Driving For Less

Cars are one of the most expensive things most of us ever own, and I’m not just talking about the price you pay to drive it off the lot in the first place! After that, there’s insurance, fuel, maintenance, and so many other things that need to be covered. Luckily, there are a range of simple ways you can actively keep your running costs to a minimum.

Tires

Many people can shave a fair amount off their running costs by simply choosing tires that are appropriate for their needs. If you’re driving around built-up urban areas all day, then you probably don’t need to fork out for high-performance tires. As long as you’re not sacrificing your safety, you can save a lot by going with standards. Keeping your tires inflated to the right level is also a good habit to get into. This will help your fuel economy a lot in the long-run. If you’re not sure of what the right pressure is, check the manufacturer’s website. The one thing you shouldn’t do is put off replacing worn tires. This can certainly be cheaper, but the safety risk isn’t worth it.

Servicing

Car maintenance makes up a massive part of a driver’s recurring costs, and this is another important area where you should penny-pinch. The first thing you can do is shop around for a capped price servicing deal. A lot of auto companies run a capped price service scheme, which will make budgeting for your recurring costs so much easier. If you’re looking to buy, and you’re choosing your car based on its capped servicing scheme, be sure to shop around. Not all of these are considered equal in terms of the potential for savings. Another simple habit to get into is simply taking your car in for all the servicing and auto repair it needs. Under-servicing your car may save you a bit of money from one week to the next, it will be very costly in the long term. A lot of common mechanical issues in a car start off small and trivial, but become bigger and more severe as time goes on. Regular servicing will allow you to dodge these high costs, and also help your car to run with greater efficiency.

Fuel Economy

A lot of the biggest complaints from drivers center around fuel economy. With the uncertain future of fuel prices, and filling up counting for such a big portion of a car’s overall running costs, there’s no wonder it’s such a big talking point when people are looking for ways to make driving cheaper. Fortunately, you can help your fuel economy a lot by getting into a few simple driving habits. If you drive a little more conservatively when you first set off on a journey to let your engine warm up, accelerate gradually from a standstill, and avoid any lengthy periods of idling, it will do a lot to shave down your fuel usage.

Follow these tips, and driving will be so much cheaper!