Do you have any genuine tricks for keeping/maintaining a car that are frugal?
Could be anything from getting a deal on a car wash, or keeping the interior nice, or keeping the engine or tires or anything really in good order.
Also, are there any things you used to be able to do frugally with your car which has changed to be more expensive–maybe due to auto manufacturers changing how cars are designed?
(I’m asking this so if something used to be frugal but isn’t now, people speak up about it.)
Hail is not cheap to fix. We got relatively minor hail damage on one of our cars this year, the bill was over $8000. That was all just dents - no glass, no trim, no lights, no mirrors. I bet hail cars with no other problems get totalled all the time.
It’s often a scam though. When the insurance pays, the solution is always very expensive. if you have to pay out of your own pocket, many mechanics will be able to find cheaper (but not always as good) alternatives.
I witnessed a dent repair that would cost 20 times more at through the insurance than if the local mechanic had his dent expert come in and fix it.