When it comes to being a college student and having money, the two of these just don’t mix.  Students often find that it’s hard to come by money and when the money does land in your pocket, it’s spent on college textbooks, tuition, and everything else under the sun.  While it’s hard to save money on everything, there are a few things you can do to save on gas as a college student.

Start walking - If you’re not staying on campus and your college is close to home, try walking to your college instead of driving.  Even if you have a bike, start riding your bike and locking it up on a bike rack at your school.  If you can ride or walk, this will cut out most of your driving already.

Public transportation – Living in a big city can have it’s advantages and if there’s mass transit such as the buses or subway system, take advantage of these!  Subways and buses are relatively cheap and you’ll save a lot more doing this than compared to driving your car.

Start a carpool – Whether you know someone in your class or you have friends that take the same classes, try and work out a carpool and schedule so you can drive every other day.  This right here will save you half the money you were already saving on gas.  Not only will you save on gas, you’ll help the environment.

Manage your time better – If you have a lot of appointments, meetings, etc, try and do everything at once instead of going home a few times a day and going back out.  If you know how to manage your time a little bit better, this can cut back on your mileage.

Saving on money as a college student isn’t that hard, it just requires a little thinking and a little action on your part.  Make sure you drive as little as possible and drive only when you need to.  If you can follow these two golden rules, saving on gas as a student will be a breeze.

Accessorizing your car can be fun but did you know that some auto accessories such as car seat covers can not only help you car look nicer but make you feel better as well?  Well, if you didn’t know this, there are actually car seat covers on the market that do more than just look good for you.  I did a little research on what I found to be the top three car seat covers on the market.

Wagan Universal-Fit Air Circulating Ventilated Seat Cushion

The Wagan seat cover is not only a cover but a ventilated seat as well.  The ventilated top and bottom will keep you cool on those long hot car rides.  This car cover works great in hot climates such as Arizona, Texas, etc.  For the price, it can’t be beat.  You can usually pick up one of these seat covers for less than forty dollars online or at your local auto store.  If you’re looking for more than a car cover, this is worth checking out.

Spy Style Bucket Seat Cover

The spy style car cover is a cheap alternative for those looking to cover up their old and dirty car seats.  If you’re looking to make your car look a little nicer, I would recommend these simple covers.  These covers generally range anywhere from ten to twenty dollars depending on where you shop.  The spy style seat cover is easy to install and will protect you from pet hairs, stains, and everything else that may show up on your car seats.

Wagan Luxury Seat Cover

If you’re looking for a seat cover that’s a little nicer on the eyes, you may want to take a look at the luxury seat cover.  You may see the word luxury and think it’s going to be expensive but once again, you can pick one of these up for less than fifty dollars!  The luxury seat cover is nice for any vehicle weather it’s new or old.  With a wedge shaped seat for better spine alignment and leather that’s easy to clean, the Wagan luxury seat cover is more than just a simple cover!

Hopefully by now you have an idea on what kind of car seat cover you want.  Whether you want a cover that allows ventilation or you’re just looking for something to cover up an old filthy seat, there’s something for everyone out there.  There are thousands out there and not just these three.   These are just the top three seat covers that I recommend.

Looking for car floor mats can be tough sometimes because some are just too cheap looking or they just don’t fit the feel of the car.  I did a little research online and found the top three car floor mats on the market.  All the mats I link to are just simple mats but what I factored in what the cost, quality, and reviews from other car drivers like you.

Rubber Queen 70511

The Rubber Queen floor mats are by the far the best for the price.  You’ll receive 4 floor mats, two for the front, and two for the back.  These floor mats are heavy duty and aren’t the cheap kind you find your local grocery store.  These simple designed floor mats will match just about any car interior.  They come in Black, Gray, and Beige.

Rubber Queen 70501

The 70501′s are slighty cheaper than then 70511 but these floor mats come with construction holds for rain, snow, and dirt.  If you’re not a fan of these rubber type holds, I wouldn’t recommend these.  Some people don’t like them for the fact that they are harder to clean up.  These mats are customizable for your car as they can be trimmed with scissors.  These mats come in black only.

Rubber Queen 70506

I’m sure by now you can see that I’m a fan of the Rubber Queen brand.  The reason I like them so much is the fact that they are very reasonable and customizable.  You can’t beat the price!  The 70506′s are very similar to the 70501 but instead of having a black color, these come in clear only.  If you like the clear floor mats, these are for you.  In my opinion, I’m not a big fan of them since they don’t look good in my car but that’s my opinion!

