Frugal Auto

The Art of Auto Frugality: Driving The Cost of Driving Down

Of all things frugal, few can bring a smile to a guys face like an auto frugality coup d etat, not to be confused with your ordinary every day coup or even the up end Coupe DeVille. No, this coup (pronounced coo) is a victory that overthrows the cost of auto ownership. The bottom line, how can I save money on my car. Simply, give me money saving auto advice.

From saving money of car maintenance to finding the best deal on parts, finding the best milage squeezing gizmo, hyper-mileing the maximum MPG are only a few of the auto frugality joys.

The frugal automobile will be divided into...

• Finding Frugal Auto Parts
• Frugal Auto Insurance
• Frugal Auto Maintenance
• Frugal MPG and KPL
• Frugal Driver

For Extreme Frugal Drivers, the Ultimate MPG Squeezers, we will try to review some of the various mileage boosting gadgets and techniques that are available.

Some are controversial such as the HHO systems. These are also known as supplemental hydrogen fuel cells.

Shows like Myth Busters say they don’t work. Personally I do not believe Myth Busters on this topic. Perhaps the biggest reason is because my third generation Supplemental HHO Fuel Cell is getting me 48 MPG highway and 30 MPG city.

To test out my HHO generator, to make it as scientific as possible, I topped off the neck of the gas fill pipe. Then, instantly hopping on I-81 in Scranton, drove to Wind Gap, PA and filled the tank on exiting the highway. It was exactly 48 miles. The outcome, 48 MPG. It took only one gallon. Actually, I had to squeeze a bit extra in just to get it to the gallon mark.

More about how you can do the same if not more will be found here on your subscription to UberFrugality.

Where can you get the best price on Auto Parts?

Buying a new car, we will review what you need to know.

When to lease and when to buy will be considered.

The New or Used Debate and Small Business.

My Uncle, the former VP of a national airline several decades ago left flying in the skies to fly down the highways and by ways. His business had a fleet of about 20 trucks.

Maintenance was thorough, exceptional and all done in-house. Considering the expense of keeping the trucks running, one day Uncle decided to do a split test. He sold off and bought half of the fleet in brand new trucks. The other half we kept maintaining.

The result...(remember, every time a truck was not working, it was not making money for the company.) Hands down, the new trucks were cheaper in the long run. This was based only on the cost of new vs continued maintenance of the old. It did not factor in down time.

The test was not done there. He further tested to see how long it would be good to keep the trucks. Turns out, depending on mileage of the trucks, trading them in under 2 years was the optimal time. Seems they had their greatest resale value when the milage was low.

Oh yea, since they were new and needing less repairs, there was less demand on the garage and, well, lets just say I am glad I am sitting at a computer working rather than crawling under a truck in the middle of winter.

The Bottom LIne...Uberfrugal may not always be the cheapest route up front. Uberfrugal is not getting the lowest price, it is getting the best value.

Buying used, what questions do you need to ask?

What are you getting when you get auto insurance? What are you not getting?

Need a mechanic? How can you avoid getting taken?