As we tentatively make our way into what could potentially be a recession, every area of life and the things we take for granted, is beginning to be questioned to find out whether any money can be saved. The fact is most of us fork-out over the odds for the goods that we buy and the things that we do, mainly in the name of convenience and comfort. But when those extra expenditures start to mount up, it’s worth reassessing which ones are necessary for ones happiness, and which ones are superfluous. In this way (and in that other, pressing and contemporary area of concern, the environment), driving should come under close scrutiny. There are many ways to cut the cost of driving your car, some of which are included in this article – the rest of which, if you think about it – are common sense and, like many other areas where you might save a few bob making some very basic changes, won’t make too much a dent in your preferred way of life.
Smoother driving – i.e. driving without revving, without air-conditioning and without sitting there with the engine running idly – can save a vast amount, cutting duel use by up to a third, and something like £600 per 10,000 miles for driving consistently alone. Drive slower too: for every ten mph faster you drive, use nearly 10% more fuel.
Cut the cost of your car insurance. The best way to do this (bar lying about storing your car in a garage in the middle of nowhere) is to drive carefully, in order to keep down your no claim’s bonus. Which ties in rather nicely with driving smoother in order to keep down fuel costs. Co-operative car insurance offer a hefty no claims discount, as well as one of the cheapest insurance packages around. It’s worth shopping around for the best in car insurance, so hitting price comparison websites such as beatthatquote.com is pretty much a requisite for finding the best deal for you.
You might also consider changing your car. Presuming you’ve looked after it, there’s a good chance that if you’re shrewd and willing to downgrade a little – or even stay on the same level – you could make a tidy sum in difference. Never buy a new car. Even a couple of thousand miles on the clock is likely to make a difference of several thousand pounds to the price.
If you heed these bits of advice, and consider all the other possible money saving options surrounding your car (pay-and-claim breakdown cover, get cheaper car finance, or even go by bike…) you could find yourself considerably better off. Which, let’s face it, would be wonderful right now.
