Being a frugal driver is not such a bad thing, because when it comes to owning a car, keeping costs down can be a priority. With car payments, fuel, insurance, maintenance and everything else, repairs could make it impossible to own a car. However, if you live in a region that requires a vehicle for transportation, it may be critical for your financial wellbeing to save money on repair costs. Also, you don’t need to sacrifice your vehicle for the sake of saving money – you can still drive around comfortably. The key, however, is to do your research and to have a penny-pinching mindset. Here are five ways to save money on auto repair costs.

1.  Look at peer reviews for the automotive shop where you might have your vehicle repaired. Whether you’ve blown a gasket or you have a broken fan belt, you want to make sure that all the reviews are positive. What you don’t want is a company with no reviews or reviews that are negative. Also, you want to pay attention to reviews that hint to the fact that a particular garage has a habit of gouging prices on their repairs or making up repairs in order to get more money out of people.

2.  Find out if your road side assistance or automotive club is partnered or has certified the repair shop where you are getting your vehicle repaired. You can either ask the sales person whether they are certified, but they may also have a sign on their window or near the register. All you have to do is tell them that you are a member, and you can get up to 20% or more off your car repair costs. This can be a great way to save money, especially if your vehicle needs a lot of repairs.

3.  Get a loan to pay for your vehicle repairs. In fact, you can contact eTitleLoan in Florida and take out a loan against your vehicle’s title. This can be a great way to get the money you need to maintain your vehicle and then pay off the loan over the course of six months or more. When it comes down to having your car repaired, sometimes it can be easier to pay off a loan than put down all the money at once.

4.  Ask your friends where they have their car repaired. Sometimes having a trustworthy mechanic is all you need. In some cases, you can walk into a car mechanic’s garage and they will charge you an arm and a leg – simply because you are a new customer. However, if you get your car repaired with someone that your friend or family member knows, you can often get a much better deal.

5.  Make sure that you know exactly what you are having repaired. In some cases, repair shops will add on extra work without having you sign off on it first. So, make sure that you call and check on the progress of your vehicle. This can often stop a mechanic from making unnecessary repairs – even if they are small ones.