Do your vacation plans include a flight to some far away destination? Did you know that you can save on the cost of your flight by changing the airport that you fly into? I have learned to shop around for the best flight prices and then use a rental car to finish my trip. Having done this for many years, I have learned a lot that can help you make the same changes to your travel plans. Use the tips and advice found on my website to begin making the plans for your next vacation. Hopefully, you can save as much on your trip as I have.
If you're a car owner, you have to budget for occasional car repairs. It doesn't matter how carefully you treat your vehicle, parts will wear out and need to be fixed or replaced. It can be expensive, but you may be paying more than you really have to. There are a few tricks that can help you save money on routine car repairs, and they're easier than you may think. All it really takes is a little knowledge and preparation on your part. Take a look at a few of the very simple tips that can save you big bucks on your car repairs.
Cut Down on Diagnostics
When an engine is leaking oil, the problem is pretty obvious. However, when you bring the car in because you're hearing a squealing or knocking sound in the engine, or because of some other hard to identify problem, part of what you're going to pay for is the time the mechanics spend looking for the source of the problem. You can knock down the price by doing your part to diagnose the problem before you bring it in.
An easy, low-tech way to do this is to keep a good record of all of the previous repairs and maintenance work you've had done on the car. Knowing what you have and haven't had done on your car can help your mechanic narrow down the problem much more quickly. Get a folder or envelope to save the records of previous repairs and maintenance tasks and keep it someplace easily accessible, like your glove box.
If you don't mind investing some money into diagnosing your own car problems, you might also consider buying your own on-board diagnostics scanner. This is a device you can plug into your car that interprets signals from your car's computer and lets you know what the problem is. You can buy the scanners from a number of online retailers. Or, for a less expensive option, you can buy a Bluetooth-enabled dongle and download a smartphone app that serves the same function as an on-board diagnostics scanner. With one of these devices you'll be able to tell your mechanic exactly what the problem is.
Suggest a Price
Everyone's heard stories about mechanics who blatantly overcharge their customers for their services. Maybe you've even had a similar experience yourself. Most mechanics are honest, but sometimes when you're unprepared, it's simply too easy to end up agreeing to an unnecessary upsell.
The best thing that you can do to avoid needless upselling and overcharging is to suggest the price yourself. Studies have shown when customers of either gender quote a price to the mechanic, they end up receiving the same offer from the mechanic. This may be because, when you walk in with a price in mind, you're showing that you're already informed about your car repair, and therefore less likely to be talked into paying any more than you should.
Avoid Double Charges
Often, when one part of your engine needs to repaired, several other parts need to be removed in order to reach the part that needs repairs. The smaller the car and the more compact the engine, the more the parts tend to be in each others' way. This can significantly add to your labor costs, but you can turn it to your advantage by having more than one repair done at the same time.
For example, if the part being repaired is underneath your radiator, this may be a good time to have your old radiator hoses, thermostat, or water pump replaced. The mechanic will already be removing those parts, so just have new ones put back in. To save money using this method, you'll need to know a little bit about where your engine parts are located, and you'll need to negotiate with the mechanic for a reduced labor cost for the part replacements, since you'll already be paying full cost for the same labor for the original repair. This will not only save you some money in the long run, it will also save you a trip back to the mechanic to have those parts replaced later.
Saving money on your car repairs doesn't require you to be a mechanic yourself, nor do you have to have any secret intel on where to find cheap parts. All you really need is to do some advance research before you go to the mechanic. You can also click here for more information.
Share8 June 2015
