Money Saving Tip: Keep Your Car Maintained

Here's a simple but effective money saving tip:

Keep your car maintained -- it will run more efficiently and save you money.

This article from MSNBC documents how keeping your car maintained can save you a bunch of money. Here are some of their findings:

“During last year’s National Car Care Month we found that about 85 percent of the cars inspected had some sort of problem and needed some work, whether that’s low oil, frayed belts, battery cables that need cleaning or a dirty air filter.”

With gas prices expected to rise to the dreaded $3-a-gallon level in some parts of the country during the key summer driving season, good car maintenance now is all the more important. “There are things you can do to keep your car running efficiently, and you can squeeze out a few more miles to the gallon,” White says. 

“One in every five cars is running around without the proper tire pressure, so it’s wasting gas and wearing its tires out,” White said. “The thing is, most of these issues are relatively simple and inexpensive to fix. I think of it as preventive maintenance; it’s a lot like going to the dentist regularly — it’s a whole lot better to keep your teeth clean and go for regular checkups rather than go through the pain of having a crown, or a root canal.”

Keeping a car clean, maintaining it according to a manufacturer’s specifications, maintaining good car maintenance records and giving it an “annual physical” can also keep your car in better shape, and maintain its resale value, said Dave Kinney, an accredited automobile appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers.

We have our cars maintained regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. For us, it's not only a cost saving issue, but a safety and convenience issue as well. We want to be sure our cars are in great shape and won't break down. I especially want to make sure my wife's car (which usually has our kids in it) is in the best possible shape.

For minor maintenance (oil changes and servicing) for my wife's car, we go to a local garage. For my car, we go to the dealer because it's a better overall deal for me. For the "big stuff" (like tune-ups) we take both cars to the dealer.