Where would we be without our cars? When I was first separated from my ex husband I didn’t have a car. Hailey and I walked to the grocery store and loaded up a little rolling cart with groceries and headed back. That worked great until the wheel came off halfway home on one trip. Now only did we have to carry all the groceries but the cart too!
I was very grateful when I finally got a car, it was used, the air conditioning didn’t work, you had to take the fuse out to make the windshield wipers stop working and occasionally the horn would get stuck for no apparent reason. For all it’s faults I loved that little car.
Later I was able to buy a new car, which was very good because I know nothing about cars. If it stops running, all I can say is its broken. I don’t know why, I don’t know how and I certainly can’t fix it. A new car was the perfect answer, under warranty and brand new, no need to worry about repairs.
I did however learn to maintain my car. Since I know nothing about cars I have someone else rotate the tires and change the oil. If you buy a new set of tires the tire store will usually throw in lifetime rotation for free. I even get reminder emails. The importance of this is that not only will it help your tires last longer and save you money but they can also point out any problems, like a bad alignment. The same goes for oil changes, they check things that I don’t understand and fill all the fluids and let me know if there is a problem.
Make sure you find automotive places you can trust. When I first bought my car it seemed that every time I had the oil changed the shop found a problem that cost an additional $50 to $100 to fix. This didn’t seem right so I shopped around until I found a place that is honest and has never tried to charge me for things I don’t need.
Also, the auto parts store can be a big help. If you need a light bulb changed or a new battery installed, many times the person working behind the counter will help you, saving you from having to pay a mechanic. Just remember to tip him for his time.