Anyone who owns a car knows that it can be quite pricey, no matter what kind of car you happen to drive or what approach you take. It is definitely the kind of thing that can be a drain on your finances, but if you are in a position where you have to own a car then it is definitely helpful to make sure you do it right. As it happens, it is possible to at least make driving a car a little more affordable than it currently might be for you, so that’s something that you should be aware of.
In this post, we will take you through just some of the best ways in which you can hope to make driving more affordable. As long as you have tried the following, you are going to find that it’s much easier and simpler to make driving a lot more affordable, and you’ll find that your finances are in a much better place as a result. Let’s take a look.
Check The Tire Pressure
Tire pressure is an important thing to keep on top of for a number of reasons. Most importantly of all, it’s vital for your safety, because tires that are inflated to the proper pressure are going to have better grip on the road, and the vehicle will have better handling too. But tire pressure is also related to how much money you spend on your vehicle – something that not everyone is always clear about.
How? Well, about 20% of the fuel your car uses is burned from trying to overcome what’s known as rolling resistance, which is going to be dramatically reduced if the tires are inflated properly and therefore gripping to the road better. So checking your tire pressure every six weeks or so is going to help you save a surprising amount of money on the whole.
Reduce Weight
The more weight your vehicle carries, the more money you are going to spend on fuel. So keeping the weight of the vehicle as low as possible is certainly going to add up to make a considerable difference to your finances. You might be wondering how you can do this – short of actually stripping the car of its seats and so on, which is unlikely to be legal depending on how you do it. It’s actually just a simple case of keeping the car clear of extra belongings that you don’t need to have.
A lot of people end up using their cars as mobile storage units, in effect, keeping lots of items in the trunk and other parts of the car which they don’t need. You might not think it makes a difference, but you could be spending hundreds a year on carting around items that you could just leave at home. So from time to time, take a look at what’s in your car and see whether you might be able to declutter it a little. It really will help.
Buy A Cheaper Car
There’s no doubt about it – some cars are just cheaper to buy than others, and this is something that you will want to remember if you are keen to keep hold of your money as best as you can. When you are looking for a new car to buy, think about the badge and whether it’s the kind of vehicle you can actually afford to buy. To help with this, you might want to look into the history of the brand you are considering. Understanding Chevrolet history, for instance, can help a lot if you are looking at that kind of car.
Service Your Car
From time to time, you should also think about servicing your car, because that is something that can really make a huge difference to how much money it costs you. A car that is well looked after is going to have many fewer problems and will require much less maintenance and repair, so that’s one of the main reasons you should ensure you service the vehicle once a year or so, if not more. The money you spend on servicing it will actually save you money in the long run, so that is something that you will definitely want to think about.
Those are just some of the main ways to make driving a lot more affordable. As long as you have done these, you’re going to find that your money is in a much better state on the whole, so it’s definitely worthwhile.
