Do you have any genuine tricks for keeping/maintaining a car that are frugal?
Could be anything from getting a deal on a car wash, or keeping the interior nice, or keeping the engine or tires or anything really in good order.
Also, are there any things you used to be able to do frugally with your car which has changed to be more expensive–maybe due to auto manufacturers changing how cars are designed?
(I’m asking this so if something used to be frugal but isn’t now, people speak up about it.)
Dashcam. For $80 you can fight back against your insurance company when they try to screw you out of thousands!
Since this is “frugal”, my brain immediately went, “I wonder how much a used one is?”
And for some reason the idea was unsavory, as if a used dash cam might be dirty or something. But I can’t imagine it’d be different than any other sort of used electronics.
There’s probably a good ghost or horror story in the thought though, playing on the idea of buying up used dash cams and seeing what horrible images are left behind on them…
Dash cams are often exposed to extreme heat due to their placement. I wouldn’t trust a used one not to fail due to this. Hell, I’ve had brand new ones fail after about six years because of heat damage. My car navigation is suffering the same fate. It sucks when you don’t have covered parking.
Dash cams are often exposed to extreme heat due to their placement.
To this point, anyone considering a dashcam should get one with a super capacitor and NOT an internal battery. This is especially true if you live in an area that gets extreme cold or heat throughout the year.
Never drive in a hurry. Seriously what’s the rush? Don’t ever crash and you’ll save a ton of money.
It used to be economical to do my own brake pad changes, but since about 2015 getting the lines bled correctly after (on an American car) requires a special computer that isn’t available to the public.
Let’s all support better “right to repair” laws.
Edit: Don’t let my comment keep you from doing your own brake pads. As pointed out - a brake line bleed isn’t typically needed when just doing brake pads.
Maintenance is critical for a long and drama free life for a vehicle.