Motoring Money-Savers

SERVICE IT REGULARLY
Service your car regularly – a vehicle that is running properly is more economical, there is less chance of it breaking down and it can also save your life. You don’t want a safety-critical item to fail.

TAKE CARE OF THE TYRES
Check your tyre pressure regularly. If you overinflate your tyres, they could burst. Underinflation, on the other hand, could cause handling problems. Plus, the wrong tyre pressure makes your car thirstier, as it affects fuel consumption by as much as 20% to 30%.

PARK AND WALK
You can spend a small fortune on parking every month. Instead of parking in that very expensive car park, why not park down the road? You’ll save money while getting fit.

GET IT COVERED
Regular maintenance can be expensive. So, when buying a new car, ensure that it comes with a maintenance plan. A service plan is also a bonus but not as valuable, as it will only cover scheduled service items. A maintenance plan covers anything and everything that could go wrong. Read the fine print carefully – some manufacturers claim to offer a maintenance plan but it’s actually a service plan. Also, be aware of the exclusions on the plan.

USE CAR-WASH PRODUCTS
You wouldn’t wash your face with dishwashing liquid, would you? So treat your car the same way. Only use proper car-wash products that won’t scratch or damage your car’s paintwork. And don’t use a dirty rag – the grit on the rag could cause costly scratches.

DRIVE ECONOMICALLY
No-one enjoys forking out at the petrol station. Plus, excessive fuel usage isn’t great for the environment. So control your fuel costs by driving as economically as possible. Start by planning your journeys, thereby avoiding wasted trips. Once in the car close the windows (open windows create drag) and exert as little pressure on the accelerator as possible. You are not in a street race, so there really is no need to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in a couple of seconds. On the road, anticipate stops and slow down well in advance.

DON’T SPEED
Speeding is bad on a number of counts. It’s dangerous, it wastes fuel, it’s stressful (there’s no way you can relax at 200km/h) and it can result in extremely costly speeding tickets. So give it a miss.

CONSIDER DIESEL
Diesel-powered cars used to be as smelly and smoky as tractors. But today they are highly refined, almost as quiet as their petrol counterparts and extremely kind to the environment. Tremendous advances have been made within the field of diesel technology since Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine back in the 1890s. They are much, much more economical – you can slash your fuel bill by 20% to 30% by using diesel.

OPT FOR USED
Used cars represent tremendous value for money. Shop around and you will find that, when you buy a used car instead of a new one, you can save thousands of rands.

AVOID TRADE-INS
When buying a car, don’t trade in your old vehicle. Instead, sell your jaded set of wheels yourself. The dealer will offer you a bargain-basement price for your old car, as he wants to make a profit when he sells it.

CHOOSE SILVER
Finally, if you’re serious about saving money, only ever drive silver cars. According to the British Medical Journal, silver cars are 50% less likely to be involved in accidents than cars of another colour – and this will definitely save you money. It’s not clear exactly why silver cars aren’t involved in more accidents. The journal reckons it has something to do with colour and reflectivity. But hey, if it works, who cares?

Author: Charleen Clarke