lower than renting a car, let alone owning a car. 

Think about it. No more concern with any of these things:

• Having a car

• Filling up the gas tank

• Changing the oil

• Car maintenance (tires, brakes or anything else that could go wrong)

• Car insurance

• Car payments

• Parking fees

• Parking tickets

• Finding a place to park (they just drop you off at your destination)

• No registration fees with the state

• No lost value because your vehicle gets older (depreciation)

What Is the total cost of owning a car? According to AAA, for vehicles driven 15,000 miles a year, average ownership costs added up to about $8,469 per year in 2017. Use the calculator to see your total monthly car costs.

If our average cost per ride was $10.46 per ride in 2017, that means we could take 809 Uber rides throughout the year before surpassing the "average" cost of owning a car.

We call ourselves an "Uber Family" and perhaps someday, we'll give up both cars for private driving services. (Not quite yet...)

Though many have used the ride sharing app, in case you haven't, I'd invite you to take your first ride for free! All you need to do is:

1) Click the Link Below
2) Download the Uber App
3) Create A Profile
4) Take Your First Ride for Free ($15 Value)

Tiberius Images is a Grand Rapids photographer that photographs people, places and events. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, they serve clients throughout the world and are available for travel.