It costs a lot to own and drive a car in NSW, so why waste money on it? Starting with your green slip, here are our top 8 ways to save money on your vehicle – and a bonus.
Compare prices before you renew your green slip
It might be faster to renew with your current insurer but why pay more than you have to? Green slip prices change every year. The cheapest insurer for you last year may not be the cheapest or the best choice this year.
Use the green slip calculator to compare prices before you renew. This is one of the best ways to save.
Pay registration on time
Paying your registration on time saves you money and effort:
- You have to renew for 12 months if you pay later than 21 days after the due date (even if you prefer 6 months).
- Registration is cancelled if you pay later than 3 months after the due date. Starting a new registration costs more than renewing one because you need a blue slip, number plate and you have to pay for 12 months.
- It’s illegal to drive your car unregistered because that means you’re also uninsured. Penalties are heavy.
Ask us to remind you when your registration is due.
Claim back road tolls if you can
You may be able to claim back your road tolls for personal trips. If you spend $60-$400 a week on tolls, claim a rebate of up to $340 each quarter. Claiming back tolls is one of the best ways to save in Sydney. Note, you can no longer claim the toll relief 40% rebate.
Drive safely
Drive safely to improve your driving record (and get a cheaper green slip). Drive to speed limits, wear a seatbelt and don’t use your phone. Fines for these offences are especially high because they are linked to more road accidents. You also get more demerit points:
- Speeding by 10 kmph or less costs $149 +1 demerit point
- Speeding by over 20 kmph is $592 +4 demerit points.
- Using a mobile phone costs $423 +5 demerit points
- Not wearing a seatbelt is $344 +3 demerit points.
Take extra care in a school zone
You have to take extra care in a school zone because there are children and other pedestrians around. In a school zone, fines for speeding and other traffic offences are higher than usual. You get more demerit points too:
- Speeding by 10 kph or less costs $246 + 2 demerit points.
- Speeding by over 20 kph costs $738 + 5 demerit points.
Know when it’s a double demerits period
Double demerit periods occur at holiday times. They don’t cost you money, but the offences that incur them do. In fact, accumulating 13 demerits will cost you your drivers licence. Without a licence, you may have to take taxis or rideshare. Regular offenders have to pay for a driver education course and driver knowledge test to get it back. Avoiding demerit points is one of the ways to save on your vehicle.
Check history before buying a used car
Before buying a used car, check its current registration status and history. Use check a vehicle registration to find out when registration is due.
- If you buy an unregistered car, you can’t drive it home. You have to pay to get a blue slip and to register and insure it for 12 months.
- If the car is under finance, the finance company can come to you for monthly payments. Go to the Personal Property Securities Register to check. It doesn’t cost much to save a fortune.
Compare prices before you buy fuel
Always compare fuel prices because they vary so much, even in the same street. You could pay 40 cents a litre too much. Our fuel price calculator checks prices from every service station every 20 minutes:
- Select your fuel type.
- Enter suburb or postcode (wherever you are).
- Choose your favourite service stations.
Use our fuel price calculator to keep on top of petrol price cycles.
Bonus: Save money on health insurance too
As a bonus, you can save massive amounts of money on private health insurance. In fact, couples in NSW could save nearly $9,500 per year on Gold Hospital and Extras Cover if they compare private health insurance prices first.
Use our free healthslips.com.au Calculator to find a cheaper policy or compare with the one you already have. It compares every policy from every insurer, with no exceptions.
Still looking for other ways to save? See our 4 price hacks.
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