It might seem strange me giving advice about cars considering A. I don’t own a car and B. I have never had a single driving lesson but believe it or not between the ages of 15- 17 I had a fascination with cars and couldn’t wait to own my very own special car. I was so excited for my 17th believing that I would get driving lessons so that I didn’t have to wait for hours to ‘travel’ as I lived in the ‘neck of the woods’ as I liked to call it and transport was ‘crap’. Sadly that much wished for ’17th Birthday’ present never transpired and when I moved to London, my dream of owning a car was long gone. Truth be told living in the big city means that I have 24/7 transport links and with my attempts to live a sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle, I no longer see the need to own a car. However if I ever decided to go back to the sticks ( I am from the countryside originally) then owning a car would seem a more viable option to get around.
When I was at that stage where I was obsessed with cars, I was never one for fancy automobiles and much preferred small and compact cars that suited my minimalist personality. So lo and behold my tips below on what I would do if I had a car of my own and what you should take into consideration if you own a car as well!
- Invest In An Air Compressor To Carry Out A Range Of Auto Related Manual Tasks
Air compressors, might seem like a strange thing to invest in when you can schedule an appointment with your local car garage. But as I am all for ‘cost-effective living’, air compressors are able to carry out a series of tasks such as ‘tyre inflation’, spray painting, nailing and stapling which can come in handy when maitaining the condition of your car. In my case, my photographer has an ‘air compressor’ pump that connects to the car and we use to pump up ‘inflatable floats’ as you have may have seen frequent my blog. Rather than pumping the floats manually, the air compressor turns a 20 minute job into a 5 minute job, depending on the size of either the tyre or pump you are inflating.
Don’t forget it is important to keep your tyres inflated to avoid a risk of puncture which can cause accidents on the road.
2. To Be Eco Friendly Skip The DIY Car Wash And Get Your Car Washed Professionally
I always feel guilty about how much water I waste on a daily basis and was shocked to discover that you use 5 – 20 x time more water washing your car at home than you do at a professional car wash which does not bode well for me. Which is why, paying that little bit extra will help leaving your car sparkly clean and ease your conscience about sustainable living too. In my eyes it is important to protect the planet that we live on so doing our bit to minimize our impact on earth, will help leave Mother Nature feeling refreshed.
3. Keep Your Sugar Levels Under Control
While I might not drive myself, I know that taking on long journeys when my blood sugars are low is not good for my mental health or physical wellbeing, which is why I like to keep ‘sugar supplies’ nearby. I am anemic so I have low blood sugars so if I was to do ‘long haul driving’ I would need to keep my sugar levels under control, to reduce the chance of accidents on the road. Keeping hydrated and eating fiber rich apples that have naturally occurring sugars will not create a spike in your blood levels but help maintain them while you are on the road.
4. Take Breaks To Alleviate Car Sickness
I, like many others have travel sickness which can make travelling in cars almost unbearable. While some say they only experience it when they are in the backseat, others receive it even as ‘drivers’ and it can make driving a painful experience. Chewing on a ginger root pre-journey or drinking fresh mint tea can help settle the stomach and alleviate any nausea you may be feeling during the journey, to help you feel right as rain again!
5. Create A Chilled Out Soundtrack For ‘Driving’
While you may prefer up-tempo music and feel more ‘alert’ when a song has a ‘good beat’, up- tempo music can have a negative effect on our driving skills. Loud music can create an obstruction to other drivers but it can also distract you on the road, whereas a chilled out music soundtrack will enable to drive with more ease. This is particularly important to take into consideration when you are a new driver or are currently taking lessons.
What Are Your Main Car Tips That You Would Like To Share With Us?
*Collaborative Post
We always make sure that we wash our car at a car wash in stead of doing it at home, in fact, I’ve heard (not experienced yet) that in Melbourne, if you wash your car at your home very often then the neighbors might complain to the authorities that you are wasting water. I have recently started taking driving lessons and practice a lot. These tips will come in handy for me when I can get my P’s and be able to drive alone. 🙂