Have you ever wondered how some people manage to buy a new car, a house and have money left over to enjoy their weekends, have long vacations, and relax whenever they want? It’s probably because they give some thought to the major expenses in their lives – like the car. Getting a car that is low maintenance and easier on the budget gives you an easier lifestyle.
One of the largest household expenses in the USA is car transportation. It is surpassed only by housing, food, and healthcare. Transportation takes up a large chunk of your monthly expenses so you need to make sure you keep maintenance costs at a minimum from the very moment you walk into the dealership to look for a car.
To help you maintain your transportation costs lower, we have put together this top guide to help you keep your car maintenance costs lower.
Fuel Economy
Before you go to a dealership and choose the car you want, you need to think about fuel economy. Few expenses add up faster than fuel expenses. The average car gets about 20 mpg and depending on how you use it eats away at more than $700 a year in gas. However, if you pay attention to fuel economy, you might want to look for a vehicle that gets 30mpg and saves you on your yearly consumption.
Reliability
Check reliability ratings to see which cars measure up and won’t need future unforeseen repairs. Although a reliability rating won’t guarantee you won’t have expensive maintenance or repair bills over the lifespan of the car, it will increase your chances of getting a low maintenance vehicle. The difference between a reliable car and one that seems to make itself into the repair shop all too easily can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars.
Understand Your Warranty
Your car warranty is a contract between you and the manufacturer. Find out what is covered and what needs to happen to void the warranty. Sometimes even using the wrong oil can void parts of your warranty. You also want to check to see what isn’t covered like natural disasters or other behaviours. When you do take your vehicle in for maintenance be sure to save all the records checked and saved.
Get a Vehicle History Report
If you buy a used car you must get a vehicle history report. You need to know what the background of the car really is. You need to know if there are recalls, or problems with a certain model.
Shop for Insurance
When you buy a new car, and start shopping you also want to shop for insurance right alongside the car shopping process. Different car makes and models will have different insurance costs. Did you know that even a color can influence the price of insurance? Narrow your selection to cars that have cheaper insurance premiums.
Continue to Shop for Insurance
When you buy a car, don’t just forget your insurance policy, continue to shop around every six months or so – at the very least when your policy expires. Companies often restructure the pricing, so check because shopping for cheap car insurance could pay off in hundreds of dollars of savings per year.
Bundle Your Insurance
When you own a home, and other vehicles, or even a boat, you can ensure these things as a bundle. Most insurance providers offer you discounts when you add your car to your house or your boat to your car insurance. Take a few hours to do some research to see what insurance providers will offer. It could mean substantial savings in the future.
Learn Some Basic Care Maintenance Procedures
At the very least, study your owner’s manual and learn how your car functions. Learn to check the fluids and inspect the tires. Check your battery every once in a while, clean the contact points and replace spark plugs and filters when necessary.
Get Savvy about Down payments
A traditional down payment on a car is about 20% of the price. But most owners walk out of a dealership having paid less than 12%. Putting more money down gives you a smaller loan. You ask the lender to take less of a risk so your car ends up costing you less money.
Get Pre Approved
Yes, you want to get that car loan approved before you go shopping. When you head into the dealership with nothing in hand, you are a sitting duck. Most dealerships make their money on financing. If you get a preapproved loan, you have the upper hand and can probably negotiate a better deal on the car you want.
Bottom Line
There are lots of ways to save money when buying and maintaining a car but it does require forethought, and you need to prepare for these savings before you buy the car. With a little planning, you can save huge amounts of money which will translate into your having more cash to do the things you love.
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