The world’s economy has been extremely unstable in the past few years, and especially because of the pandemic that we have been experiencing, we are aware that all the prices are going up. We have all witnessed the rise in expenses, and it seems like the only thing that is staying the same is our paychecks. The cost of living is extremely high, and that affects our means of transportation as well.
Since most families own at least one vehicle, we need to consider how we are going to maintain our cars without that putting an additional toll on our budget. Here, we are going to talk about how rising inflation can affect your car maintenance expenses, and what you can do to save some cash and still keep your vehicle going.
How is the car maintenance affected?
As you already know, when inflation goes up, so do the living expenses. Life becomes more expensive in every single way, and currently, we can notice that with the rise of the prices for food, gas, and petrol, we can also see it in pretty much every other aspect of our lives. Having a car is no longer a luxury, and more often than not, we need the vehicle in pretty much every aspect of our daily lives. We don’t use our cars to just go to work or the store, but we use them for pretty much everything every single day.
When we get in the car, we need to know that we can safely travel from point A to point B and that it won’t break on the road. The only way to ensure that is to keep the auto maintained and that also means changing parts when they no longer function properly. Things like breaks, fluids, and filters need to be changed and replaced promptly, and when we delay that, we risk experiencing huge damages that could lead to us having a vehicle that is not good for anything but the junkyard.
The statistics have shown that less than 5 years ago, maintaining your car per year cost less than 1000 dollars, and today, those costs can get as high as 1500 dollars and even 2000. It is expected for the service costs to get even higher by the end of the year.
When we think about vehicles, we tend to focus on just privately owned cars, but we cannot forget that there are many services that use fleets and that need to tend to more than one auto at a time. That would mean that not too long ago, we were able to maintain our autos relatively cheap, and today, we need to spend hundreds of dollars every month just to be able to have a car in a working condition.
Because of the inflation, it is said that people are giving up on their cars, and even worse, many people try to skip the service and just continue driving the automobile for as long as possible. This could lead to many issues, including injuries, crashes, and even deaths.
Since we cannot influence the economy and since we cannot do anything to stop the maintenance costs from rising, we need to find a way to reduce the expenses and still keep our vehicles safe.
What can you do about it?
If you have been wondering what you can do to help your finances, the shortest answer is to look for used auto parts instead of brand-new ones when you need to maintain your vehicle. And you can always find used auto parts here: https://www.usedpart.us/.
There is a lot of misconception that the second-hand parts are not going to be good, but as long as you purchase them from a trusted service and as long as they come with a warranty, chances are, they are going to work perfectly for your car.
When opting for these parts, know that even though they will not be new ones, they are still going to help you have a vehicle in a working condition, and the maintenance is going to cost less. Keep in mind that if a new part can service your auto for 5 years, you should not expect the used one to go more than 3 years. This does not mean that you should steer away from them, and when you calculate all the expenses, you will notice that you can save hundreds and even thousands of dollars per year on upkeep.
Another thing, that you need to keep in mind is that it is better to service your vehicle monthly and pay a bit here and there than to wait for every single light on your board to go off before you take it to the mechanics. When you wait for too long, you are not going to do yourself any favor. When one part does not function properly, with time it is going to create a lot of strain on other parts, and that will ultimately lead to you having to replace or repair too many parts that were not affected right from the start.
The solution to this is to have your vehicle checked regularly, and that will definitely decrease your costs. It is far better to spend 50 dollars every month on this process than to spend three thousand at the end of the year when the mechanic tells you that there are too many parts that have been affected.
The bad thing in the current state of the world is that experts suggest that inflation is only going to continue to rise, for at least the next several months. We need to prepare for that, and we need to be smart with our choices. The next time you notice that your vehicle needs to be taken to the service, do not postpone it. The sooner you get it checked, the better and less expensive it is going to be for you. When choosing the parts, try to go with used ones, and know that the service you choose is going to play a role as well. Look for a transparent service that takes pride in the parts they offer. Always consult with your mechanic beforehand, and consider getting some spare parts that you can keep in your vehicle for emergencies.