There are some things in life that we just have to spend money on. Our homes, for example, are a worthy investment, and so are our vehicles — we’d find it quite difficult to live life to the fullest if we didn’t have a set of wheels to take us from A to B. But it’s also true that the sheer cost of our vehicles can be a little draining on our finances. If we can lower the costs even a little bit, we’ll notice a difference. But how do you save money on the costs of driving? I’ve researched a few tried and tested methods below.
Driving Smart
In many cases, it’s not the cost of the vehicle that’s an issue — it’s that we have to spend so much just to keep it running. Gas is one of those unavoidable expenses that we’d much rather do without. But unless you somehow find your own oil field, that’s just not going to happen. The next best thing is to limit the amount of gas you use. You’ll save a lot of money if you’re only filling up once a week rather than twice. It’s all about achieving a high MPG (miles per gallon). You can do this by keeping your tires inflated, accelerating and braking gently, and keeping the overall weight of your car at a minimum.
Handling Issues
If you drive your car for long enough, then you’re going to have one type of issue or another. There can be a big difference between how much you spend to fix these issues, however. If you’re taking a proactive approach to managing your vehicle and making sure that you’re handling any issues as soon as they present themselves, then you’ll be able to keep costs down. It’s much cheaper to fix a minor problem rather than wait until it’s a huge issue that requires an expensive job just to get the vehicle back on the road.
DIY Repairs
One of the bigger expenses you’ll face won’t be anything necessarily to do with the vehicle itself, but the cost of labor to get things fixed. As such, it’s worthwhile looking up how to do small, straightforward jobs yourself. Things become a lot less expensive if you don’t need to pay someone to say, change a tire or windscreen wipers, or even your oil. It might take a little bit of effort, sure, but it is your vehicle, and there’s a sense of pride that goes along with knowing that you’ve handled a job yourself. Sometimes people think that everything related to vehicles must be complicated, but this is not the case.
Get What’s Yours
It’s bad enough when something unexpectedly goes wrong with your car, and you need to pay to get it fixed. But it’s even worse when you need to pay to repair something that was the fault of another person. If you’re involved in a fender bender that wasn’t your fault, it’s important that you’re getting all of the cash that you’re entitled to. To do this, you’ll want to work with car accident attorneys who are empathetic and compassionate. They’ll help you to fight for the maximum payout, and ensure that you’re not left out of pocket when you’re in a car accident in which you are the innocent party.
Sharing Rides
Try as we might, it might feel like we’re always facing an uphill battle when it comes to how much money we’re spending on our vehicle. But if this is the case, then we have good news: there are plenty of ways you can reduce the amount of cash you’re spending. The best option is to look at sharing the car journeys you’re already making with someone else; they’ll pay half or more, which will greatly reduce the amount you’re paying on gas and parking. You’re already making these journeys, so you may as well open it up to other people, plus it can be fun to take a ride with someone else traveling with you.
Public Transportation
One of the best ways to save money on driving is to…not drive. Some people automatically get into their vehicle the second they leave their home, but there may be cheaper options out there. For example, what about walking, or public transport? If there’s a straightforward bus route to your destination, look at taking that instead — walking can be much more fun, too. It’ll save you money, and also make you appreciate driving a little more.
Question:
How do you save money when it comes to personal transportation?
Cheers!
Candy
