Saving on Car Maintenance

Frugal Friday

Your next largest investment after your home is usually your car. Therefore, you should take good care of it to make it run at its best, and so it lasts as long as it can. Cars are built to last well over 100,000 miles these days, but unless you perform maintenance on it, it may break down. And since maintenance can be expensive, here are some tips for saving money.

• Clean out your trunk. The heavier the load, the more gas you'll use.
• Before replacing an air filter, check with your mechanic to see if the old one is washable.
• Check your tire pressure on a regular basis (especially when seasons change.) Properly filled tires will give you better gas mileage.
• A bathroom plunger and touch-up paint can fix the little dents.
• Rotate your tires every 5000 to 10,000 miles to maximize their life.
• Driving your car over a sprinkler on high pressure will clean the under carriage just as well as the costly car wash (and won't knock anything loose.)
• Open your windows instead of using the A/C when in stop and go traffic. Use the A/C while on the highway, as the wind can provide resistance.