All too often, people confuse frugality with miserliness. To be careful with one’s money is very different from hoarding that money and refusing to spend a penny until you absolutely have to. A frugal way to look after your car does not mean that you will spend no money on it. It simply means that you will spend less money on it – now doesn’t that sound like a good thing? Let’s have a look at three sensible frugal ways to maintain your car.
Take Care
The best way to not have to spend money on your vehicle is to not expose it to anything that requires expense! Always drive defensively, look out for other road users, and avoid obstacles, rough roads and unknown terrain as much as possible. If your car is subject to less wear and tear, it will last longer, remaining in good condition and not requiring a heavy outlay of cash to keep it on the road!
Your MOT Is Your Friend
The MOT test was introduced in 1960 in an attempt – mostly successful – to reduce the number of road accidents that were taking place. The test is designed to ensure that should a car break down, it will still be visible to other road users; be movable, so as to get it to a safe place on the side of the road; and so that the driver would be able to stop the car in that safe place to wait for help.
Ensuring your vehicle goes for its annual MOT test from its third birthday might not seem like a frugal move, but having your car checked often ensures that minor issues are picked up and repaired in good time before they become major issues. And that makes the fixed price of the MOT test seem very reasonable indeed! The price is currently fixed at £54.85, and it cannot legally be higher than this amount. In areas like Scotland, you can take the help of local experts for getting your annual MOT. One such trusted place to book your MOT in Stirling is Fife Autocentre. A good garage will always make sure your car is always roadworthy and legally compliant.
Repair and Replace
Of course, not even the best-maintained vehicles will last forever, and at some point, various car parts will begin to wear and break down. If you are as careful with your maintenance inspections as you should be with your driving, you will have a good idea about which parts of your car are likely to break down first, which will hopefully give you time to save up for a prompt repair or replacement.
When choosing between the two, make sure you look at all the pros and cons of the process: while repairing is cheap and can be very effective, sometimes replacement is a more frugal option as it will last longer and not need further repair.
Just by looking at these three points, you can see the difference between frugality and ‘cheapness’. Cheapness refuses to spend money until it is almost too late, and then spends the bare minimum, ensuring that more money will need to be spent sooner, rather than later. Frugality takes a long view and aims to spend the least money in the most effective way possible.