See if this sounds familiar. You bought a car you could afford based on budgeting for the payment, gas mileage, and insurance payments. This is great, but you underestimated maintenance and car costs. That’s not so great.

Good news. We’re going to help you put some money back in your pocket. Follow these helpful car care tips and fall back in love with driving your car.

1. Wash and vacuum your own car

It’s easy to spend $15-20 on a hand-wash auto service. Let’s say you go 20 times in a year. That’s at least $300. Instead, try washing your car at home. Even if you use a self-service car wash that costs $3, you’ll save over $200 per year.

2. Change your own oil, fluids and filters

Most routine car maintenance can be done on your own. Some of these include changing your own oil or replacing your air and fuel filters. These DIY projects don’t take an enormous amount of time and can save $130-$150 per year. We recommend using YouTube to find easy how-to videos like this one: How to Change Your Oil

3. School yourself on repair costs

Use websites like RepairPal and AutoMD to learn what fair mechanics charge for common repairs based on your zip code. Knowing how much services costs could save your hundreds, if not thousands, per year.

These three tips will not only save you money on car care but will help your car hold its value when you’re ready to trade it in or sell it. Win-win!