With the crazy high gas prices lately, I've been thinking of ways to reduce costs that involve my car. I'd like to move closer to my job, but that's not quite in the cards yet. I've been changing my own oil for awhile now and wanted to see how much I'm saving.
On to the money:Cost of oil change: $30-$40, we'll use a $35 average
Cost of oil and filter from Walmart: $13
Oil changes per year: 5
Cash saved per year: 5(35-13) = $110
I'm pretty handy so changing my own oil isn't a big deal. It takes me about 20 mins. You may think the savings isn't worth the work but there are other benefits to changing your own oil. For one, the guys at the lube shop don't care about your car. They'll overfill your oil, strip your bolts, and overlook things that could later be a problem. I like being able to do a quick spot check on everything under my car to make sure nothing is about to break down. Also, being more familiar with your car will help you from being ripped off when you have to get it serviced.
If you absolutely MUST pay someone else to change your oil, don't let them change your air filter! Even the most mechanically inept person can swap out a dirty filter for only the cost of the filter.
How to change your oil
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