Many of us are reliant on our cars – school runs, commutes to work, family road trips – and so, despite the expense of our four-wheeled money-drainers, we continue to drive.
Thankfully, there are ways to curb the costs of driving, so we don’t have to run the risk of bankruptcy every time we get behind the wheel.
We can look for the best deals when we’re looking at insurance for cars. We can make use of the latest supermarket deals on fuel. And there are ways to make savings on car maintenance too.
And for the context of this article, we can also download an app or two to help us bring down our motoring expenses further. The following are just a few useful examples.
Smart Dash Cam
Downloadable on both iOS and Android devices, Smart Dash Cam does what it says on the tin. It turns your phone into a dashcam. Using your smart phone’s camera, this useful app captures life on the road around you. And should you get into a car accident, you can use the footage recorded as evidence that you weren’t to blame. Consequently, you won’t be made to pay out in a compensation claim, and you won’t lose the no-claims bonus you have with your insurance provider. Oh, and you won’t experience a price hike should you choose to use a different insurance company in the future. Useful, yes?
Apple Maps/Google Maps
If you don’t have a sat-nav device installed in your car already, you really should download one of these apps depending on the type of phone you have. These are excellent GPS applications that can direct you to the shortest routes to your chosen destination, and give you real-time traffic updates. Consequently, you can save on fuel because of the shorter trips you will be taking, and because you will be able to avoid the fuel-sapping demands of a traffic jam. You can also avoid areas of high traffic, so your chances of an accident (and all the expenses that come with it) can be avoided.
PetrolPrices
Especially if you’re a frequent traveller, the price of fuel will be one of your biggest expenses. Being a savvy and frugal driver, of course, you can save money by comparing prices at the forecourts that are local to you. Now, you could do this by driving to each one to check on costs (and thus lose fuel in the process), or you could download the PetrolPrices app on your iOS or Android device, and let it do all the hard work for you. Then, the next time you need to fuel up, you can drive directly to the forecourt with the most attractive prices. Job done!
Parkopedia
Don’t drive out of your way to find a parking space when in an unfamiliar area. You will only waste your fuel and your time. And don’t pay over the odds for a parking space, either. Instead, download Parkopedia on your iOS or Android device, and use it to find the nearest and cheapest parking spaces near you. Also useful for avoiding any parking fines that might be incurred should you decide to park your car somewhere illegal after driving around for hours trying to find a car park!
So, if you have a smartphone, be smart (and frugal) and download one or all of these apps. You will save money if you do, and that can only be a good thing if the cost of motoring is driving you around the bend!
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