1. Buy a used car
2. Beat rising petrol costs with a Green car
3. How to cut your petrol costs
4. Tips for cheap cover
5. Shop around

Buy a used car
Buying a used car can represent good value for money, as the value of new cars depreciates very quickly. Second hand does not always mean second rate; a matter of months (or even weeks for a dealer demonstrator vehicle!) can knock thousands off the price of a car. On top of this, the value of a second hand car won’t plummet as quickly as the value of a new one – You will have avoided the biggest ‘chunk’ of its depreciation.

Beware - you must be vigilant in ensuring that you aren’t ‘taken for a ride’ by double checking the vehicle for faults and buying from a trusted dealership.

Beat rising petrol costs with a green car
Not only will a hybrid or a green car save the environment, they can also help you fight against rising fuel costs. Hybrid cars use electricity whilst it travels at low speeds, with a fuel engine kicking in when high speeds are reached. Not only will this cut your fuel bills, hybrid and green cars are also exempt from paying the congestion charge in London. As if this wasn’t enough of an incentive, many insurers offer discounts to the owners of hybrid vehicles. The sales of green vehicles are in any case set to soar this year as people attempt to avoid hefty road tax bills accrued by ‘gas guzzlers’.

How to cut your petrol costs
Slow down! By driving more slowly and therefore more efficiently and by avoiding sharp accelerating and breaking it is claimed that you could save 8% on your annual fuel bill. This can be furthered by turning off your air conditioning, which is also a culprit for fuel guzzling.

On a more practical note, remove any excess clutter from your car – roof racks for example – and reduce the weight of your car, hence the weight of your fuel bill. Similarly, check your tires are fully inflated as otherwise they can drag and create resistance, surprise surprise adding to your already hefty fuel bill.

Tips for cheap cover
Cut down on your car insurance costs by making sure that you’ve got the best deal you can possibly get. You can compare different deals using This is Money’s Deal Finders. To get the lowest quote possible, start by lowering your mileage. If you only use your car on rare occasions, tell your insurer! If your mileage is high, investigate ways in which you can lower it e.g. car share. Other small changes such as increasing the excess and adding a young driver to an older driver’s policy can help you to make savings that add up in the long run.

Shop around
There is no set price for petrol, and as a result the price varies immensely from pump to pump. Supermarkets tend to offer the lowest prices, but it’s worth checking it out online using a free price comparison website such as petrolprices.com as prices are constantly changing.