How Maintaining The Life of Your Car Saves You Money

Maintaining the life of your car can be a very difficult task if you do not keep up with it.  A small problem can turn into a gigantic problem very quickly. But, of you make sure you follow up with the scheduled maintenance. So, since this is a website tailored for financial greatness, and because we love you, we are going to give you a few tips to saving money while maintaining the life of your car.

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Having a car gives you freedom, but keeping that car running for a large number years gives you pride. Pride in all the work you put into the little things. Like giving it a wash or going to the mechanic. After a while, those little things add up. In the case of this writer, those little things started adding up very quickly. I bought my car about four years ago and I loved it. I would wipe that thing down with a diaper like Cameron’s father on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Somewhere along the line, however, I feel off on the upkeep.

What was once my favorite thing in the world has now become my own personal dumpster. The paint is rusting and faded in some areas. It is missing a fog light and the interior has begun to fall apart. Performance wise, I am lucky if the piece of junk still gets me from place to place. I have a serious oil leak, my brakes are most likely shot, all four of my struts are blown and I may have serious engine trouble.

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If you were to break down what I need to pay to even make it safe to drive we are looking at close almost $3,500. Sadly, if I had better judgment, and listened to experts maintaining the life of my car for another 10 to 15 years would have been extremely easy.

So, where do you start maintaining the life of your car?

The best way you can start maintaining the life of your car is by taking it in for service. This may seem like a no-brainer, but many people fall short by not taking their car in for its scheduled maintenance. I was one of these people. I would only take my soon-to-be lemon in the shop for an oil change and maybe a filter replacement if I had the money for it.

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You should be getting all your bells and whistles checked even if you do not think there is anything wrong with your car. Do this about every 12,000 miles, and you should be fine. Depending on your car, how often you drive and how aggressive you drive this help maintaining the life of your car greatly.

Even things like getting your tires rotated it may seem like you are not getting a lot for your money by doing this, however, it saves you the $500 for a new set of tires. Make sure you get an engine tune up, as well. Clean up any leaks immediately; the longer you wait the faster a small leak becomes a big leak. Or a flat tire turns into you needing a new set of wheels for your car.

The little things matter even if you feel they are small changes. If you live in the south try to park your car in the shade to protect your paint. Adversely if you live in an area that experiences a lot of snowfall, make sure you clean your car of any salt. Make the micro adjustments that cost less to prolong the life of your car.