Almost every car owner who has spent months paying off a car looks to hang onto that car for as long as they can. Cars are not infallible – they will break down, they will need repairs, and eventually, they will need to go to the great scrapyard in the sky. Did you know that those people who drive their cars for hundreds of thousands of miles before they sell up are often more financially secure than those who are regularly trading their cars in? Not many people know that, but it’s true!
To lower insurance costs it is advisable to conduct a market survey and compare several offers. You can use GoCompare for a quick comparison of compulsory car insurance, and there are dedicated sites where you can compare third-party or comprehensive insurance prices. By the way, the safest and smartest way to lower insurance costs is to keep a clean insurance history, you can also lower the price of insurance if you increase the deductible, choose the option to repair the car in arrangement garages, and remove it from the contract insurances that are not relevant to you.
Since you’ve bought a new model of car, you’ll likely want as much of the value covered as possible when it comes to insurance, which many providers unfortunately cannot do for you without an exorbitant fee. In order to handle this in a more cost effective way, look into how to get gap insurance quotes from a reputable provider. Gap insurance can help to cover the difference between your regular insurance pay out and the value of the car. This can be especially beneficial if you’ve bought a car for a substantial amount of money but want to be able to drive with peace of mind you can afford to get it replaced or repaired in the event of an accident.
Cars are not always cheap, but if you want to have the best buying experience one of the smartest things that you can do is head over to the Edmunds website. You’ll gain some valuable knowledge about the cars that you’re going to be looking at before you buy them and also check out whether you can afford the car in the first place. Every time you move on to a more expensive car, the chances are you are going to reduce your income which could be freed up for repairs that you may make along the way. It’s important to know when it’s time for a new car and we have a few signs that tell you that now’s the time to buy again.
- You break down – a lot! One of the clear signs your car is in need of a trade-up is that your car will not stop breaking down. Every car needs repairs at some point and every car needs replacement tires, replacement brake pads, and other replacement items. However, there is a big difference between doing this every now and then and doing it every month.
- You don’t feel safe. Honestly, you should never be driving a car that you don’t feel safe in. Driving is great fun, but there is a risk on the road. You already know that thousands of people die in road accidents every year, and there are many more injured after that. At a minimum, your car has to fulfill your ability to be safe on the road.
- It’s affecting your daily life. Are you late for the school run? Are you late for work? There are always things that go wrong but if your car is constantly breaking down and making you late for your day-to-day responsibilities maybe it’s time for a new one. Make sure that you read the reviews first, though!
- It’s been a while. A good sign that it’s time for a new car is that it’s been a while since you bought yours. If your car is now a decade old, an upgrade is never going to be a bad thing. A good sign that you should have a new car is that it’s been that long since you bought one – you’re due!
- You need to downsize. Maybe the kids have flown the nest and you don’t need the minivan anymore, either way if it’s just you driving choose a smaller more economical vehicle and save yourself the money.
