this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2024
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51
How to save up money/cut down on expenses in a „healthy“ way? (lemmy.ml)
submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
36 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I would like to mention that I do not intend to open new bank accounts, so yeah...

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[–] spicytuna62 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

~~Big talk~~ Unfortunately, that's a huge ask if you've never crossed a six lane stroad on foot. The American transit system is often downright hostile to anyone not in a car. It can be goddamn terrifying. Adding: If OP can get around safely and feasibly on a bike, this is great advice.

Otherwise, there are ways to cut down on car costs if you need one. What car you own matters. Get something extremely common that never breaks. A 1998 Camry or Corolla are probably two of the most solid cars money can buy and junkyards are full of them. Parts are cheap and available.

Learning to do your own basic maintenance will also save you lots of money.

  • A dealer might charge sixty bucks to swap a cabin air filter. It takes one minute and a replacement for my Honda Civic is eight dollars on Amazon. Same story with the engine air filter.
  • Check your oil and transmission dipsticks every once in a while for level and condition.
  • Check your brake fluid level and clarity.
  • Tire pressures are on the inside of the driver door jamb. Learn how to properly inflate your tires, including the spare.
  • If your car came with a scissor jack, a tire iron, and a compact spare, you can rotate your own tires in 30 minutes without buying any tools.
  • On an inline four cylinder engine, spark plugs are often on the top of the head, below a cover, and are insanely easy to replace. Just be aware of torque specs, especially on an aluminum head. A torque wrench can be yours for ten bucks at Harbor Freight.
  • Check your lights and blinkers every once in a while and learn how to replace bulbs. This is important on older cars that use halogen and incandescent lamps. A tail light is a few bucks, takes 15 minutes to replace, and will probably save you from a ticket.

Learning how to replace some parts is also a big plus and parts stores will often lend you small tools for some jobs free of charge.

Many states also offer discounted rates on yearly registration for older cars. In Oklahoma, it costs me $26 a year to tag my '97 Honda.

Finally, get a dash cam and the cheapest insurance you can, and drive like you're on probation and on thin ice with your parole officer.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I've crossed a six lane highway on foot twice this year. That had little to do with my suggestion to consider cycling if OP lives in a denser area.

Your suggestions on reducing car costs are good ones and I'm upvoting your comment because of them. But chill out, dude. We're here to offer OP advice, not take potshots at each other.

[–] spicytuna62 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Sorry about that. I didn't mean to come across aggressively. I get a little fired up at the thought of crossing a huge, fast road, and it doesn't help that cars are way bigger and drivers seem way worse these days.

No question bikes are the best way to get around in a densely populated area. My wife and I stayed in a condo in a building that housed a Target (Newmark Tower) when we vacationed in Seattle a couple months ago. If I could afford it, I'd buy that condo and live that way. We rented a car while we were there, but we barely drove it. It was genuinely liberating not needing it. We rode the monorail. We took the bus from time to time. We climbed a stupidly steep hill to get dinner one night. It was awesome.

But man, I live about a mile and a half from the grocery store and I refuse to bike there for the simple fact that there are way too many fast, wide roads to have to cross to get there, and there are zero bike lanes along the way. Unless you're on the college campus, everything here is built for the convenience of the car at the detriment of literally everyone else.

And if OP also lives in the burbs, I reckon their situation is pretty similar.

Again, sorry that I came across aggressively. I didn't intend to get so riled up about it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Big talk if you've never crossed a six lane stroad on foot. The American transit system is often downright hostile to anyone not in a car. It can be goddamn terrifying.

Unfortunately you're right, I remember needing to take the car between the hotel and the Starbucks 500m away because there was a flicking big road on the way(which is insane for a European) .

I don't get how American Karen don't get mad at their mayor for the lack of way to cross the street