Aussie drivers know that living a frugal life is harder when you’ve got a car to take care of. There’s always something to repair. Delaying repairs is a common situation simply because people don’t always have enough money to invest in car maintenance.
However, there are definitely a few tips that could make every driver’s life much easier. Car maintenance doesn’t need to affect your budget severely; on the contrary, these tips could save you some pineapples. Take a look.
Learn more about car maintenance
The best thing you can do for your budget is to learn how to properly handle your car.
This means that you have to ask yourself how much you really know about car maintenance. Over the course of your experience as a driver, have you tried your best to continuously learn from the more seasoned drivers? If you haven’t, change that immediately. Kindly ask your neighbour, dad, friend, or a mechanic, to give you some tips on how to do some basic repairs yourself.
A recent survey has shown that Australians lack basic car maintenance knowledge – while 54% know how to change a tyre, only over 20% of people can change an oil filter. With this in mind, a person can hardly wish to stay ignorant when it comes to learning the basics of car maintenance. Not only will it save you money, but you will also feel more confident on the road.
Do some research about affordable car servicing
While it is definitely advisable that you invest some time in brushing up your car maintenance skills, there are other things you can do to save your monthly budget from plummeting.
Even the most seasoned drivers among us can hardly anticipate all possible circumstances during a ride. Somewhere down the road things can get pretty rough. For example, a tyre can fall off or the weather conditions may unexpectedly worsen, causing you stress and sudden problems with time management.
And, if you don’t feel confident enough to handle the situation on your own, you must react promptly by calling a professional car service. Similarly, if you need to obtain new car parts, you must get familiar with affordable car parts stores nearby. For example, doing some research on how to find cheap tyres in Blacktown Sydney will be extremely useful for those who live or work near the hectic Sydney central business district.
Know what you can and what you can’t do yourself
We’ve mentioned findings of the 2018 survey about car maintenance knowledge among Australians, and it’s a bit disappointing to see how many citizens are being scared of changing an oil filter. This is one thing that you can surely do yourself. All that it takes is to learn how to use a ratchet and an oil filter wrench. A single lesson from your dad or a mechanic will be more than enough. However, before you start changing the oil or its filter, you must ensure that your engine is cool. Changing an oil filter won’t cost you much, and it won’t take you more than 45 minutes to finish.
Similarly, changing a tyre isn’t rocket science either. You just need to know how to handle a spare tyre and a jack. You will need approximately 15 minutes to change a single tyre.
Finally, it’s equally important to know what not to do on your own, especially if you are still new to car maintenance skills.
Take care of both exterior and interior of your vehicle
The most important thing related to driving is to ensure safety. The best way to do this is to act responsibly. This includes cleaning your car at least once a month (preferably more often). The 2018 survey also states that Australia’s cleanest cars are from South Australia.
Investing a couple of tenners in all-weather floor mats will protect your car’s interior from stains and spills – you wouldn’t want to have a slippery floor surface. These come at an affordable price on Amazon.
As far as the safety check goes, having your lights inspected is essential. You can do this on your own by walking around your vehicle to check if something needs to be repaired. You want to invest in halogen lamps because these improve both visibility and safety.
In order to reduce the expenses, you’ll have to put more effort into learning the basics of car maintenance. This won’t only save you money but the nerves too. Sometimes, you’ll need to get things done immediately, which won’t be possible if you entirely rely on others.
