Car costs can add up quickly and before you know it you don’t have the money to afford to fix your car. Staying on top of everyday expenses for your car maintenance can help you avoid detrimental costs in the future. Being careful with your car and staying on top of maintenance will keep your car alive for longer.
Here are some suggestions on how and why you should stay ahead of the game…
1.) Car Inspection – Don’t put off getting your car inspected. If you get pulled over with an expired inspection sticker you will get a ticket for a violation. Depending on the officer, you may have time to show proof that you got your car inspected, you may get a warning, or you may just receive a ticket. The cost of the ticket will probably run you more than it would to get your car inspected. Another reason you should stay on top of your car inspection is because the longer you wait to get it inspected, the more likely something is to go wrong with your car. Get it inspected as soon as the sticker expires just in case anything happens to your car and it does not pass.
2.) Go Easy on the Brakes – Not being an aggressive driver can save you a great deal of stop and go (especially if you sit in traffic everyday). Let’s face it, if you are stuck in traffic it does not matter how much you may try to speed things up, they are not going to just start going. Be patient, your aggressive driving is not going to make things go faster, it will just wear down your brakes a lot more quickly. The more pressure you put on your car the more likely it is to incur a problem (such as needing to get the brake pads replaced). Speeding up and slowing down all the time can also use more gas, causing you to fill your tank more often than you would like.
3.) Regular Oil Changes – Your car needs oil to run, there is no way around it. The cleaner you keep your oil, the more smoothly your car will run. Also make sure to keep your oil at the right level, you don’t want too little or too much otherwise things can go wrong. You can buy oil at a store and do this yourself, or you can take it somewhere like Jiffy Lube and pay someone to do it for you. Depending on how old your car may be, you may have to pay for a more expensive oil (also depending on how many miles you put on your car). Although prices can range from $15 – $80, paying to get your oil changed can save you from having a broken down can and more expenses down the road.
4.) Drive Less – This one is obvious right? However, less and less people think about car pooling. Putting less miles on your car can make your car last longer (for the obvious reasons). Check with your work to see if they offer a service that can set you up with someone who drives from the same direction as yourself. This will put less miles on your car and save you on gas (and tolls…if this applies to you). Also, having the company on your morning and afternoon commute can make the time go by a little bit faster.
It is not always easy to find the money for car maintenance, but it sure beats having to pay larger costs later on down the road. Be sure to check out this Geezeo article for more money saving tips for your car and other areas of your life!
$6,000 could go a long way toward reducing your debt and help to pay for some car maintenance. Win this or other great prizes in the Great Geezeo Bailout! Collect points every day.
Photo: Aly De Villers
April 6th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Hey, is there a section just for latest news