The car floor mats I’ve listed above are just a few of the thousands on the market.  If you don’t like the plain colored ones or the Rubber Queen brand, try looking at customizable brands.  You can get everything from a character on it to your car’s name on it, it’s all up to you.  These are going to cost you a little bit more but they may fit the style a little bit better.  If you’re looking for a cheap solution, I’d go with the ones mentioned above.

Do you have a car that isn’t very reliable?  It seems like everyone runs into at least one of those in our lifetime.  Although have you ever stopped to think maybe it’s not the car and instead it may be how you treat the car?  Auto maintenance on a vehicle is very important.  To keep our car running healthy and out of the shop we need to take excellent care of it.  Just think, we need to take care our ourselves to keep us away from the doctors and it we ignore it, things will only get worse.  Here are a few tips to consider about your vehicle.  These tips will help keep your car running healthy and away from the auto mechanic.

Brake earlier – Often people tend to brake to hard when it comes to stopping.  When we brake hard on a regular basis we are slowly wearing away the vehicle’s brake pads and rotors.  When the brakes are applied hard we are heating up the brake pads and rotors, and nothing ruins them more like heat does.

Avoid hard starts with the gas pedal – When we take off from a stop fast we are damaging our transmission.  Your transmission is a very expensive part of your car and needs to be taken care of properly.  If your car is stopped, gradually step on the gas.  Avoid any flooring possible.

Check your tire pressure – Checking your tire’s air pressure is also very important.  This should be checked every month or so.  Not sure how to check it?  You will need to read the information on your tire that tells you the psi (pounds per square inch).  This number tells you what your tire pressure should be at.  Once you know the number, you will take a tire gauge and press it on the air nozzle of your tire.  Once you press the gauge on your tire it will give you a number on what your tire is currently at.  If you need a lot of air be sure to fill it as soon as possible, if you have too much let some out.

Let your car warm up – You should let your car warm up no matter what temperature it is outside.  Your vehicle has oils that move around the engine to help lubricate the moving parts when you start the car.  If you don’t allow time to let your car warm up you may find problems in the near future.  So, just take a minute and let it warm up.

Change your fluids regularly – There are many fluids in your car that need a lot of attention.  You need to flush the parts and refill them with clean fluids, not just top them off.  Be sure to check your transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and your oil.  These all play a major part in how your vehicle runs and its lifetime.

All of these steps may sound intimidating at first but once you get the hang of it and do it for the first time you will be just fine.  Follow these few tips and save your money by avoiding the shop, it’s that easy!

It seems like the unexpected always happens when we least expect it.  Whenever we’re in a hurry, unprepared, and not expecting something to happen something does.  At some point we will all come across a flat tire in our life if we haven’t had that experience already.  Find out how you can be prepared, and ready to treat your flat tire when it comes.  These simple step by step instructions will get you prepared, able to fix your flat, and back on the road in no time.

1. First you will want to pull off the road to a safe spot, a place where you have room to work, and are away from potentially dangerous objects.
2. Put your vehicle in park and engage the parking brake.
3. Turn off your car and be sure to turn on your hazard lights.
4. You may want to open the hood to indicate to other cars that you are working on repairing your vehicle.
5. Wedge a solid object behind any wheel that might role backward or forward.
6. Get your spare tire, a lug nut wrench and a jack out to begin working.
7. Remove the hubcap if necessary
8. Now you will want to loosen the lug nuts that are in the star pattern.  (Don’t take them off just yet)
9. Carefully jack up your vehicle.  You may want to get out your owners manual to find the safest place for raising your vehicle.
10. Lift the vehicle just a little bit higher than you’d think to make sure you have room to remove the flat and replace it with the spare tire.
11. Take off the lug nuts completely and place them in a spot where you won’t loose them.
12. Now remove the flat tire and set it aside.
13. Lift the new tire onto the wheel studs.  (Make sure the air plug is facing you to make sure you placed the tire the right way and not backwards.)
14. Put the lug nuts back on the wheel.  Make sure you tighten them as tight as you can to make sure they don’t fall off.
15. Slowly lower the jack and remove it from under your vehicle.
16. Put the hubcap back on.
17. You’re back on the road! Good luck!

Changing a tire may seem very intimidating at first but it is rather easy.  If you have the supplies you need, and the patience you will be back on the road in no time.  Take your tire, be careful and find yourself on the road and ready to go again!