Owning a car is one of those things that many of us can take for granted. We need one for our daily commute to work, we might need one for convenience, for traveling and getting somewhere quickly. But initially people only associate costs when it comes to the initial buying process. Buying a car is not an easy thing to do and there are so many considerations, but after you have taken delivery of it and its sat on your driveway, you have to start budgeting for fixture costs. Car ownership costs are an ongoing thing. With that in mind, here are some of the things you may have to budget for.
WHEN THE CAR BREAKS DOWN
Often we don’t think about a car breaking down, but of course, any car can have something go wrong and this is when you need to consider what your options are. The chances are you will be nowhere near home or a garage that can help with repairs. So it is always a good idea to factor into your budget breakdown services or having contact details for specialists like Swan Towing Service who can then pick you up and get you to the nearest garage or repair centre. Having this in your budget means no unexpected costs should this happen.
ANNUAL SERVICING COSTS
The annual servicing costs are something that you should be more aware of, but they can still take you by surprise when you least expect it. The servicing comes once a year or when you hit a certain amount of mileage. This means that you need to have budgeted for the costs, but the one thing you need to think about is the costs involved with additional things that may need to be rectified. Anything from breaks to new windscreen wipers or bulbs.
UNEXPECTED REPAIRS
We have already covered that you need to budget for unexpected breakdowns and how having a service you pay for or budget for towing is important, but you also need to factor in the costs of unexpected repairs. The things that do go wrong may not be covered by a warranty that you have, so you will need to take this into account for future costs.
GETTING INTO ACCIDENTS
The one thing that we cannot predict at all is whether or not we will be involved in some form of car accident. Often these accidents occur when we least expect it. Driving around, concentrating on the road, but it only takes one person to take their eyes off things and accidents can happen. Insurance cover, being aware of what to do in the situation and seeking professional advice will help you get through the financial burden that a car accident can incur.
BODYWORK DAMAGE
Finally, you may be parking your car up, thinking it is safe, and the next thing you know, you come back to find a dent or a scratch that wasn’t there before. Again this can happen when Hoya least expect it, but not getting small bodywork damage fixed can mean it rusts and causes more problems that cost more in the future.
Let’s hope knowing about some of these car ownership costs will help you budget better in the future.
Photo Credit: Bentley
