In case you didn’t notice, “doing things yourself saves your money”, is a theme on our blog. Changing your own tires and oil is no exception. If you live in the boonies like we do, it isn’t just a question of saving money, it is a necessity. There may be no one nearby to help you when you need it.

No doubt, we have amazing neighbors who will help us in a heartbeat. We also have a great mobile mechanic who lives a few miles down the road. Still, sometimes, there are days when no one is home to lend a hand or you feel the balance of favors is tipped a bit too far your direction to ask.

Knowing how to do these things not only saves you money and helps you in a critical situation but it also can help a buddy in a tough situation. You never know when these skills can come in handy.

Safety
The first thing to know is how to be safe. Make sure you have the right safety gear on hand in case you have to do this on the side of the road.

Equipment
The next thing to know is what equipment to use. For changing a tire, for example, you will need a tire iron, breaker bar, or lug wrench to remove the lugs. You will also need a jack to jack the car up.

Knowledge
The last thing to know is how to do it. For this youtube videos can be handy but a lot of folks do better with hands-on instruction. You might find that your local college or community center provide weekend or night classes in basic car maintenance. If so, take advantage of them. If not, ask a good friend or family member to show you how.

Skills
Over time you will learn how to do these tasks quickly and efficiently. This will save you both time and money.

Have you ever changed a tire on the side of the road? What was your experience like? Did you have everything you needed?