365 Ways to Live Cheap (4 page)

35. U
SE THE
M
ANUFACTURER
’S M
AINTENANCE
S
CHEDULE

Let’s get this straight: Regular maintenance on your automobile is very important for keeping your car reliable and reducing repair costs, and it should be done exactly in accordance with the schedule that the manufacturer recommends. When you buy a car, most dealers will attempt to get you to subscribe to a maintenance schedule through their dealership and will tell you with dead seriousness that you need to follow that schedule to a tee. Often, that’s not true—most dealer maintenance routines get you into their auto shop far more often than you need to be. Again, flip open that owner’s manual, find the maintenance schedule information, and follow it yourself for all aspects of your car, from brake pad replacement to tire replacement.

36. M
INIMIZE
Y
OUR
L
OAD

When you’re driving on the highway, most of your engine power goes toward overcoming air drag—the resistance that the air is putting on your car. When you have extra items on your car, such as stuff bundled to the roof or even a ski rack, you’re reducing your gas mileage by as much as 5 percent. Similarly, excess weight in your car reduces your gas mileage, so if you’re using your trunk as a storage unit, you’ll save yourself a significant amount by getting that stuff out of the car.

37. P
RACTICE
G
OOD
G
AS
C
ONSERVATION
H
ABITS

It’s often the little things that really add up, and with gas at more than $4 a gallon, it adds up to big money fast. Here are five more fuel conservation tips that individually won’t save a significant amount, but over time and done in combination can save quite a bit of gas expense.

Tighten the gas cap as tightly as you can when you finish filling up. Gas evaporates rather quickly, and a loose cap allows that evaporated gas to simply drift out of your tank.

Don’t top off the tank. When you do, you dramatically increase the chance for gas to slosh out, and when gas prices are high, even a bit of sloshing is money gone from your pocket.

Don’t rest your left foot on the brake while driving. Even a slight accidental bump of the brake will cause some drag and some additional gas use—plus it’ll increase the wear on your brake pads.

Turn off the air conditioning as you approach your destination. When you’re ten or fifteen minutes away from where you need to be, turn off your air conditioning. This will improve your car’s mileage and the cab of your car won’t get warm enough during that period to cause any discomfort.

Use appropriate tires for the weather. Snow tires in the summer significantly reduce your gas mileage.

38. U
SE
P
UBLIC
T
RANSPORTATION

If you live in an area where you have easy access to public transportation, use it. Use it to commute to work, to attend social and cultural events, and to run errands. The cost savings of using public transportation is tremendous if you get into a habit of using it consistently. If you can use the bus or the rails to take a trip for $2 when you would otherwise have to drive your car, burn two gallons of gas, pay for parking, and add extra miles onto the car that push you closer to maintenance, the choice is pretty easy.

39. C
ARPOOL

If you have an opportunity to share a ride to and from work with someone, jump on it. The cost savings of carpooling is tremendous. If your commute causes you to burn two gallons of gas and put forty miles on your car, just two days a week of riding with someone else can put the savings per month well over $100. Carpooling can also add some time savings to the picture as well if you have access to the HOV lane. If you work in a large organization, it’s pretty easy to get a carpool started. Send out an e-mail to as many coworkers as you can stating that you’re interested in starting a pool from your area and see how many responses you get.

40. U
SE A
B
ICYCLE

Most nearby trips, such as a trip to the post office or a trip to the local grocery store, are very short—just a mile or two each way. They’re also full of stop-and-go driving, which is the least efficient kind of driving for an automobile. Instead of driving, get a used bicycle and use it for these short little trips. Install a small basket on the front so you can easily carry a couple bags of groceries or a package to be mailed. It’s a free mode of transportation, doesn’t take much longer than a car over a short trip, and is a good way to get a bit of exercise, too.

41. E
LIMINATE
O
NE OF
Y
OUR
C
ARS
E
NTIRELY

If you find yourself using your bicycle and public transportation frequently, you’ll likely find that one of your automobiles is being used less and less. Consider selling it. Not only will you make some money from the sale, but you’ll have a smaller car insurance payment and no license costs to worry about either, plus you may free up some garage space that can be put to better use in other ways. This is a big step, but it’s one that can save you a ton of money on a monthly basis.

42. D
ON
’T S
PEED
—I
NSTEAD
, U
SE
C
RUISE
C
ONTROL

It’s tempting to speed when you’re driving somewhere, particularly when the commute is long, but speeding is an incredibly expensive tradeoff. It reduces your fuel efficiency, making the trip itself cost more. It puts more wear and tear on your automobile, increasing the chances of a necessary repair. It also increases the chance of an accident, as speeding gives you less time to react. If that’s not enough, you also run the danger of being issued a speeding ticket, which has not only a direct cost but can raise your insurance rates as well. The costs of speeding, both potential and real, just to save a few minutes on a trip aren’t worth it. Instead, just set the cruise control to the speed limit for long driving stretches; this will keep you from being tempted to speed.

43. D
ON
’T G
ET
O
PTIONAL
S
TUFF
D
URING
M
AINTENANCE

Often when you take your car in for maintenance, the workers inside will attempt to sell you additional products and services, such as replacement windshield wiper blades or a new air filter. Never buy them there. The cost they charge you for a new blade or a new filter, plus the cost for the minute’s worth of work to install them, is far beyond reasonable. Instead, go to a discount auto parts store and buy these items yourself, then use the car’s manual to install them. You’ll not only save a lot on the part itself, but you’ll save on the labor cost.

44. S
HOP
A
ROUND FOR
C
AR
R
EPAIRS

When your car needs repairs, don’t simply take it back to the dealership. Pull out the yellow pages (or check out Google Maps) and call several nearby auto repair facilities. Look for those that are A
SE
(Automotive Service Excellence) certified. You should also consult any of your friends who have knowledge about cars and ask if they have any recommended repair shops. If your car is under warranty, make sure the repair shop will honor that warranty. This will go a long way toward getting you a quality auto repair for a much cheaper price.

45. P
AY FOR
C
AR
R
EPAIRS WITH A
C
REDIT
C
ARD

When you get your car repaired, pay for the repair with a credit card and then pay the credit card balance off immediately. Why? Credit cards offer significant consumer protection against fraud. If your car repair is faulty, you can contact your credit card company and have them deal with it rather than trying to fight it yourself—and likely coughing up more dough for more repairs.

46. P
LAN
A
HEAD FOR A
C
AR
R
EPLACEMENT

If you want to replace your car as cheaply as possible, the best time to start thinking about it is the day you purchased the previous model. Start putting a small amount away each month automatically (see tip #10) and forget about that amount until your next car purchase. Putting $50 away each month into a 3 percent A
PY
savings account gives you $4,000 toward your next car purchase after six years. That, plus a trade-in, is enough to let you drive off the lot with a very tiny loan. Putting away $100 a month will give you $8,000 after six years, likely more than enough to allow you to trade in your current car and then drive off the lot with a late-model used car without taking out a loan—no car payments at all.

C
HEAP
T
ACTIC
$
FOR
B
ANKING AND
I
NVESTING

47 Get a Bank Card with a Very Large Fee-Free ATM Network

48 Get a Checking Account That Offers More Than 1 Percent Interest