This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Mechanical & Cosmetic Suggestions + Benefits
1. Get Oil Changes Regularly
Get your oil changes, people. It’s so easy to do. Yet, people avoid doing this and continually delay it because they think their cars will be fine.
Avoiding maintenance might decrease your short-term transportation costs, but it will skyrocket your long-term transportation costs.
I’ve had my car for almost ten years with minor issues because I routinely get maintenance. I rarely have any vehicular issues, and I’m still holding onto the car because I genuinely love it. As I treat it well, it treats me well.
2. Listen To Your Mechanic
If your mechanic suggests you replace something, do it. If you don’t believe them, get a second, third, and fourth opinion and decide from there.
Whatever you do, don’t linger on car repairs. Usually, the longer you wait, the pricier it can get because you’re putting more wear and tear on a vehicle that already needs repairs.
3. Use The RIGHT Fuel
For the ~95% of car drivers that don’t use electric vehicles, I know gas prices are a touchy subject right now, but if you got a fancy or unique car, you need to ensure you utilize the correct type of fuel, so you don’t f*ck up your car.
Note: If you have to think about gas prices, please don’t get a car requiring the most expensive gas.
Cosmetic Suggestions
4. Vacuum
Vacuum the inside of your car 1–4 times a month. This will enhance your mental health by providing you with a clean transportation environment, but it will also prevent crumbs and sh*t from getting stuck in multiple areas of your car. Ensure you vacuum those hard-to-reach places, too. A lot of crap collects in those places.
5. Remove Trash After Each Use
Have you ever got in someone’s car and wondered why they had so much trash sitting around in it? It’s pretty whack.
Here’s a remedy: Clear the trash out each time you use your car. This will also keep your car smelling fresh versus the smell of keeping trash in your car day after day.
6. Stop Leaving Junk In The Trunk
Then you have the people who always have to move something out of the way whenever you hitch a ride with them because they leave a bunch of sh*t in their cars regularly. At least put your junk in the trunk. But even then, trunks can be very abused and become another “utility” closet or drawer.
If you don’t need it in your car, remove it.
7. Wash Your Car
When you vacuum your car, you might as well wash it, too. And I put the vacuuming first because it’s what we are less likely to do. It’s easy to go through a drive-through car wash and roll right on out of there. It takes additional effort to vacuum your car and clear the trash out.
8. Don’t Park Close To Cars
If you can, leave considerable space between the car next to you. Even better is to park farther away from cars, just in case someone swings their door open and swipes your car paint.
Benefits
Taking pristine care of your car is a win-win for you now and in the future, if you decide to sell or trade in the vehicle. We often only focus on the internal maintenance of a car when we think about decreasing our car expenses.
But cosmetic maintenance is also an essential piece of decreasing your car expenses. Don’t underestimate the value added to a car that is well-taken care of from the inside out for years on end. All of these suggestions above will do the following for you:
Add value to your car when you sell or trade it in.
Keep your cosmetic repair expenses low.
Decrease the wear and tear on your car.
Increase the longevity of your vehicle – get more bang for your buck.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.