Consumer advice in Aug Debtfree DIGI
If you are a car owner you no doubt see them as a mixed blessing. True, you have to cough up big bucks on services and tyres to keep the thing on the road but it sure is convenient and like many others it probably is helping you earn money as well. Head down to the petrol station and you can find yourself staring at the total figure digits on the pump spinning as fast as your head. Ouch!
We look at a few tips to save you a few bucks when on the road.
Tip One: Don’t speed. If you speed you will get caught. If you get caught you will have to pay fines that you can little afford. If you don’t pay your fines…well, lets say you don’t want to do that or the next time you pull over you might be walking home. Driving faster increases the wind resistance on your vehicle and at higher speeds it requires higher expenditure of fuel to cover distances. Most fuel economy tests are conducted at low speeds. So when the sales person told you your car would get 15 km to the litre they meant driving at a measured pace.
Tip Two: after starting up your engine there is no need to let the car idle for a long time. Maybe once upon a time you had to do this but not with the cars on the market today. Give the engine a moment or two and then head on off.
Tip Three: Try to drive at an even pace. Avoid speeding up and then slowing down repeatedly. To do so, keep an eye on the traffic up ahead and anticipate what is going to happen. If you can get into the top gear and cruise do so. When driving in town try not to race from traffic light to traffic light. You can normally only go as fast as the person in front of you anyway. You are not the star of “need for speed – drag racer”.
Tip Four: Stay off your cell phone. When talking on your phone you are distracted which can lead to you speeding (see point one) or driving at an uneven pace (see point three). It can also lead to accidents. Do you have enough saved up to cover the cost of an accident? What if you were to get hurt and could not work for a few months? What if you hurt someone?
If you have money saving tips you would like to share with others email us on tips@debtfreedigi.co.za
Taken from the Aug 2012 issue of Debtfree DIGI available right here at the top of this page.