|
Looking to avoid that big car repair bill in the future? Hoping to save $100 on gas without going out and buying a hybrid? Here are some tips that I use with my vehicles that will help you extend the life of your car, cut your maintenance costs, and and save you some serious money.
1. Inflate Your Tires each Month: Make sure they are at the proper tire pressure. Low tire pressure burns 3.3% more gas. For two cars that could run $150 a year! But who wants to do it at the gas station? Head to Amazon and buy yourself a Viair Portable Compressor for about $40. It makes for a good and cost-effective present for your hubby and cuts down on the need to drive to a gas station.
2. Replace the Brakes Before You Hear Them: I see this all the time. Waiting an extra month to get the brakes done ends up costing you another $150 because the rotors need to be resurfaced. Make the time and take them in early. A good mechanic will check your brakes for free when you are getting other service done.
3. Measure your Mileage: Your trip meter can set off an early alarm that something is terribly wrong. When my car was new, I was getting 450 miles per tank, which isn't bad for an 18 gallon fill. As a vehicle gets older, it's normal to see a slight decline in fuel efficiency. But as my car approached its eighth birthday, the mileage spiked down 50 miles per tank for no apparent reason. It turned out to be a combination of things including the kind of oil I was using.
4. Use Manufacturers' Recommended Oil: This is an easy one but it can save you about 2% of your driving expenses or a $100 a year. Stocking up on a great sale of motor oil might seem like a great idea - but if it's not the manufacturer's recommended weight, the drop in fuel efficiency might end up costing you three times of whatever you saved.
5. Get the Junk out of the Trunk: This can really put a dent in lowering the driving expense for golfers and those SUV owners that use their vehicles as a second basement. The excess weight in the trunk can lower your mileage by 2% for each 100lbs of extra weight. Unless you are golfing every day, it pays to leave them in the house or your office. Some people go so far as to remove their spare from the trunk - something I wouldn't recommend. Better to be safe than sorry.
6. Protect Your Car from the Sun: The sun can wreak havoc on a car. When the barometer hits 100 degrees, the temperature in a parked car can soar to over 130 degrees. If you have leather seats, you are eventually going to see cracking due to the intense sunlight and heat. In addition, you may see warping especially with the plastic front vents in your dashboard. And lastly, your paint job is going to lose its luster. So make an effort to always park your car in the garage. If you have to park outdoors, search for a shaded spot and don't sweat the inevitable bird droppings.
7. Be Wary of the Cheap Oil Change: Due to a number of scandals, quickie oil changing outlets have improved their standards of service. But the fact remains that some of these places charge low prices and then fail to do half the work. If you're accustomed to using these service centers, ask to see the used parts or watch them as they work. Even when they do what they're paid to do, they often fail to notice obvious problems that would get the immediate attention of a good independent mechanic.
8. Plan Your Weekends Together: It always amazes me to see a family out on the weekend driving both cars. That's understandable during the week, but on the weekend it's time to plan things out so that you can get by with one car. During the course of the year, if you manage to shave 20 miles of your weekend trips, that's another $150 of savings and 1,000 miles worth of carbon emissions that won't be dumped into the atmosphere. Take the time, plan your weekend and spend some time together in the designated 'family car.'
Follow these tips and you can save anywhere from $300 to $700 a year, enough for a two day vacation at a nearby resort.
Got more tips? Share them with us below.
Related Articles:
Want to Learn How to Live Better and Cheaper?
Get our Famous 5 Rules of Living Cheaply today! You'll get over 20 pages of great content for free with full access to our Cheap University.
Like this Article? Get our Daily email of cheap articles and tips:
|
