Owning a vehicle is costly and dealing with its upkeep is time consuming. People may not think much of every little motoring expenses but a typical car costs around $11,000 a year. Remember, raindrops come together and become a roaring river. Drivers don’t need to look far today if they want some discounts. Utilizing the power of the Internet in order to economize money and time on car ownership is easier than they think and these 10 tips can help.
- Buying a New Vehicle
Of course one of the largest expenses you will have in motoring is a brand new car. If you don’t you may never get that delicious ‘new car smell’. Before buying blindly, research the list price of the vehicle online and the dealer price. Wherever you live in the world there are at least several great sites that sell automobiles and/or provide information on them. Their databases are usually searchable. One of the big ones is Autotrader, which operates in several countries.
Understand that any dealership will need to make money, but this should be a fair amount. Some of them want to be rich overnight or try their luck with you. If you ask for discounts they usually oblige. If not, they can get away with charging a lot over the acceptable profit margin.
- Buying a Used Vehicle
On used vehicles the price range can vary a lot more than on new vehicles. The Internet can save your ‘bacon’ literally when it comes to not overpaying for a used auto. Whether you buy privately, from a Used Car lot or a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle from a dealer; doing a quick research allows people to know the rough price and that tells them if they have a bargain or an overly priced auto in front of them next time. Be sure to get a Vehicle History Report in order to avoid a lemon.
- Comparison Shopping for Auto Insurance
Motorists spend a lot of money every year on automobile insurance. Premiums can vary by as much as 50-80% depending on the provider for the exact same vehicle in the same location and for the same policy coverage. By using an online car insurance comparison website, you will be sure to get the lowest quotes. If you have a car you have to insure it so it pays to spend a few minutes to reduce this unavoidable cost.
- Using a Fuel Price App
The next largest vehicle ownership expense is going to be fuel costs. If you have a cell phone, getting a fuel price app can often let you find the cheapest pump and save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year. GasBuddy.com is the most popular fuel price provider online, but not the only one. People have a choice in terms of petrol stations as they can fill their tank on the way to work, near home or at the supermarket. They can choose whichever is the cheapest without deviating from their routes.
- Finding an Honest Mechanic
The auto repair industry has a bad reputation for overcharging customers for a reason. Being able to trust a mechanic to repair only what is needed and at a fair price is a worrisome task for any motorist. Being able to check their reputation can help you choose a good mechanic. Lately, a new tradesmen reference website is popping everyday. So, it is not difficult to use them not only for automobile repairs but also any other work needs doing around the house.
- Finding Affordable Parts and Supplier
There are many mobile part suppliers and fitters these days. Motorists can find the cheapest batteries and other parts online and get the fitter to come to their home. They don’t even need to buy them from the fitter. They can get them delivered and ready to be fitted whenever they can arrange. Also, if a new part you need is expensive, you can find a second hand one by searching through many stockists. This works well when you have an older automobile and it isn’t worth spending a lot of money on new parts.
- Comparing Tire Prices Online
Tires are often one of the most expensive purchases that you will have to make for a vehicle in its lifetime. Ensuring you are getting the best price can allow you to keep hundreds of dollars in pocket. There are multiple online tire retailers who send a mobile van to fit tires. Or they provide information on the local mobile fitters. Tires are one of the items that are the easiest to shop for. The size and type of tires are written on them. All you need to do is to get it and start shopping. Again there are plenty of Internet vendors in this sector and there is no need to name names.
- Locating Cheaper Parking
If you live in a large city, you already know that parking costs can run into the hundreds of dollars per month. Finding the cheapest options available often means doing a search for long or short term parking lots in the area you are travelling. This can often be the most helpful for airport parking. You can even book and pay for it, as you would probably find the best deals on the web.
- The Best Deal Restaurants & Hotels
With websites like Yelp, Google Places, or Tripadvisor you stop wasting time and money by driving around aimlessly. With seamless apps that provide reviews on restaurants and provide more affordable options along the route of travel, you can save gas money and find the food you like.
- Finding Paying Passengers
Sometimes you could use the extra cash for gas and there are a ton of social apps that help with carpooling. If you want to earn a few extra dollars to pay for a vehicle just check ride-share ups to find passengers willing to pay for a ride. Remember to take details of the people you are going to share a car with and let someone know of these and your plans.
Comparison-shopping, research and intuitive apps are tools to economize in running costs of an automobile. Every dime you save is the dime you can use for something else.