1) Learn to do your own repairs, starting with the simple stuff like brakes or oil changes. You’ll have to start buying tools, but it’s a great investment. It’s nice to get to know an experienced home mechanic as a mentor. We’re usually happy to pay our knowledge forward and lend out a few tools.
2) Hunt for the shop that supplies the mechanics. They rarely go to the major parts stores, where prices are typically much higher. One time I saw a worker from Autozone AND one from Kragen standing in line ahead of me. Seems like their employee discounts just didn’t cut it.
Just this spring, my wife’s fuel pump went out, my starter died, and my engine block sprung a coolant leak, all within a couple of weeks. The mechanic would have cost us at least $1500, but I pulled out my service manuals and got to work. With just over $300 in parts and a few evenings getting greasy, our cars were back on the road.
Two things that have saved me a small fortune:
1) Learn to do your own repairs, starting with the simple stuff like brakes or oil changes. You’ll have to start buying tools, but it’s a great investment. It’s nice to get to know an experienced home mechanic as a mentor. We’re usually happy to pay our knowledge forward and lend out a few tools.
2) Hunt for the shop that supplies the mechanics. They rarely go to the major parts stores, where prices are typically much higher. One time I saw a worker from Autozone AND one from Kragen standing in line ahead of me. Seems like their employee discounts just didn’t cut it.
Just this spring, my wife’s fuel pump went out, my starter died, and my engine block sprung a coolant leak, all within a couple of weeks. The mechanic would have cost us at least $1500, but I pulled out my service manuals and got to work. With just over $300 in parts and a few evenings getting greasy, our cars were back on the road.