Be the Best Car Owner and Save Money Just the Same

admin August 10, 2021 Frugal Living, Saving Money 3 Comments

The cost of transportation and car fuel rates are significantly augmenting today.

You may blame it on the global economic depression we are currently facing. Ergo, it pays to find ways and means to trim down travel expenses, particularly for people who are driving their own cars.

Car Care and Maintenance

Being a car owner, you surely know that taking care of your car is a crucial matter. After all, your car is your partner in most, if not all, of your travel escapades. So to ensure that it will last longer and be useful, you need to secure that it is always in its best form. But then, doing so might come with some cost.

DIY is not always the best advice, especially if it concerns your car.

Since your car is most likely one of your most important assets and investments, you must see to it that it gets the best care it deserves. However, there are still things you can take care of on your own and save money on the car repair bill.

Further reading: Car Repair You can do Yourself to Save Money

Now, if you choose to do the maintenance on your own, you might not be able to deliver this effectively unless you are a car expert.

So the best advice to save money on car maintenance?

Take it regularly to a certified true and trusted car care professional. Doing this will ensure that your car’s engine will not break down when you least expect it, and logically, you’d save yourself as well from spending time and again on a car repair.

Long travels

Another thing that may majorly confront a car owner is taking the car out for a long trip. Well, this may not be the best idea. Should you travel for long hours using your car, you’ll have to spend a big sum on the fuel, for its pre-maintenance, some repairs in case it breaks down, and other expenses in between.

Now, if you do the math, that’s actually a huge sum to spend!

So here is a better way to save money on a long trip: rent a car instead. This way, you will only have to spend on the rental and nothing else. The car rental company you deal with will have everything covered, including the fuel and the maintenance.

What we just talked about may not be the best tips to save money you can get, but they are, nonetheless, worth a thought. So think of them, and they might actually save your day.

Save Money on Gasoline

One of the world’s biggest issues today is the increasing price of gas. Vehicle owners tend to pay huge amounts for gasoline to go to their destinations. If you have your own car and you want to save money, you have to consider saving money from that.

Believe it or not, almost 30% of your daily expenses go to your car’s gasoline. With that said, there will never be better than saving money from it.

Here are some of the things that you can do to be successful with your plan:

Be sure that your car is in good condition. Older cars tend to consume more gasoline compared to new one. Also, the advantage of maintaining your car in good condition will spare you from paying for car repairs.
Air filters can also affect your car’s gas consumption. You have to make sure that they are clean for the engine to last longer.
Avoid speeding all the time. Try to drive in moderate as speeding will burn lots of gas. Apart from the waste of gas, this will also put your life at risk. If you are concerned about being late from work, try waking up earlier. This is just a little adjustment that will be paid off when you realize that you have saved a lot of money from gas.
Have your tires checked regularly? Tires are essential to vehicles. They have to be inflated properly as the opposite will only use up more gas and damage the tire further. So you should make sure that they are inflated properly to save money.
Avoid abrupt acceleration and break. A large percentage of gasoline usage comes from improper acceleration and break.
Think about your route before starting the engine. Try to choose the shortest way to arrive at your destination. A shorter distance is better than a longer one.
Plan your appointments. This is to have an organized driving for the day and avoid backtracking. You will surely save time and effort together with gas.
Lastly, make your car’s load lighter. Take out those unnecessary things as the weight will affect the car’s gas consumption.

Follow all the above tips if you want to save money on your gasoline. Always be guided with the proper ways of driving rather than wasting too much timer and money.

Down Economy Means Great Car Deals

There has been a continual issue regarding the economy and how that has impacted those seeking to take loans for things such as homes, vehicles, boats, and other high ticket items. However, some may feel pressure in the current situation where lenders are stricter and interest rates higher.

Those who have been able to weather the financial storm can find that buying a new car in such an economic climate is highly beneficial to their wallets.

Dealers With Inventory

One of the main reasons why those with cash on hand and good credit ratings can get better deals for new vehicles is that car dealers tend to have too much inventory on hand. This is because dealers take possession or even purchase vehicles for their lot based on historical sales performance. However, when sales dip, such as when the economy is down, they tend to have excess inventory that needs to be sold.

This opens the door for those prudent buyers to make better deals on those new cars taking up space and costing dealers money.

