The one downside to owning a car is the high price tag that comes with vehicle ownership, which sadly means that many people cannot afford their own vehicle. While running a car is not cheap, there are ways that you can save money, which we outline in this short article.
- Used tyres – There are some great wheel and tyre packages in Gold Coast from a trusted supplier and second-hand tyres are much cheaper and might have a year or two left in them. Some car owners change their wheels and tyres as soon as they drive it off the forecourt, so the used wheel and tyre market is large. Almost brand new sets at half price! You can’t get much better than that.
- Used components – If your alternator dies suddenly, rather than shelling out a couple of hundred dollars for a new one, Google can take you to a used car parts supplier and you can use their search function to find the part you need. Car breakers strip vehicles down to the last nut and bolt and parts that are in good order are reconditioned and offered for sale to car owners.
- Change your driving habits – Driving like an F1 driver is going to cost you in terms of fuel, while changing your habits, like not using the gears to slow down, changing gear a little earlier and keeping speeds below the limit, are all ways to reduce your vehicle running costs.
- Compare insurance quotes – Google is your best friend, especially when it comes to sourcing cheap car insurance. This is a highly competitive industry and if you have a few years of no-claims, you should receive a further discount. Of course, there are different types of auto insurance, ranging from fully comprehensive to 3rd party fire and theft.
- Engine mapping – Having the car tuned will result in using less fuel; Google ‘engine mapping near me’ for a list of garages that offer engine mapping. Most owners have this done every year and that saves on fuel costs. The technician plugs his laptop into the dashboard plug and that enables him to tune the engine. Click here for winter driving tips.
- DIY servicing – If you have the tools and your car’s warranty has expired, there’s no reason why you can’t carry out services. Regardless of make and model, there will be a YouTube video showing how to do the various maintenance tasks.
- Car pooling – This is very popular in the US and is gaining traction here in Australia; if you have a few neighbours who also work in the city, you could arrange a roster and share the driving as well as the fuels costs. Makes more sense than 4 people each driving solo with no passengers and you will notice the reduction in your monthly motoring costs.
We should all be looking for ways to reduce our vehicle running costs and we hope the above tips help you to do just that!
