The idea of owning a car is an exciting one. I bought my first car while still in college, and to this date, it is one of my proudest moments. I would drive my first car to every place and carry friends and family. Some of my friends went for the more ‘singular’ route and got themselves a moped, a 50cc moped insurance cost for a 16 year old was certainly different back then to what it is now, but to them, it was their freedom, whereas mine was my very own car.
To be honest, I loved owning cars to the point where I even thought of buying a second one when I was in college. But at that time I was torn between whether I should broswe pre owned cars or go for a new one. I was so excited, but then I had to give up on the thought of purchasing a second car and had to move on with my life.
Now I have kids, and my first car is essential in our day-to-day routine– to get them to school, go on adventures and take them to any appointments. It was all fun and games until it dawned on me just how much I spent on the car. If anything, owning a car meant that I did not have as much money to spend on myself as I previously did. At this point, I started to look for ways through which I could cut down on my car expenses. The lessons, which I learned at that time, have come in handy even when I was able to spend more on my car. If you’re looking for ways to cut down on your car’s expenditure, this post will share valuable tips that will help you save more of your money.
Service Your Car Annually
The best way to ensure that your car expenses remain low is to maintain your car in good condition always. Taking your vehicle for regular servicing and maintenance checks comes in handy in ensuring the car works perfectly well. For instance, if you keep an eye on the airbag module, you might notice that it is time to get a chip replacement from https://www.safetyrestore.com/airbag-module-reset-service/8-airbag-module-reset.html and its likes. This might help you save up a huge amount, which you would have otherwise spent had you not kept an eye on your airbag module.
When I bought my first car, I made the costly mistake of not taking it in for maintenance checks regularly. The effect of this was that whenever the car broke down, it would cost me an arm and a leg to bring it back to its best condition. It reached a point where the vehicle was so messed up, it stopped on a major highway, and a flatbed had to tow it out of there. The embarrassment was too much to handle. The costs that followed were almost reaching half the value of the car. It is most likely that any critical car component failed due to a lack of maintenance. It may also be necessary to replace that part with an authentic car component (learn more about car parts dealers here) in order to prevent future incidents.
I learned my lesson the hard way, and since then, each time I come back from a long journey, the car must go for a routine check-up. Even for the times when I am not going on any distant trip, I still ensure the car goes in for a check at least once a month. You can speak to multiple car repairs similar to Arvada auto service or a reputable car servicer near you, to hopefully find a company that is suitable for you and your car if you wanted to do regular car services as well.
Carpool Whenever You Can
Every car owner loves the idea of driving their car to their favorite destinations. However, this can be a costly endeavor as it involves fuelling the vehicle and paying for parking fees. These expenses, when repeated daily, can eat into your budget and leave you in a critical financial situation, especially when the cost of fuel goes up. Carpooling comes in handy to help you cut down on these costs, and thus you can save money.
When I came to the realization that my car was costing me a lot in terms of its maintenance, the fuel costs, and the parking fees I was paying each time I drove to work, I decided I must change. I had a few of my friends who went to the same location each day. They also shared the same sentiment I did on the need to cut down on our cars’ expenditure. We agreed on carpooling to work and back each day. We would rotate the vehicles to use each week. By doing this, all of us managed to save more each month.
Conclusion
Whenever we purchase a car, we never anticipate that its costs will eat into our income and make us have less money to keep. However, owning a vehicle does not need to be an expensive venture that causes you untold misery. Ensuring that you maintain your car in good condition by regularly servicing it and also carpooling will help you reduce how much you spend on your vehicle.