Controlling Costs – Cars

Today I continue to talk about cost control with the focus being on those who drive cars.  I remind you that by controlling costs one ensures that there is still money available for investments.  It doesn’t matter how difficult are the times one must continue to save/invest so as to put aside money for the retirement years.

As I look around I see a wide variety of prices for gas with some stations being $10 higher than other stations.  It is important to look around and know where the cheaper prices are for Gas.  If one uses 8 gallons of gas (36.4 litres) per week and you can save $3 per litre, that amounts to a savings of $109 per week or $5,700 per year.  The savings obviously increase if you use more gas or save more per litre. To be most effective then you need to buy your gas in larger quantities not two or three hundred dollars at a time.

Another tip is to buy your gas early in the morning before the sun has a chance to heat up the tanks.  Ask any engineer and they will confirm that you get more gas when it is cooler in the tank than when it is hot.

There is a need to plan your trips more carefully so that you don’t waste gas going to the supermarket 4 times per week instead of once per week.  In addition find alternative places to shop or do your business which are closer to together so that you don’t have to drive all over town to get what you need.

Consider doing carpooling with your friends especially as it regards picking up and dropping off the children at school.  It will save you both money and time.  Where kids are old enough taking the bus home may be an option.

There are various other ways of saving gas, from ensuring that your tyres are properly inflated to ensuring that your filters are clean.  Information is available from the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica or online.

Lastly to reduce the cost of repairs, service your car regularly because this can detect problems before they arise.  A small maintenance cost now reduces a larger repair bill later.  Also find out what non – genuine parts can be bought for your cars.  Some parts are fine to buy and will save you money but others will cause major problems in your car or will not work for very long costing you much more in the long run.

As usual this is not a comprehensive list of ways to save money on your cars but just a few to get you started on the way to cost effectiveness.

Feedback Question: do you think that Gas stations are taking advantage of the consumer by not passing on the savings to them?

Tags: cars, costs, economy, Finance, gas, green, jamaica, petrol, savings