Driving can be an expensive activity, due to all the various costs involved. You have to deal with annual costs such as insurance, servicing of your car, as well as regular expenses, such as fuel, not to mention the actual cost of the car itself, which many people take a long time to pay off in monthly installments.
With all this expenditure going towards driving, many road users are looking for ways to cut costs and save wherever they can. Here’s a list of a few tips to help you save money as a driver and make driving a much more affordable thing to do.
Get economical tires
The types of tires you use on your car make a huge difference in terms of fuel economy. Although it may be tempting to go for the cheapest option when getting tires, this can prove to be a mistake in the long run. This is because, not only do cheap tires affect performance, such as stopping distance and handling, they will also make you use more fuel and will also need to be replaced more regularly.
Don’t waste money on premium fuel
A lot of gas stations give you the option to use premium fuel, and although the retailer will claim that this boosts performance while also cleaning your engine, in reality the results and benefits are usually negligible.
Unless you are operating a performance car on the race circuit, you’re highly unlikely to feel any improvement by using this fuel, all while you’re paying extra for the privilege. To help you save money while driving, just go with the standard fuel options.
Get a used car
If you’re a driver who’s in the need of an upgrade but who doesn’t want to pay too much, you can always shop used cars to get a better deal. Used cars from respected dealerships are usually good quality, and you can find some really great used cars that haven’t even been driven that much at all. The savings you can get from a used car are also pretty big. A car that’s only a year old and driven over 10,000 miles will be 25% cheaper than new. To have a look at what’s available, check out AutoUncle.co.uk.
There are potential risks, such as buying a car with undisclosed faults and issues, but if you conduct a test drive and get a mechanic to look at it before sealing the deal, you should be alright.
Be gentle when it’s cold
Cars are at their least effective when they’re cold, meaning you need to warm them up before you can start going hell for leather. If you drive quickly and aggressively straight from the start, you’ll be redoubling the wasted fuel and wearing out the engine quicker, making a trip to the repair shop more likely. By showing your machine some care and respect, you’ll immediately start saving money.
Furthermore, you shouldn’t allow your engine to idle for too long as this wastes a lot of fuel and also isn’t ideal for newer cars as they’re designed to operate from the moment they’re turned on.