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New year, new you, right? Oi vey, if that isn’t the biggest lie to oneself. People don’t change in a day - raise your hand if you went right to greasy fast food for the New Year’s hangover cure. Okay, so for some people, Day One was a flop, but today is a new day and another chance to get it right. Try something you have complete control over, like your wallet. Let’s talk saving money in 2018.
Once-in-Awhile Costs
A lot of drivers have Triple AAA because it’s a great service that has been around forever. However, in recent years, many auto insurers and manufacturers have started offering complimentary roadside assistance, which is the most popular reason people purchase Triple AAA. So, our recommendation to you if you pay for Triple AAA is to check with your insurance company to see if they offer complimentary roadside assistance. Also check your manufacturer warranty because a lot of manufacturers offer roadside assistance within the first few years of the purchase of a vehicle. If you are covered by roadside assistance from your manufacturer or insurance policy, you could save some money and still be covered with roadside assistance if you cancel your Triple AAA coverage.
Ongoing Costs
There are numerous ongoing costs of owning a vehicle. The big two are maintenance and fuel. They say a car is a horrible investment unless it’s a classic or modification to make a profit. That’s because spending money doesn’t end with a signature. There will always be future costs, and to keep a vehicle running and in good condition, that comes down to maintenance and repairs.
There’s always regular maintenance like changing the oil, and washing and waxing, and from time to time there are repairs that need to be made. To save money on the cost of regular maintenance or repairs, shop around and get some quotes for work. Some auto service establishments charge more than others based on reputation or name, whereas others may follow the usual standard price. Try finding some bargains when taking a car in for service, such as coupons found online or service specials.
Alternative Fuel
Fuel is another ongoing cost. Aside from also shopping around or getting a gas card with points, saving money at the pump is hard to come by. There are vehicles that can help with this though.
The quickest way to save money on fuel is to get an alternative fuel vehicle. It may cost a bit more at first to get the vehicle, but alternative fuel vehicles get cheaper to make every year, and that equates to savings for the consumer as well as the automaker. The most inexpensive alternative fuel vehicle available at NowCar right now is the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV, priced at $37,128*. With a range of 238 miles and only a few dollars to charge up the vehicle’s battery, that’s a whole lot of savings in fuel costs. Include the federal tax credit come next year’s tax season, and after a few years the car might just pay for itself in savings.
If going green isn’t on your mind, either for the upfront costs or wary about needing to find a place to charge up to keep it practical, then there’s always vehicles with electric start-stop. The 2018 Chrysler Pacifica comes with a 3.6-liter V6 engine with the electric start-stop (ESS) as a standard. Not only does turning off the engine while at idle saves gas, but the myths about electric stop-start harming engines are false.
See? We already have a list on how to save money. There’s one thing we didn’t list here though, and it’s obvious. You can always save more money by shopping for a car online with NowCar. Now let’s talk about other ways to save money this year on NowCar social media.