For some people, driving is simply the way they get from one point to another on a map. People have to drive to get to work, get their kids to school, and pick up groceries for dinner. Sure, you can take public transportation, but cars are convenient and universally popular.
Other people are completely fascinated by the vehicle itself, well beyond the purpose of getting you to your destination. This is because cars and trucks have always had so many different varieties. They say something about who you are if you choose to personalize them. Bumper stickers, paint colors, and body shapes all contribute to your vehicle’s special place in your life.
This means that no matter what you choose to care about your car for, whether it’s the first or the second example, you will want to take care of your car. Proper car care will save you money on a variety of things. Whether it comes to the functionality or aesthetics of the car, this upkeep will positively affect other aspects of your life, too.
Saving money on your vehicle allows you to enjoy other purchases on necessities and entertainment. We’ll talk about some actionable tips for car care, from a scratch and dent insurance comparison to making sure that the engine and the brakes are working the way they should.
Saving Money on Insurance
Everyone who drives a car is required to buy auto insurance to protect them in case of an accident. Do you want to know what makes it more likely that you will get into a wreck and have to file a claim? Driving a car that operates poorly because it wasn’t maintained properly.
Not having working brakes will cause you to crash because your car can’t react quick enough to the sudden stops and starts that happen on the road. You will have to file more claims with your insurance company if you ignore car repairs because accidents are bound to occur. Your insurance company will increase your rates the more they have to work with you.
It also won’t strengthen your case when filing a claim if your vehicle doesn’t work like it’s supposed to. You will end up paying a tremendous amount of money, and you still need to fix your car, perhaps more now than before the accident. Don’t put off the repairs because you never know when something unfortunate will happen.
Keeping up with the features on your car may also give you friendlier insurance rates each month, even if you never get into an accident. Insurance companies want to mitigate risk. If you are driving a car that is older and at higher risk of having faulty parts, you’re already off on the wrong foot with your insurance company.
You Can Keep the Same Vehicle for Longer
There’s nothing bad about owning a vehicle that is over a decade old if you take care of it. The problems that pop up on older vehicles are definitely frustrating to fix. Many people refer to an old car that constantly requires repairs to be “nickel and diming you to death.” Buying a new car costs even more money than constantly fixing your old one.
It is a personal choice to decide whether you would rather pay for the old car to be fixed or shell out a large sum of money for a new one. Examine your bank account and see what you can handle in the short term.
If you expect to have more cash in the future, save up for the new car. If you don’t think you will ever be able to afford a new car, this makes it even more important to keep the old one running properly.
Another matter to tend to is the visual appearance of the vehicle. Many people get nostalgic about older cars, but the looks of a vehicle aren’t all that pleasant when there are scratches and dings from fender benders accumulated through the years.
You could think about buying a more extensive insurance policy that will fix those little imperfections on your car. This may save you money in the long term instead of paying for all of them out of pocket.
Do people care too much about cars?
We already talked about this before, but people treat their car like it’s their prized possession. They often over-fix things that don’t need repairing just for the sake of sporting their vehicle up or making it look fancier to outsiders they drive by.
This heightened importance that people place on their vehicles can cause them to spend too much money on things they don’t need. There is a difference between buying a new airbag for safety and putting a third paint job on your car. The latter is purely for fun and sentiment. If you drive less than 25 miles a day, you might not want to put too much money into the vehicle.
People love taking care of their cars because it makes them feel more confident. It gives them pride in the way they live their lives, much like a nice yard or a degree from a great university. This is fine for many folks, but others don’t have the cash to put toward these unnecessary purchases.
The car care that is most important to attend to should revolve around the way the vehicle operates and its safety features. That is the intended purpose of a car. If you want to do more than this baseline car care, you need to budget for it the same way you would go on a vacation or buy the new video game console that comes out.
Cosmetic fixes are going to fall under the entertainment umbrella of your monthly expenses, so think carefully about what you want to put your money toward.
Saving Money on Your Car Will Help You in Other Areas
Not everyone considers their car an important part of their life. If you are someone who drives just for the pure purpose of transportation, then you should keep up on your maintenance so that you can put money into other areas of your life.
It would be horrible to tell your son or daughter that you can’t bring them to Disneyland for their birthday because you have to put your monthly expenses toward your vehicle. If you could have taken care of it earlier, it would have prevented you from ruining your kid’s special day. Cars need upkeep, so do it immediately when it needs to be. Your family will thank you.
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the car insurance site, CarInsuranceComparison.com. He wants to help people understand how proper car maintenance will save them money on insurance costs.
