If you’ve been blaming your negligence in garnishing oil change services on your favorite transportation tool, you should probably do some major wallet-searching for some unnecessary expenditures that cost the same or more than what you’d need for an oil change.
When people fail to achieve the maintenance must-have appointment for an oil change,
finances are often cited as the culprit. If you find a coupon and put on fewer than 3,000 miles in a typical 3-month period, though, you should be able to get away with spending around $20 per oil change. Below, you’ll find a list of several non-necessities that cost right around $20; choosing to cut one of them out of your life once every three months probably won’t kill you, but it may well improve the longevity of your vehicle of choice.
1. A Trip to the Movies
Averaging $8 per ticket, just two tickets and a “junior” sized pop corn will bring you up to $20, easily. Truth be told, you probably end up spending a lot more per show, especially if you’re the type that just has to see your new favorite “just one more time” before it’s no longer in theaters. For the price of that extra viewing, you could probably have your vehicle serviced and buy the DVD, once it comes out. Maybe you could even buy some microwave popcorn for your premier private showing.
2. A Fast Food Meal
Since when did going out to eat beneath the golden arches mean spending so much money? For a family of four, by the time you purchase two regular value meals and two kids’ meals at a typical burger joint, you’ve exceeded the amount you could have spent to keep your car in good shape. On the topic of shape, your body will probably benefit from fewer grease pit stops, as well.
3. A Manicure or Pedicure
By skipping just one appointment at the nail salon, you should be able to keep your car in healthy running condition. Particularly if you wear acrylic nails, skipping just one single fill should help you pay for an oil change. If you can’t bear the sight of growing-out nails, wear bandages on your fingers for a couple weeks! You might be able to elicit sympathy, as well, especially if you can come up with a good sob story to share.
4. Just One Mocha a Week
If you’re in the habit of purchasing coffee-shop beverages on a daily basis, dusting off that old coffee maker once a week can add up to an extra $20, or more, every single month. If you tend to treat yourself to a Venti every time, downsizing to a Grande-sized drink or depriving yourself of that extra shot of flavored syrup could mean $0.50 per day, which adds up to $2.50 per week, $10 per month, and enough for an oil change, even without a coupon, every 3 months.
So hopefully you’re now convinced that you really do have an extra $20 to spend to increase your car’s well-being. So skip a movie, meal, manicure, or mocha, and you’ll be well on your way to a healthy engine with a long lifespan.
