Cars Are Expensive!

Buying and running a car can really make a big dent in your budget. But necessity means that most of use some form of personal transport beyond a bike. In many cases, public transport doesn’t quite meet our needs even though it’s relatively cheap and very convenient. Just think of those cold, wet days when you have to dash from the bus stop in the pouring rain to get to your workplace.

Personally, trains and buses work for me most of the time. For sheer convenience nothing beats my car. I’ve often thought it would be an adventure to go on a holiday where I don’t use my car. The major flaw in this plan is cost – getting from the hotel to the beach every day can be a life changing event if you’re going to rely on taxis!

I’m starting to ramble now so let’s get back on track. Over the past couple of years I’ve had a few extras added to my car and, as most of you will agree, this can be expensive. Is there a way to save money here? Of course there is! Here’s a couple of examples :

1. Main dealer supplied extras.

Extras bring in a lot of extra cash for car dealerships. I wanted a tow bar fitted to a mid-range vehicle, price: £1,500. That’s a lot of money. The work does come with a guarantee but it’s still too expensive. Instead of paying out I did some searching in the local area and found a garage that did the work for £360. Whilst talking to the owner of the garage, I discovered that they were sub-contracted to do all the work for the main dealer I had originally bought my car from. And I still got the same guarantee for £1140 less! Shop around, it does pay.

2. Rash buying decisions

You like the car in the showroom and you really want it. The dealer can have it ready in one week all you have to do it part with your cash. STOP! Take your time. Get online and look for a broker such as http://www.ukcarbroker.co.uk/ . These services can save you up to £5,000 off the price of a mid-range vehicle. For a view of how much you car can depreciate in value (and a great place to grab a deal) head over to http://wwwautotrader.co.uk .

3. Road Tax

Pay for one year at a time. For many, paying for only 6 months at a time is a more attractive option but, over time, will cost you significantly more. Alternatively, you could skip paying road duty altogether which will save you an awful lot of money. The only downside to this second option is that your car will go from family saloon to shoe box sized block of scrap in no time at all!

4. Fuel costs

The majority of us refuel our cars locally and we use a petrol station based on convenience. Don’t just accept the price on the forecourt, get online and use fuel price websites to find the most competitive prices in your area. Both http://www.petrolprices.com and http://www.whatgas.com provide similar services for motorists looking to cut down on their fuel bills.

5. Fuel consumption.

We haven’t reached the post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max yet so there’s no need to start hijacking fuel tankers, yet! But in time when we should all be keen to promote austerity and tree hugging, keeping your fuel consumption down simply makes sense. Cut down on the vigorous spankings you give you wallet and start saving you a significant amount every year. To maximise performance and reduce costs simple cost cutting measures such as ensuring your tyres are correctly inflated and reducing unnecessary speed will pay dividends.

6. Catch those defects before it’s too late.

Did your last MOT pick up some minor problems? Have them repaired right away. Little problems can turn into big, money gobbling faults further down the line – flipping your vintage Robin Reliant into a ditch for the sake of a new wheel bearing doesn’t come cheap.

7. Don’t accept the first price.

Got a quote for some work? Shop around and ask other garages how much they’ll charge you for the same work. If you have a trusted repair centre and you think they’re overcharging you, go back and tell them you have a better offer and ask why they’re more expensive. No doubt you’ll get an answer about quality of work so ask if you can get some referrals from previous customers.

8. Avoid the jams when traveling.

Ok, I’m not psychic but it can be done. Before you travel anywhere stop and think for a minute. Do you really need to travel in rush hour? Can you take a route that avoids that notorious accident black spot? Is there a big event or festival taking place on or near you’re planned route?

9. Car shares.

When I drive, I am the world’s greatest singer – once I have a passenger my perfect tenors become strangely muted! Give up the singing a take part in a car sharing scheme. There are plenty of groups out there and this is a great way to reduce commuting costs. For a central database of travellers looking for a car share you can try either of these two sites: http://www.liftshare.com or http://www.nationalcarshare.co.uk

10. LPG conversion

This option might not be ideal for everyone. The initial cost of having your car converted to run on LPG can cost up to £900 but the money you can save is amazing. As a very quick comparison, petrol currently cost around £1.10 per litre, fuel consumption of an average car on a yearly basis is about £1,300. Set against about half that price to run an LPG fuelled vehicle, which would you choose? One of the biggest suppliers of conversion kits in the UK is http://www.tinleytech.co.uk. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty you can pay the extra and go to http://www.autogassolutions.co.uk for a complete conversion service.

11. Servicing.

Keep your car serviced and make sure it’s done by a reputable garage. Regular servicing keeps your vehicle in tip-top condition but, as with the point about extras, you don’t need to pay full whack at your dealership. There are plenty of authorised third party servicing companies out there but be sure you look for official accreditation.

12. Insurance.

Shop around. Don’t think that because you’ve been with the same companies for years you’re getting the best deal. Go to your local branch and see what they have to offer – price comparison sites don’t always give you the best deals. For internet based insurance deals, I’ve always found that http://www.morethan.com and http://www.churchill.com provide the best offers. I recently moved insurers and managed to knock £60 per month off my bill (yes, I did say ‘per month’). It’s easy to be lazy and let your policy automatically renew but it’s also easy to throw you money down the drain.

13. Learn to Drive Fast!

Actually, learn to drive safely. RoSPA (http://www.rospa.com) run a range of courses designed to teach drivers how to handle their cars safely. The scheme does cost around but most of the major insurers recognise the RoSPA certification and will knock a percentage off your premium once you’re qualified.

Got any more ideas or tips? Let us know in the comments section and if they’re original we’ll add them to this article on how to save money on your car.