Many of us are looking for ways to lower household costs and maximise disposable income. If you’re a vehicle owner, the cost of keeping a car or a van on the road may well be eating into your monthly budget. The good news is that there are ways to drive costs down. Here are some handy hints to save you money.
Keep up to date with maintenance and routine checks
One of the most effective ways to lower the long-term cost of vehicle ownership is to keep up to date with routine checks and maintenance jobs. If your car is due a service, or you haven’t checked the tyres on your van for months, now is the time to start taking good care of your vehicle and ticking tasks off your to-do list. Paying for a service will help to save money in the long-run and reduce the risk of things going wrong. There are many jobs you can do yourself, including monitoring and topping up oil levels, checking tyre tread and pressure, checking your lights are working properly and keeping an eye on water and screenwash levels.
Tackling faults and repair jobs
Most vehicle owners dread hearing crunching brakes or high-pitch, screeching noises when you turn the car. Unfortunately, cars, vans and trucks are not immortal. If you feel like things aren’t quite right when you’re driving, or you’ve noticed an odd smell or strange noises coming from beneath the bonnet, it’s wise to take swift action. You can use the Internet to seek advice and address concerns. You’ll find everything from general tips to specific, technical guides and posts like 3 Reasons Your VW T6.1 Kombi For Sale Is Broken (And How to Fix It). In many cases, if you’re not a trained mechanic, you’ll need to call in the professionals for more complex jobs. It’s always beneficial to get your vehicle checked out as soon as possible to prevent the situation from getting worse. If you carry on driving, you might do more damage, which will increase repair costs and impact the value of the vehicle.
Shopping around for insurance
Running a vehicle on the road requires you to pay for fuel and insurance, as well as repair and service fees and a monthly payment if you’ve bought or leased a car on finance. Insurance can be expensive, but there are ways of saving. The simplest and quickest way to bring bills down is to shop around and compare prices. Resist the temptation to automatically renew your policy and spend a few minutes online looking at different providers and policies. Competition between insurance companies is fierce, and this means that new customers can often capitalise on incentives and introductory offers. Switching could save you a substantial amount of money. If you do find a more attractive quote, your existing provider might also be able to match it, which is great if you’re happy with the service you have received in the past.
Are you looking for ways to free up a little more of your income? If you’re spending too much on keeping a car or a van on the road, take these tips on board to start saving today.