Our cars are one of our most valuable tools, and by that I don’t necessarily mean most expensive. They serve us almost every day of the year and without them we wouldn’t be able to get to most of the places we need to go, and even if we can get there by another means it certainly wouldn’t be as efficient. When you think about it, our cars save us time, thus saving us money. But, if we don’t take good care of them we could end up wasting time on them, costing us money and precious time, which for the most part, none of us can afford. This is why it is so important to keep our cars well-maintained, so they will continue serving us and we don’t start working for them!
We all have to live within our means and we budget for our car expenses accordingly. Everyone knows that when it comes to cars there is always a risk that an unexpected event may occur, but we should act to prevent these events, and we can. If we keep our cars well-maintained they will run more efficiently and you will save money on those repair bills too.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all fix our cars ourselves? But, let’s face it, not all of us are mechanics and not all of us have the room or tools to work on our cars ourselves, so we need to find a garage that we can trust to help us with all our car related issues. The first step to finding a good garage is asking around, find out where your friends and family go and who they recommend. You should do this before you have a problem with your car because you don’t want to start looking for a trustworthy garage when you are in a panic.
Always ask for a written estimate before you have a big repair done to your car or have a part replaced. You don’t want to find out that you can’t afford it after the work has been done. And, even if you trust your mechanic – shop around – ask other garages for an estimate and compare prices. Knowing how much repairs and parts should cost can help you save money too. Go over the bill with your garage and dispute it if you believe that there are needless charges or they are over-charging. If you don’t know much about auto mechanics take the time to search the web and learn, this could save you lots of money in the future.
All cars come with a service manual which tells you when and how often to have your car serviced, when to carry out maintenance, for example change oil, and when any parts should be changed. It is very important to comply with this manual if you want to keep your car running well, saving you money in the long run.
Remember that no matter how well you keep your car maintained there is always a chance that you will break-down or need roadside assistance at some time or another. That is why it is also recommended to find a reliable towing and road assistance service provider before you actually need one. As with the garage, ask around. It is very important to know that the people you’re calling in times of emergency are licensed experts, so take your time to find out all you can about them in advance. Again, this knowledge can save you money.
