How to keep costs down on your first car

After spending money on driving lessons, the test, buying your first car and insurance, money might be tight. So, the last thing you want to be doing is spending unnecessary costs on fixing up your car. Here are some tips to keep the cost down on your first car.

• Be careful where you drive – It may be tempting to journey to more rural areas where you can drive your new car with the freedom of not being engulfed in traffic. However, it is advisable that you be careful of the road conditions. Many country roads are in poor condition, with potholes being commonplace, thus, can easily cause substantial damage to your car.
• Show it a bit of TLC – Look after your car on the day to day. A little bit of love everyday can go a long way in insuring your car doesn’t have to be sent to the garage. This can be done by checking your mirrors frequently, your tire pressure once a month, brake pads and many more. Even ensuring that there’s no interior damage is important. Remember, the day will come when you want to get something new so try and maximise the amount you can get for your car by keeping it in good condition.
• Prepared for winter – Consider snow tires. While it may seem like an irritating cost, the money they can save you in the long-run is worth it! Also ensure that your car’s heating and defrosting units are working properly.
• Keep the receipts – Keeping receipts of your car maintenance can go a long way in helping keep costs down. It can help keep mechanics in the loop of the work that’s previously been done but can also help you increase your car's resale value as the receipts are proof that you’ve looked after your car.
• Insurance – While of course you’ll have insurance, paying more for quality could be the way to go. Even if your positive you’ll never make a mistake on the roads it's impossible to account for whether another driver might cause damage to your car. If this unfortunately ever happens, then having better insurance can save you a fortune on damages, whereas cheaper insurers might not cover you fully.