How To Cut Down On Your Car Budget

Whether it is needed your daily commute, ferrying the children around to various schools and activities or just for day to day life, a car has become a necessity to 21st century living.  

It does not matter if you live in the suburbs or in the city, a car is a convenience that wins over public transport every time in terms of convenience and speed to destination.  My journey to work for example takes 10 minutes by car, 30 by bus.

I am currently getting back into the car market after a long spell of public transport and I cannot wait to get behind the wheel again.  That said, I am conscious of the costs that come with buying, maintaining and fueling a car so I have been looking around for some tips to help bring down the costs.

Buy Used

If you are looking to be economical and don't want a car that costs the earth, the best thing to do is buy a used car.  I am in the process of looking at second hand cars in Brighton to find a car at an affordable price.

With buying second car, your choices also open up much more and you are more likely to be able to afford a model that you could not afford new, but a version just a few years older that you will love just as much.

Find a Reliable Garage

Whilst in the process of looking for a car, I am also getting advice and tips from friends and family in my locality for a great and reliable garage.  Maintaining your car, making sure that it is serviced regularly and properly (without it having to cost the earth) is one way to keep costs down.

You want to find somewhere that has been recommended by at least three other regular users and look out for comments on pricing etc.

Save on Fuel

Aside from insurance and maintenance, one regular expense for your vehicle is petrol.  There are many ways that you can save money in this area just by following a few of the below tips:

• Slow down - did you know that accordingly to AA research, dropping just 10 miles an hour on speed on the motorway can save you up to 25% in the cost of your fuel?

• Reduce the weight - do you need all the stuff in the boot of your car?  Do actually use that luggage rack on top?  If the answer is no, get rid of it.

• Be economical with the air conditioning.

• Keep an eye on your tyre pressure.

• Drive a manual car - automatic vehicles reportedly use 10 - 15% more fuel than a manual car.

Cut Down on Unnecessary Trips

How many times have you nipped to the shops, the supermarket or local town to buy something, only to return home and remember something that you forgot to buy?  I do it all the time.

To save making unnecessary journeys, pin a simple shopping list on your fridge and keep adding to it.  When you have 5-10 items on the list, go shopping and TAKE THE LIST WITH YOU!

How do you save money on your car budget?

*Collaborative piece

Tips For Preparing Your Garden For Winter

Whether you have a large garden or a small one, there are still things that you need to do to prepare for when winter is on its way.

You do not have to be an expert gardener to make your garden ready for the cold and make sure that it is in the best condition possible for the spring the following year.  But it isn't just about your garden, you need to take care of your equipment too.

Do a Pre Spring Clean

After months of mowing your lawn with grass getting clogged up every time, don't just store your lawn mower in the corner of the garage for months on end.  Give it a good clean, clean out the grass and soil and if you have an older mower, maybe get a service done so that it is in perfect working order when you come to use it again.

Clean up your shears, forks and spades.  Make sure that everything is dried properly and oil the metals parts so that you are not greeted with rust in spring.

Use the Leafs Pro Actively

Where we live we are surrounded by trees, not only close around the property but also with large trees across the road when seem to shed their leaves and deposit them all over our garden, paths and patio.

Cleaning them up is such a chore (especially when they aren't even your trees!!) and then there is the question of where to put them.  Your gardening bin can be filled within a couple of days.  But there is an answer.

After doing some reading last year, I found out that leaf mould is a great way to give structure and organic matter to your soil which will in turn help your plants to grow again in the spring.  All you need to do is find a corner and create an open bin using mesh and a few wood posts.  Shred down the leaves a little, put in your bin, pour water over them and then use leave them.

Once the leaves get mulchy (technical term!) and crumbly, you can then cover your soil and borders.  This is a long time process that can take a couple of years to complete but it gives you somewhere to put your leaves and will benefit your garden in the long run.

Cold Protection

Protecting the plants outside that are in pots is easy.  Simply wrap the pots in sacking and tie up the leaves.

Check out the wooden elements of your garden such as gates, fence posts etc and see if anything needs repair or replacing before the snow, ice and gales hit.  Wooden can degrade quickly if not properly protected and you don't want to have to start fixing things like garden gates and doors in the depths of winter.

Cut back any trees with overhanging branches to enable them to properly grow again in the warmer months and whatever you do, stay off your lawn once the weather turns wet and icy.  The footprints and mess that you mess will still be there in spring and will a mess.  Trust me.

Hire a Gardener

If you are not green fingered or are not sure how to properly protect your garden in winter, hire a gardener  They will be able to tell you what plants you can use during the cold, what plants to put away, what plants to leave and also give your garden a good clean up and tidy so that you are in a great place when the lovely days of spring arrive.

We pay someone to come for 2-3 hours just when autumn arrives so that we are in the best time for making any changes and doing what needs to be done.  

If in doubt, hire an expert!!

The Unspoken Rules of Giving Gifts

As the most festive time of year is inching ever closer, the mind immediately wanders towards gift giving: what to buy your friends and family, and more often than not, the gifts you yourself would like to receive too. There are some unspoken rules when it comes to buying presents for your nearest and dearest, though – and can even cause anxiety – is your present expensive or sentimental enough? Should you have just stuck to joke gifts? Who are you expected to buy a gift for?

Gift Giving Rules to Live By

Why is it that these rules never discussed? It would make life so much easier, don’t you think?

We have all been there – having bought someone a gift card last minute and then receiving an incredible gift that you adore in return. Avoidthe awkwardness and create some hard and fast rules to live by, for Christmas, Easter and beyond!

• If you know someone is buying you a gift, be prepared and make it reciprocal
• Set a cost limit for gifts – either with the individual or as a blanket across the board so that you don’t get blindsided
• Be consistent with the people you buy gifts for, year in year out

By making the most of gift-giving etiquette and these rules for buying presents for your loved ones, you can easily avoid any awkwardness and potential conflict. And we can all agree that this will only ever be a good thing!

Finding a Suitable Gift

Knowing how to find the right gift is something that many people struggle with, but it doesn’t have to be. You just need to know where to start.

Firstly, do some research. Have a look through their social media – what have they been talking about, or is there something they are excited about but haven’t bought already. Instagram and Pinterest – and even Amazon wish lists –are a great starting point.

Make a list of all the things you know and love about your loved ones and use this to help when looking for inspiration. It doesn’t even have to be a gift, organising something you can do together is also a great way of spending some quality time together.

Finally, make it personal – while buying something the person wants or needs is a great start, be sure to add a personal touch. Does your loved one love cheese boards? Put together some of your favourite cheeses and crackers for example.

It’s cliché for a reason, but being prepared in this way can really make gift giving an easy task, and you will go down in history as someone who gives the most thoughtful and generous gifts – and that’s never going to be a bad thing!

Alternative Ideas

These days, knowing what to buy as a gift in itself can be difficult. You always run the risk that you end up buying something they already own or buying something they simply won’t ever use. A great alternative to getting around this is to opt for something less physical; perhaps a donation to a charity or sponsoring an animal, a gift with real value to the recipient. These kinds of gift are so easy to organise and really demonstrate how well you know your friend or family member, and always go down well.

With just a little bit of planning and forethought you can be the gift giving queen or king that you were always destined to be. Follow the rules and you can’t go wrong. It is always worth remembering, though: Christmas is but one day of the year. Don’t get yourself into debt for this one day, your family and friends really will understand if you can’t afford it this year, and more importantly, they will still love you on Boxing Day!