Nine Easy Ways To Save On Car Expenses

Whether you drive a Ford (F) or a Mercedes (DAI), one thing is certain: Neglect your car and you will pay in the long run.

Everyone wants to save money, but when it comes to your car, most people focus exclusively on how to save money on gas while neglecting other important areas.

This is especially true now that full-service gas stations no longer exist in most areas of the country. Self-service means that basic mechanical checks are a thing of the past.

If you haven't been properly maintaining your car, now is a great time to take some time to check all those small things that often get put off or overlooked.

Money isn't routinely spent on your car by only buying gasoline. It's estimated that more than 5% of all vehicle accidents are the direct result of lack of vehicle maintenance resulting in approximately 2,600 deaths, 100,000 disabling injuries and $2 billion in financial losses each year.

By taking the time to make sure that your car is in top working order, you will help your car last longer and improve driving safety in addition to saving money on gas.

Here are nine basic maintenance checks you should make and how they can help save you money:

1. Check gas cap: Before you laugh at this one, one in six car owners on the road is spending more on gas than they need to because of their gas cap. Approximately 17% of vehicles on the road have gas caps that are either damaged, improperly placed on or missing altogether. Gas caps that aren't firmly closed allow gas vapors to escape resulting in the loss of 147 million gallons of gasoline each year which vanishes into the air.