Big Picture Ideas That May Help You Save on Your Car Costs

Posted on: 15 March 2017

Everybody knows that a car is a depreciating asset. This means that not only will it cost you money each year as it loses value, but you'll also have to factor maintenance costs into your annual budget. None of this is unexpected news, of course, but there are a few tips you might like to consider that could make a considerable difference to your total financial outlay. What are some of these things that you may not have considered?

The Wrong Type of Driving?

Some experts advise you to calculate your costs based on the number of miles that you complete in any one calendar year. However, you also need to consider what "type" of mileage you typically incur. If you only use your car to go back and forth to work five times per week and the journey is relatively short, you can actually cause a lot more damage to the internal components than if you did twice the mileage on lengthy trips.

The oil in the engine and transmission will never get the opportunity to fully warm up and it is designed to work properly only when hot. It's also likely that the internal moving parts will not "bed" themselves in properly and this can lead to failure, ahead of time.

If possible, consider whether you could share your commute with a fellow worker and put your vehicle under less strain. If that's not practical, make sure that you change the oil a lot more often than may be recommended, to help protect those parts.

Be Careful of the Sun

Try and make sure that you park your car indoors whenever possible and certainly in the hot, Australian summer. Hopefully, the place that you work has an underground car park which you should utilize. You shouldn't be tempted simply to park the vehicle on your driveway during the weekends either, but keep it in the garage. Alternatively, get a vehicle cover custom-made and use it. You'll be amazed how the external appearance will benefit and the internal coverings will also last longer if they're not subject to roasting heat.

Don't Be Blasé

Treat your car as well now as you did when you first bought it. There is a tendency to become blasé, even when it comes to very expensive assets such as a vehicle. If you omit to keep it clean, both externally and internally, this will certainly affect your mindset and the way that you view its value. Make sure that you clean it on a weekly basis, whether you feel like it or not. It's amazing how much better it will look when it comes time to resell and this could affect the money that you receive.

Keeping up

Finally, always ensure that you take your vehicle into a qualified mechanic for its recommended service.

Share