Recently, ALL YOU put out a call to our Reality Checkers to ask how they save money on car repair. We got tons of great ideas, including calling your local trade school or vocational center, where students will do the work under supervision for a discounted price.

Another reader, Raelene Velez of Lorton, Virginia, suggested bringing someone with you who really knows cars. She got her son-in-law to ask her mechanic why he was charging for a full hour of labor to repair and paint a door. The mechanic knocked $100 off the estimate.

It pays to question even little charges. Here’s a story from Stacey Koenig of Burnsville, Minnesota:

“I got my oil changed the other day at a place I had a coupon for. While I was waiting, I asked the cashier about different types of oil changes. The cashier explained that there was a rebate of $14 for the more expensive oil change, and I’d get a free car wash/dry worth $8 thrown in. This wasn’t advertised, and had I not asked, I wouldn’t have gotten such a great deal!”

Thanks to Stacey and to all our readers who don’t spend a dime more than they have to—on car repair or anything else.

Posted by Betsy Wiesendanger, Contributing Editor 

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