No-one likes discovering that there’s something wrong with their car. Above all else, you’re going to immediately think about how it’s just another cost to deal with and, if you’re particularly unlucky, those costs can quickly build and put your household finances in real jeopardy. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Here, we’re going to look at ways to keep the costs of car repair a lot more manageable.
Make sure you’re ready
First of all, don’t think of car repairs as a sudden, unexpected cost. We’re all going to have to deal with them at some point, even if we stay on top of our service schedule. Consider building up a car emergency fund. Look at your annual average cost for repairs and find the space in your budget to save up to that amount. This can help you pay while avoiding having to take out lines of credit, which can make those repairs more expensive thanks to the interest.
Be proactive with your fixes
There are too many issues that we ignore, at first, only for it to come back and really bite us in the rear later. Glass cracks and chips are the perfect example of this. Instead of stewing on it, it’s better to find a specialist like North Auto Glass who can repair it while it’s still in its earliest stages. Otherwise, you hit a bump in the road and now you have a much, much bigger crack or even a complete break, changing a chip repair job into a more expensive auto glass replacement.
Do more yourself
There’s a lot you can do to spruce up your car and maintain it to keep it in better health for longer. However, provided that you’re confident in your ability to learn how, there may some repairs and replacements you can do without needing to pay your local garage. Changing your spark plugs, changing your brake pads, changing the oil yourself, all of this can help you save money. These repairs and replacements are not too difficult, but if you do feel at all uneasy about carrying them out, you’re probably better relying on a professional.
Find the parts yourself
When it comes to a replacement part, don’t let your mechanic take the proverbial wheel and find the parts themselves, unless they’re a licensed partner of the manufacturer. They might have your best interests in mind, but most garages have a mark up on the cost of parts to help them make a profit. With stores like US Auto Parts, you could just as easily find the parts yourself once you know what you need to look for, and it may not be as expensive.
Lastly, when you’re in the market for a new car, try paying attention to its reliability. See what the known issues are and how frequent they are. Some cars are simply more prone to suffering malfunctions than others, so choosing a sturdier ride can be cheaper in the long run, even if it’s initially more expensive.