Four Ways To Save Money When You Have A Car

This is a collaborative post- but all thoughts and opinions are my own

It’s scary to think that I passed my driving test almost 12 years ago. And over the years I’ve come to know how expensive it can be to own a car. From the insurance and taxes, you have to pay, to the things that can go wrong. I’ve had 5 cars over the course of that time, and I’m hoping to keep my current one for a little while yet.

As we’re trying to save as much money as possible to go into our home renovations pot I’m trying to cut as many costs as possible. Here are some of the ways you can save money when you have a car.

Make sure you get a warranty when you buy your car

Whether you’re buying a brand new car or a pre-owned one find out about the car warranty. Unless you’re buying from a private seller, all cars should come with some form of warranty as peace of mind. So if your car has issues or breaks down within a certain period you shouldn’t need to pay out for any repairs.

Having a warranty can save you a lot of money in the longterm and keep your repair costs low. I didn’t think to check out the warranty on a car I had a few years ago and ended up spending quite a lot of money on repairs. In the end, it didn’t seem economical so I saved up to buy a new car.

Book your MOT online

Once you have the car you’ll have to pay out for your MOT each year. I’ve always found when you book your MOT online you can get a much better deal than calling up or going to the garage in person. If you’re looking to get a service at the same time then you could save even more money. I’ve always found Kwik Fit to have good deals on MOT’s, but think about what could be flagged as an issue before you take your car in.

Something which could be a quick (and cheap) fix for you beforehand could end up costing you a lot to fix at a garage. Things such as replacing bulbs in your headlights is a classic example. You can buy the bulbs yourself for a few pounds, but the garage may charge you £20-£30+ to replace it for you.

Think about getting a service plan

The more you look after your car the longer it should last and a service can help keep your car healthy. You’re meant to have a service either once a year or every 10,000 miles if that happens sooner. I definitely don’t drive enough so I get mine done once a year so it can get some TLC.

As my car is pretty pricey to get a service on I have a service plan where I pay each month towards the cost so I don’t have to shell out a few hundred quid in one go. A bill I would cry at paying.

Shop around for your car insurance

Never never let your car insurance auto-renew as you’re almost certain to be missing out on a deal. Ahead of knowing your insurance is coming to an end head to a comparison site like compare the market and see what other options are out there. You might find you can get the same insurance for a lot more than your renewal cost.

Then it’s time to call your current insurance providers and see whether they’re prepared to match the cost. I’ve found in about 50% of times they’ve been able to match the new price I’ve found. And in others, they’ve held their hands up and said they can’t match that price as it’s such a good deal. Either way, I’ve never paid as much for my insurance as the renewal price shows.

Do you have a car? If so how do you save money on it?

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