Save money on your car over Christmas

Sleigh bells ring… Are you listening? On your driveway snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, but it’s not alright because your car expenses are out of hand… Okay so it’s not the best song, but it’s pertinent to worry about your car costs getting out of hand around this time of year.. Especially when you have other seasonal expenses to content with.

When you have the whole family to buy presents for, the inevitable expense of Christmas dinner and the spend-a-thon that is a New Year’s Eve out on the town, we all need to take whatever savings we can get.

Fortunately, while we tend to think of our vehicles as an expense (no matter how much they mean to us), there are actually a number of ways in which they can afford us great savings over the festive season, leaving us with more income free to spend elsewhere. For example…

If you’re going to buy a new car, now’s the time

Your vehicle is your trusty steed, but there comes a time when even the worthiest steed needs to be put out to pasture. If you’re thinking of replacing your bedraggled warhorse, the festive season is an ideal time to do so.

It’s a widely held belief that December is the best time to make savings on a new vehicle. The festive season is a traditionally quiet time for dealerships and many of them will happily take a hit on their profit margins if it means that they get to hit their sales targets and thus get their bonuses in by the end of the year. Their loss, however, will be your gain.

Switch your car insurance

We all know that letting your car insurance policy renew when it rolls over can result in you paying way over the odds for your car insurance. Even though this bare faced scam has been curtailed somewhat in recent years, many drivers still find themselves ripped off for assuming that their insurer will reward their loyalty.

Fewer, however are aware that you can back out of most policies even before they have expired. If you see a better deal offered by an alternative provider like Metromile Insurance you can quit your policy mid-term and take advantage of a better offer. While there may be a small fee attached it will usually pay for itself in potential savings.

Invest in winter tyres

Winter tyres are a great investment. They differ from regular tyres as they have a greater tread depth and are made of a different rubber composition to prevent them from hardening in cold weather like summer tyres do. Both of these aspects combine to give winter tyres superior grip.

This make your vehicle safer on the road and allow for a more responsive experience in icy or snowy conditions, allowing you to feel much more in control. But aside from the obvious safety merits, winter tyres can also save you money.

Because they allow your wheels better purchase on slippery surfaces, your wheels will spin less which makes for better fuel efficiency. What’s more, by using them throughout the colder months you can also save a lot of wear on your more expensive summer tyres.

Be smart with your car costs this month and you’ll have a lot more to spend on fun stuff in the lead up to Christmas.

** This is a collaborative post