If you’re a driver, you’ll know that the expenses can rack up pretty quickly. Not only do you have to pay to purchase your car, but you have to splash out on insurance (which can be pretty expensive, especially as a new driver), tax, and fuel. Many of these costs are ongoing, but the good thing is that you can save yourself a bit of cash by being the smartest driver you can possibly be. We’ve put together some tips, if you want to stay on the road, without the huge bills that it can incur.
Compare insurance prices
Insurance is something that we all have to pay out for, and it can be one of the main financial burdens of car ownership. However, you don’t always have to pay over the odds for it, and you could save yourself a lot of cash just by looking around for the deals that are on the market. Whilst price comparison websites can be helpful when it comes to car insurance, there are other providers that don’t list their prices on these sites, so don’t just stick to them. Try and get as many quotes as you possibly can before taking the plunge, as this is one of the major costs, and your outgoings will be dramatically decreased if you get this right.
Shop used cars instead of new
New cars are expensive. And what are you really paying the cost for? The luxury of being the first person behind the wheel of your car? As soon as you purchase a brand new car, the value of it goes down by a hell of a lot, just because it isn’t new anymore. This can all seem quite confusing, but the truth is that you can get the same car, in a like-new state, for a much lower price just because it is a used car. If you purchase it from a dealership, they will check over the car thoroughly, and it will be valeted, too. So you can still get that new car feel, without your bank account enduring the massive blow that it would usually have to. Sounds good, huh?
Scrap your old car
If you had quite an old car, and you’re upgrading to a newer model, don’t just think that your car is worthless now, because you could get some money for it through car scrapping at the very least. You may not think that scrapping cars will get you a big return, but you’d be surprised at the profit you could make, no matter what condition your car is in. This also applies if your car is written off, and you just want to get a bit of cash back from it to put towards a new vehicle. It can help you to get the money you need to start off that new car fund, so have a look into the car scrapping services near you if you want some dough (and you desperately want to see the back of that 1990s car).
Don’t just fill up at the nearest petrol station
If you’re one of those drivers who leaves it until the last minute to fill up your car, you could be splashing out a lot more money than you actually need to be. Some petrol stations have extortionate rates, and if you’re really in need of fuel, you won’t exactly have the time to drive around looking for a better deal. If you want to save some cash, you should ensure that you know where the cheapest petrol stations in your area are, and you can keep an eye on this online if you’d prefer. It may seem like the difference in price is only small, but it could add a lot onto your yearly expenses, so make sure that you look into this if you’re a driver.
Create better driving habits
The reason that you could be spending so much money on fuel as a driver is because, well, you just don’t have the best driving habits. That isn’t to say that you’re not a good driver, but perhaps you’re always driving pretty fast, or your tyres are at the wrong pressure, or you don’t change gears when you should be. You could also be going over speed bumps too quickly, or breaking dramatically instead of slowly coming to a stop. We know, this is boring advice to give, but if you’re driving like this then you could be using a lot more fuel than you need to be, and subsequently, you’ll be paying out a lot more cash than you need to be, too.
Go a model down
When you’re thinking about buying a new car, you really want to treat yourself, especially as a car lover. However, you need to ask yourself whether you actually need to splash out for the latest model, and whether opting for one without heated seats and a leather interior is really going to make your driving experience that much worse. This is especially true if you don’t spend a lot of time driving, and you only use your car for short journeys. If you want to save yourself a bit of cash when you’re purchasing the car that you want, going down a model could really help you to keep more cash in your wallet, whilst also driving around in that great vehicle.
Get repairs done straight away
If you need to get any repairs done on your car, the best thing to do is to book it into the garage as soon as possible. This could save you a lot of money for many reasons, but the main one is that it will probably get worse if you keep driving, whatever the issue is. For example, if your exhaust is making a suspicious noise, it could be close to dropping off altogether. You don’t really want to have to stop your car whilst you’re driving to pick your exhaust up off the floor, so it is a good idea to get yourself to a garage (or do it yourself) before it gets worse. As with everything, you should get a few quotes from different garages before you just pay out on the first cost.
Don’t just accept speeding tickets
If you have a speeding fine, and you don’t remember being flashed by a camera, it is completely fine to ask for more evidence. There are many other issues with speeding tickets that drivers often encounter, such as getting a letter stating that your fine has been increased when this is the first that you’ve actually heard about it. If you feel like your speeding, or parking, fine is unfair or unfounded, then you can get in touch with whoever gave it to you, and ask for more information. This could save you a lot of money, especially if you were just going to pay out for a ticket that you don’t actually deserve.
So, if you’re a driver, there are many ways that you can save money, from scrapping your old car, to making sure that you improve your driving habits, and you don’t just pay out for the first insurance quote that you receive. Whilst some of these tips may not seem like they will save you too much cash, you’ll really see the difference over a year if you try a few of them out, so don’t underestimate how much they can help you! Happy driving (and saving) for years to come!
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