Do you regularly find yourself wondering whether your car is a waste of money? If you do, then chances are, it is. Cars are a huge drain on finances as it is, and owning a nice one can mean depleting your savings and emergency funds in future. Just think of all of the money that could have gone into your savings or retirement fund if you didn’t have that fancy car!
Maybe you get confused over what’s actually worth paying for when you visit the mechanic. While getting a cheaper car overall will be the best decision you make for your finances, making sure you avoid wasting money on the following will help you, too.
Restoring Your Headlights
Having grimy, yellow headlights can bring down your visibility and ruin the look of your car. That doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on a headlight restoration kit though. You can simply get a few sheets of very fine sandpaper from your local hardware store, soak them in water, and sand your headlights using finer and finer paper. Do this until it’s perfectly smooth. Start with 400 grit if it’s pretty bad, then progress to 800 and 2,000. When it comes to buying new parts for your car, looking for second hand but good condition parts is a better idea than buying new. You can see that volvo breakers parts are more cost effective and just as good as regular parts bought new. Don’t believe the hype!
Buying Fuel Additives Over The Counter
To keep your engine running cleanly, you do need additives in your fuel. However, you should visit garages that already have these additives in the fuel, such as Texaco and Shell. Don’t ever buy these things over the counter.
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Buying Posh Windscreen Wipers
It doesn’t matter how much you spend on windscreen wipers. Eventually, the rubber will become victim to the elements and break down. Keeping the windscreen wipers cheap will be better for your bank balance.
Buying Posh Air Filters
There’s zero evidence to support that buying an expensive, posh air filter does a better job that the one your car already comes with. Ignore the rumours and be smart – it’s unlikely that it’ll do anything different, and you will have wasted your hard earned cash.
Changing Your Oil Too Regularly
Guess what? Having to change your oil every 3,000 miles is merely a nasty rumour. Oil is more pure these days which means you don’t need to change it as often. The amount you change your oil can vary depending on which car you drive and how often you drive it.
Using Paint Protection Films
Buying paint protection films can mean spending more on the film than is actually worth while. If you don’t spend a large portion of your day driving behind trucks throwing debris at your vehicle, then you really don’t need to spend money on this.
Are you wasting money on your car? Stop now and start putting more into your savings instead!
