With our money having to stretch further than ever recently, we are all on the lookout for new ways to save. When it comes to vehicle costs, be it car insurance, maintenance or fuel costs, there are lots of simple steps you can take to make sure your money goes further.

Get petrol price savvy

The internet is always a good place to look for bargains, and now you can search online for petrol savings too. Have a look online for petrol price comparison sites, type in your postcode, and they’ll tell you where the cheapest petrol is in your area. These sites often offer a free update service where they’ll send you an email as soon as prices start to change near you – keeping you as up to date as possible with fuel savings.

Another way to save on petrol is to look out for supermarket deals. Many major supermarkets offer discount-petrol vouchers to customers, depending on how much they spend in store, so you can save as you do the weekly shop.

Drive Smoothly

Recent tests have found that the way in which you drive your car can have a real effect on its fuel efficiency. Results show that the slower you’re going in top gear, the more miles per gallon you can achieve. This is basically because the faster you drive, the more resistance your car experiences due to wind drag, so travelling at 56mph uses 25% less fuel than if you were to travel at 70mph. Accelerating and decelerating aggressively burns a lot of fuel too, so try to drive smoothly, maintaining a constant speed as often as possible.

Plan Your Journey

This tip is so simple that people often forget all about it. Getting lost on your car trip, or ending up stuck in road works all costs you money. By planning journeys in advance you’ll not only save time, but valuable fuel too. Have a look at a map, or look online for journey planning sites that will help you find the most direct routes possible whilst avoiding areas of heavy congestion. Keep the radio on and listen out for traffic reports that will help you travel more efficiently.

Insure Smart

Shopping around for your car insurance can really pay off in savings. Use a reputable firm such as Kwik Fit Insurance (who offer a 20% discount for buying online – see their site for car insurance quotes).

Car Clubs

A more unusual money saving tip is to check out the new trend for pay-as-you-go car clubs. For an annual fee of around £50, you can join a club and pick up a car in your area, paying around £5 an hour to drive it where you like. This includes insurance and petrol, up to a distance of around 30 miles per day. If you drive further than this, you’ll be charged around 20p per mile for the excess distance and this will be added to your bill at the end of the month. So if you’d like to use a car but the thought of car prices and car insurance premiums sends a shiver down your spine, then this could be the option for you!