It’s inevitable as a first-time driver with our new car that money and other expenses are going to become potential stress. This expense stress may be hard, especially after you’ve potentially used an invoice price calculator to get your car for the best price you can. While it goes without saying that your car deserves all the best, spending lavishly on your vehicle isn’t going to get you anywhere. In fact, according to some estimates, an average car costs its owner about $700 on a monthly basis, which is definitely not a figure to be underestimated. With this in mind, here are five simple ways in which you can save some money on your car, by introducing some barely noticeable changes to your driving habits.

1. Save the fuel

The first major expense every car owner faces is closely related to fuel. Luckily, some driving habits tend to make your car spend less fuel. For instance, avoiding what is described as aggressive driving (rapid acceleration, speeding and car breaking) can reduce the amount of fuel your car spends about 5 percent. This goes mostly for the city commute, while on the highway you stand to save even more. While this may not seem as much, according to some estimates, this can save you a bit under $500 on an annual basis, which is definitely not something to be underestimated. Furthermore,turning off your car’s AC, getting the right motor oil and even keeping your tyres properly inflated at all times, might go ahead and save you even more.

2. Getting car parts online

When you take the car to a mechanic, you need to be aware that the reasons why the repair is so expensive is usually due to the price of the parts. You can save quite a bit by purchasing parts online instead. For instance, you can look for cheap tyres Sydney retailers and use them to order high-end tyres for just a fraction of the price you would usually pay for them. Same goes for things like oil and air filters. The best thing about these frugal tips is that they in no way compromise the safety of your vehicle while still saving you a fortune.

3. Save money on the insurance

Another way in which you can save money is by being more mindful about your insurance. Like any other industry, the insurance business is highly volatile and competitive, which means that there are new offers for you to consider every year. Unfortunately, about 61 percent of people hardly ever look for auto insurance once they settle for their first choice. Furthermore, if your vehicle is 10 years old (or older) you need to make one important decision. You see, its base value is now probably so low that ensuring it no longer gives you a clear-cut financial security you might hope for. With this in mind, you should probably consider cutting it entirely.

4. DIY repairs

Finally, even though no one expects you to become a commercial mechanic in the first year of your car ownership, knowing how to perform some simple DIY fixes on your car might save you a small fortune in the years to come. Knowing how to replace a tyre, oil and filters is on its own a great help and might come in extremely handy on a road trip when there’s no one around who can help you. Aside from this, you could also learn how to replace your brake pads on your own, which can save you about $200 each time. Seeing how these repairs really aren’t complicated, this is more of a matter of will than anything else.

Conclusion

While driving like there’s no tomorrow and calling a mechanic every time your car undergoes a hiccup may seem as the easier way out, this kind of behavior can be incredibly expensive. By following these four simple tips listed above, you can already stand to save quite the sum on a regular basis. This kind of surplus is definitely something your budget will come to notice in no time.