I generally prefer not to spend money frivolously. Okay, if you regularly visit here, that’s not exactly a newsflash! In fact, you might
even be similarly inclined when it comes to being interested in sensible spending as a part of your approach to personal finance.
Of course, there are are times when we need to spend money. It’s a theme I’ve touched on lately, and this topic fits into that framework. One of these times is when we need to make sure that we do the right maintenance and repairs. We’ve explored the topic of saving money for home maintenance, and how it’s important to make sure we take care of keeping things in good shape before big problems occur.
The same concept applies to car maintenance. It’s almost like taking care of our health, and relating it to money. Of course health itself is paramount aside from money concerns, but if we eat well and keep ourselves fit, it can only help us financially. With car maintenance, if we do the right things along the way during the life of the car, we may be able to enjoy car longevity and avoid spending extra money. As far as that money is concerned, if we need to spend it we might have to utilize cash loans, but doing the right things regularly can help us control expenses better.
So, here are 4 car maintenance tasks that are worth spending money on:
Oil Changes
When you get an oil change, you’re taking a step that can keep the engine safe from heat and friction. There are also additives included that can help your engine in a variety of ways. If you don’t change the oil, the impact on the engine can be devastating.
It’s simple and doesn’t take much time. I know there are a few folks that want to do this themselves, but considering the concept of time is money, I will use a coupon and go someplace to get the oil change done.
Tire Maintenance
So, how do you “maintain” tires? I think it’s multi-faceted. One way is to make sure that you regularly check tire pressure. Having the right pressure can help the health of the tire (thus avoiding shortening its life), and can also help with fuel efficiency. Another way is to rotate tires. I’ve done this every few oil changes, but what’s best for you might depend on how you drive your car and the type of car and tires.
Also, needless to say, replace tires when this needs to be done. This is of course good for safety.
Air Filter
These things aren’t overly expensive, but they’re important. If the air can’t flow, it could impact the cleanliness of oil as well as the ability to keep the engine working properly. It’s something that’s not top of mind, but if you don’t change it, the performance of your car can suffer. Meaning, you could end up spending a ton of money you wouldn’t otherwise want to. So just check it periodically, and change it when needed.
Fluid Levels
Certain fluids are important for your car’s ability to work right. Transmission fluid, brake fluid, coolant, and the like are all vital to keep an eye on. It the fluid levels are low, your car might not function properly and there could be risks of breakdown and maybe even safety in certain cases. Monetarily, it’s worth it to spend when necessary.
My Questions for You
How often do you perform these car maintenance tasks?
Do you do any of these yourself, or do you pay others to do them all?
Do you have any others to add?
About all I do is check tire inflation monthly, fill the washer fluid, and check the oil level when I gas up. Once when I had the car in for an oil change, they told me the battery needed to be replaced. I declined to have them do it, thinking ‘I can do this myself and save money!’ Six months later I was back at the same place with the same, even worse, battery. I told them go ahead and replace it–apparently I’ll never get around to doing it myself! We were fortunate not to find the battery dead in the interim…
Kurt – I tried to save money on my own battery deal and it didn’t work out. I was younger, and a guy at the local station told me that he could walk over (?) to my place and put in a battery in there, and charge me less. Don’t ask my why I agreed, as I was only thinking about savings. Needless to say, the thing didn’t last too long. Sometimes it’s good to stick with going someplace reputable and just paying up!
I am lucky that I have the know how and the tools to complete everything on my car. It is a skill that I taught myself and honed over the years. It has saved me thousands.
Grayson – that’s great to have those skills. I wish I had them, but I don’t. At this point, I pay others – which is okay.
I pay for an oil change to be preformed and it is worth it. They throw in a free car wash and I extend the life of my car. I owned my last car 17 years. My wife’s car is 17 years old and still going strong.
krantcents – 2 cars of 17 years? Great job, and a great example for others!
I just had an oil change at Costco. They have the best price in my town and they check the tire pressure too.
I have a sneaky feeling they top up the washer fluid too because I never add to it.
I put less than 8,000km on my car every year. Usually it is closer to 5,000km and keeping the battery charged in cold Canadian winters is something I have to watch. Several of the -20 celsius and below days I have turned up the highway instead of in to work to give the car a chance to get warm and recharge the battery that works so hard to start the car in the winter.
My husband changes our oil on our vehicles approximately every 6 months. It’s been really handy to just do it at home rather than going and paying someone else to take care of it. By doing it himself, he also can ensure what type of oil is being used as often the car shops use poorer quality oil.
Thanks for the reminder..I need to get some things done soon:)
😀 In the time is money dept, your advice that it’s smart to pay someone else to change your oil brought to mind a hilarious episode. At least, I thought it was funny….
Semi-Demi-Exboyfriend (SDXB) liked to change the oil in our cars, and he did so on a regular schedule. One day he cheerfully marched out to the garage to change the oil in his pick-up. Feeling mighty proud of himself to have accomplished that job, he put the used oil container in the back of the truck to take it down to the nearest Checker Auto for recycling. Turned on the ignition, and…
SPLATTTT!
He’d forgotten to replace the cap on the oil reservoir!
Dumped all those fresh quarts of oil all over the garage floor. You never saw such a mess…or such a horrified handyman. Took him quite a while to clean that up.
Ouch! That wouldn’t be a fun mess to clean up! Another example of the hazards of DIY…