Cars are great, they get you and your family from a-b. Not only that but the freedom it gives you children as they get old is fantastic. But they come with a lot of costs. Before you actually even have a car, you’ll be paying a pretty penny out per lesson. When you finally pass your test, it is time to shop for a vehicle. Unless you have a handsome bank account or an exceptional monthly payment plan on offer, you might just end up with a sweet ride that is a few years old from somewhere like Belmont Autos. Insurance is non-negotiable, and you’ll need an MOT each year too. But there is the maintenance in between. The more you look after your car, the less you’ll end up paying when the MOT rolls around.
Although newer cars are designed to need a lot less maintenance, it is always more beneficial to learn where you can save some money.
Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash
Oil Changes
It used to be that oil would need changing much more often, but cars have evolved beyond that point now. So while it is always prudent to learn how to change the oil on a car, you can confidently tell the service workers at the garage you probably don’t need that done. Most cars have a great electronic dash now that will indicate to you when it needs doing, so you no longer have to guess by mileage. You do have to change the oil, it is what keeps the car ticking over – but you can probably get away with doing it less than you think.
Loyalty
If you go from garage to garage, the people working on your car have no reason to give you tips, tricks, or a discount. Because they know you won’t be back. It pays to find a garage that you trust and go to them repeatedly. Get to know them on a first-name basis. When they trust that you will return to them for services and the MOT they are likely to fix smaller things for free. Garages aren’t all out to rip people off, most have excellent service and genuinely want to help.
Tyres
You don’t need to get the most expensive tyres in the shop. In fact, you can buy road-legal part-worn tyres that will do the job perfectly. You’ll need to keep an eye on the tread because of course there are legal limits. But in general, you can save a fair whack on replacing your current ones with part-worn. If it isn’t time for new tyres just yet, if your car goes in for a service, ask them to rotate the tyres for you. It will stop the tires wearing out so quickly.
Petrol
If you see a significant difference between the cost of premium and economy, then the chances are that economy isn’t going to hurt your car and you can make the switch. Depending on the age of your vehicle, you might see a slight power decrease and fuel economy – but the price difference in either of those will likely not come close to what you save on switching from premium – more so if you only make short journeys.
Look at your car like an investment, the more you put into it the more you’ll save.
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