By Driving a car is becoming more expensive by the day, and if you are thinking of buying a vehicle and are worried about the running costs, you should start looking into ways to mitigate them right now.
The good news here is that most people make mistakes that cause their vehicles to use more fuel or break down more than they should. Others don’t know how to buy a vehicle properly or how to shop for various services. Let’s take a look at a few simple ways that you could save money on car running costs.
Keep Your Tyres Properly Inflated
This might seem like a minor detail, but having properly inflated tyres will save you money in so many different ways. First of all, underinflated tyres cause more friction, which means that the motor will need to use more energy and fuel to move the vehicle forward.
Second, poorly inflated tires cause more stress on a car’s suspension and body.
So, you can expect to have shock issues very early on if you don’t pay attention to the pressure in your tyres and you live somewhere where the road conditions are subpar.
This is why you will need to invest in a good tyre gauge and learn how to read tyre pressures. The recommended tyre pressure for a car will usually be printed inside the driver’s door.
You may want to go for higher pressure in cold temperatures since air shrinks when it gets cold. And don’t go by the pressure rating on the tyre itself as it’s only an indication of how much pressure the tire can handle, not the recommended pressure for your vehicle.
Shop Around for Insurance
A lot of people will make the mistake of going with a random insurance company they have seen on the tele instead of a car insurance broker or comparison site when looking for insurance.
A car insurance broker could get you a better deal than if you were to simply go with the first insurer you know.
So, be very careful before buying insurance, and think twice about letting someone else find a policy for you when you could easily do a better job alone.
Keep Your Car As Safe as Possible
Keeping your car safe will also help you save on insurance and prevent things like theft and vandalism. If you can, try to store your vehicle inside, and stow it away if you’re not going to drive it for long periods.
Also, see if you could add a high-level security alarm system on the vehicle and a monitoring device to let your insurance company know of your habits. If you’re a safe driver, you can expect to see significant savings on your policy.
Buy The Right Car At The Right Time
One of the first things you’ll need to look at if you want to keep your vehicle’s running costs as low as possible is its fuel consumptio
Anything that can give you a 6L/100km mpg or less is considered economical, so don’t pick anything higher than that unless you are on the market for a larger vehicle with a big engine.
You also have to check what the manufacturers and model’s reputation for reliability is.
You cannot go for a brand that is known for regular breakdowns. Some companies will have issues with specific parts or components too, so you need to do your research to know what those are as they often carry over to all their models.
Another thing you should do is visit a local garage with a list of cars you are thinking of buying and listen to what they have to say.
They will be able to tell you which vehicles are known for issues and also very valuable things like the cost and availability of parts.
Another good source of information is delivery drivers and people who drive for a living. These people will be able to tell you which vehicles are popular amongst their ranks.
This is very valuable information as word will spread in these circles about which vehicles are the most reliable and economical.
Learn How To Perform Basic Maintenance And Check-ups
Just knowing how to check your radiator fluid and various other fluids in your vehicle will save you a lot of trouble and money
Not replacing coolant could lead to all sorts of issues, and this is something that virtually anyone can do on their own.
So, look at your driver’s manual and check a few YouTube videos on how to perform these small jobs on your car and how to read dashboard signals.
These are all tips that will allow you to keep your car running costs to a minimum. The first thing you have to do is make sure that you get the right car and drive as safely and responsibly as you can.
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