How to Budget for Auto Repairs and Maintenance

Posted: Apr 02, 2015
Author: Country Town Tire & Auto Service Center

Experts say that the best way to formulate a budget is to base it on your past spending habits. So, when you’re building auto repair and maintenance expenses into a budget, the most accurate and best thing to do is to use amounts similar to those in the past. This will help ensure that the budget is suitable for your needs.

Here’s what to do:

1. Gather all your vehicle maintenance records for the past year. Depending on how you pay for things, these may include your online payment history, your check register, and/or credit card statements. Only use amounts you paid for auto repairs, tires, oil changes and other necessary work. Do not include insurance or car payments.
2. Add all the expenses together to get the full amount that you paid for repairs and maintenance for the last 12 months. Divide this figure by 12 to get the average monthly cost. For instance, if you spent $900 in the past year, you should budget for a minimum of $75 a month.
3. Adjust the budget to take your vehicle’s present condition into account. If your car is older, it’s likely to need significant auto repairs in the coming year, so you’ll need to increase the budgeted amount to cover the extra work.

At Country Town Tire & Auto Service Center, we are proud to serve many communities in and around Hickory, NC. We specialize in auto repair, premier alignments and replacement tires. We also stock top-brand tires to keep your vehicle running smoothly and safely. For more info, please contact us.