One tip for those in the market for a new vehicle is to scan the lots of dealers and opt for those with many new cars and trucks on the lot. Those are the ones that will have more vehicles that need to be sold, even if at a significant discount.

Used Does Not Always Mean Ancient

One of the other impacts of a down economy is that people tend to give up leased vehicles or even have cars repossessed when things get financially tight. This is a boon for those seeking a new or newer vehicle as used car lots in such economies have plenty of barely used vehicles for sale.

Since a new car depreciates significantly the moment it is driven off of a car lot, those deals that can be found on vehicles that aren’t very old at used lots can be quite the bargain when one takes the time to shop around.

In fact, picking up the phone and calling used lots or touring a few will be a great guide to what is available for sale. In fact, because so many newer cars are for sale as used these days, many people who never considered a used vehicle have found that they are perhaps the ideal investment.

It is a simple issue of supply and demand when it comes to car buying. The way to benefit in such an economic situation where people struggle to make ends meet is to use that to their advantage if they have remained financially sound.

This means that even those who had thought they would need to wait for a new or newer car may find that what is out there now is well below what they thought that new car would cost.

It is a delicate situation when the economy is down; however, there are opportunities for those in the right financial position. Car buying is beneficial to the buyer when things across the board are not as good as they could be, and thus it is a buyer’s market in such situations.

5 Tips To Buy A Used Car

Are you looking at cars and a brand new one that doesn’t fit your budget? Then the solution is to find a used car to purchase. If so, you could probably use some tips to help the process go smoothly and reduce the chances of a car salesman swindling you out of a couple of thousand dollars. Here are 5 tips perfect for your search for the right car.

1. The Funds

Take a look at the balance of your bank account. How much money do you have that you can put toward a car? If you don’t have a lot, you might want to start saving money. Put a certain amount aside each paycheck.

You could open up a different account to put that money in, so it won’t be a temptation—or so you won’t think you have more money than you really do. The money that you save up will become the down payment for your car, so the more you can save, the less money you’ll have to borrow with an auto loan.

2. The VIN Number

When you find a car for sale that you like, could you not buy it on the spot? Get the VIN from the owner, and then go to a site like Carfax or Autocheck and run a check on the VIN (it’ll cost around $30 per check). The results of that check will show you the history of the car, including things like accidents and certain types of services that have been performed on it.

You don’t want to purchase a car that was once totaled or marked as salvage. That’s not a trustworthy vehicle and probably has many other things wrong that could damage you and your health and the environment. Pay special attention to the results of the VIN check. If any red flags pop up, don’t purchase the car.

3. The Test Drive

Don’t forget to take the car out for a test drive. You need to get a feel of the car, both in the city and at higher speeds on the freeway or highway. Please make sure the car accelerates and brakes safely and that the car shifts when it should. If it handles well and you like the control, that’s awesome.

Now you can look at the amenities. Check the sound system to see if it meets your expectations and if the radio or CD player has what you need. Are there reading lights? Does the auxiliary outlet work? This is your time to make sure you feel comfortable in the car, so find out if it’s got everything you need and want.

4. The Trade-In

Take a look at the car you drive currently and decide if you’re willing to trade it in. If so, look around at different places to come up with a ballpark figure of the value. Go to a few car dealerships and see their value. There are also sites online that will give you the value of your car.

Just make sure you have an idea of the value before you go into the dealership. If you don’t, they will probably try to shortchange you. Odds are, they’ll try to do so even if you do know the value—saying that they can’t sell it for that much or that they have cleanings and services that they have to subtract from the price, making it less valuable.

If they insist on a lower price, you’ll be better off selling your current car yourself to get the price you want out of it.

5. The Inspection

Take the car to a mechanic. Pick a mechanic that you trust and who isn’t affiliated with the car dealership. If the dealership tells you that you can trust their mechanic, don’t listen. They’re trying to sell you a car, so they’ll tell you whatever they need to so you’ll purchase it.

Get your car into someone you know. Have them inspect it both for safety and emissions to make sure your car won’t cause any harm. They’ll let you know if they find any problems, from the alignment being off to an oil leak and anything in between.

Don’t let a car dealership rip you off. Take these tips with you the next time you’re looking for a used car, and make sure you get a car that’s right for you.