Cartrack’s Top Tips on ways to slash your car expenses

After your home, your car is the second largest purchase of most consumers. Unfortunately, the costs don’t stop once you’ve driven your car off the showroom floor.

Here are some strategies that can help you save thousands over your cars lifetime.

Fuel:

• Drive sensibly
• Regular maintenance
• Keep your tyres in top shape

For more tips to reduce your fuel consumption click here

Driving habits:

• Switch off the air-conditioning
• Don’t accelerate harshly
• Use cruise control

For more driving tips click here

Insurance:

• Shop around, use a comparison site to find the best value for money.
• Cut coverage on older vehicles to 3rd party, fire and theft. The cost of repairs after a collision could outweigh the value of the vehicle.
• Bundle your insurance policies. Insuring your home and car with the same insurance company could bring your rates down by around 10%.
• Install a Cartrack unit, many insurance companies offer discounts if you have a unit installed.
• Nominate a second driver on your policy (partner/spouse), often this gives you a discount on your premium.
• Know when to claim. Frequently after an accident your premium increases, so if you’re involved in a minor collision, weigh up whether the cost of the repairs will exceed the cost of a premium hike and excess you have to pay.

Repairs:

• Check your cars service manual to know what needs to be done on your vehicle at what mileage. Dealers could recommend having extra maintenance done that will be covered in the next service.
• Avoiding harsh braking saves you money on petrol as well as money on maintenance! You’ll extend the life of your brakes and save yourself money.
• Rotate your tyres, if you can, do it yourself. By rotating, you help ensure both sets wear evenly. The higher your mileage, the more often you should rotate.
• Handle easy repairs yourself, like replacing wiper blades, fuses and light bulbs.