Toward the end of each December, you begin to reflect back on the year and think about how you were blessed, about the memorable moments you had with friends and family, and maybe even about the things that went wrong that year.
Then you decide to make a few New Year’s resolutions: lose weight, save more money for retirement, and join a recreational sports league. You feel good about these goals and are ready to start accomplishing them right away.
You put so much thought into how you can improve your life; but what about your vehicle? What can you do in 2020 to improve your vehicle and keep it “healthy”?
The following are some great ideas on New Year’s resolutions for you and your vehicle.
- Become more environmentally friendly: If you don’t own an electric or hybrid vehicle, there are still some things you can do to be an eco-friendly driver, which will also keep your vehicle healthy and hopefully will last longer because of it. Here are some quick tips: avoid speeding, keep tires properly inflated and regularly change filters, don’t idle, use cruise control when you can, and travel light.
- Get maintenance done regularly: This includes an oil change, tire rotation, checking on fluids and for leaks, replacing air filters, and checking brake pads. Mark days on your calendar for the entire year to remind yourself of when things need to be checked.
- Keep your interior clean and tidy: Don’t allow your vehicle to become a trash receptacle. Dust, wipe, vacuum, and organize the interior at least twice a month. Keep items in your vehicle to help with the process when things get messy, such as wet wipes, a small trash bag, and a microfiber cloth.
- Learn how to do basic maintenance and repairs yourself: Save yourself some money and increase your self-efficacy and car-competency by learning how to do a few fundamental maintenance and repair tasks. You can start with something small like adding fluids, changing the windshield wipers, or change the oil.
- Start saving: Whether it be for an entirely new vehicle or for unexpected expenses, start a special savings account for your vehicle…or at least put away a specific amount per month that will go toward this. You’ll have more peace of mind and will definitely feel better when something sudden happens and you have extra cash on hand to take care of it.
You’re probably in your vehicle for a good portion of each day, so don’t neglect and forget about it. Create monthly or yearly goals so that it can run more efficiently, be cleaner and greener, and satisfy all of your vehicle needs.
If you added a vehicle repair or paint job to your New Year’s resolution, contact Downtown Autobody in Rohnert Park, CA. They are trusted locally by friends and family and can help you with your paint or body repair needs.