Keeping your expenses down can be tough these days. Nothing is free and the cost of owning a vehicle can be quite expensive.
Things like blown bulbs, worn tyres, the cost of fuel, insurance and even parking can be a huge expense (especially if you live in a city).
We’ve curated some fantastic tips designed to help you keep the cost of your vehicle down.
Car Bulbs & Wiper Blades
From time to time, the bulbs in your vehicle will either blow, dim or even change colour and will need to be replaced so you can pass an MOT or even see clearly at night. After a while, the rubber on your wiper blades will become worn or degraded and will need replacing too.
Granted, replacing blown bulbs doesn’t always cost you an arm or a leg but with enough blown bulbs over time – it will all add up.
There are a few ways that you can save money on replacing blown bulbs:
- Upgrade to LED
Upgrading your bulbs to LED will ensure they will last long enough allowing you to get your value for money in the future.
Not only will they last up to four times longer than halogen bulbs, they are brighter and display a much clearer light than standard bulbs.
The power output is also reduced when using LED bulbs meaning there is less stress on your battery which in-turn could save you money further on down the line.
- Purchase standard replacement bulbs
If style and brightness isn’t something you’re too fussed about then direct replacement bulbs are the way to go.
They are much cheaper and could save you anywhere between £20 – £150 depending on what bulbs you need. For example, let’s say your car uses D1S OE Xenon bulbs as the dipped beam and needs to be replaced.
Osram provides a standard replacement D1S bulb for around £72 per pair and they also make an upgrade D1S bulb that costs around £134 per pair.
The main difference between the two products is that the upgrade bulbs produce up to 200% more light than the standard bulb. Here is where you need to determine for yourself whether it’s worth the additional £60 or you could save that for a rainy day.
When ordering halogen bulbs or OE Xenon bulbs always check for a products in both standard and upgrade ranges to see the difference in value.
- Look after your wiper blades
Increasing the longevity of your wiper blades can help reduce the cost of new wiper blades every 1 or 2 years. It also saves you the hassle of trying to figure out what wiper blades will fit your vehicle.
There are always deals on wiper blades in the summer because the weather tends to be dryer and not many drivers use their wipers at that time of the year. Make sure to look out for deals between April and October for the best prices available.
Saving Money On Tyres
Depending on your style of driving, car tyres can last anywhere between 15,000 to 60,000 miles so some drivers might not replace their tyres as often as others.
When the tread depth on your tyres is worn down or the date on your tyres is near it’s expiration, it will be time to shop for new tyres.
There are plenty of ways to save money on tyres and luckily it only takes a few searches online to find the best deals.
Currently, there are tyre comparison websites that show you the best prices and all you need to do is either enter your registration or enter your vehicle details.
Comparison websites and tyre fitting websites will show each tyre’s efficiency on the road. These ratings are indicated in decibel levels, speed rating, fuel economy and wet rating. This should help you choose the best tyres for your vehicle.
Fuel Expenses
Fuel costs tend to rise and fall due to all sorts of real-world variables that affect it’s cost. Sometimes it will be supply and demand, other times the cost may rise due to conflicts or natural disasters damaging or stopping the supply of oil.
Luckily there are fuel comparison sites that are super easy to use like petrolprices.com – where all you need to do is create a free account, allow access to your location and choose whether you’re looking for petrol or diesel prices (or both) and the results are displayed within seconds.
Their website claims that petrol owners could save up to £210 per year which sounds like a pretty decent amount that could go towards something else.
Save Money On Parking
Parking in towns or cities in the UK can be a daunting task these days.
Trying to find the ideal parking space can often drive you round the bend – making you feel as though there are either no affordable places to park or no free parking at all.
The good news is that according to their website, Parkopedia is the largest and most precise parking space finder in the world.
Parkopedia offers a completely free service that shows you the pricing on an interactive map to help you find the best parking prices around.
Their sites let you see parking prices at certain times, reserve parking spots and see how many spaces are available at each destination.
Conclusion
These small wins can soon amount to big wins after time.
Finding the cheapest parking spot every time you go to a city centre or even looking after your wiper blades might seem like a few pounds saved here and there but it all adds up.
If you have any saving tips that you would like to share, make sure to comment below this post.