You just got into a car accident, and you ‘re afraid that the new bills are going to be rolling in just to fix it.  Now, if you have car insurance, I would highly recommend that you look into calling up your car insurance company first, before you actually go out and pay out of pocket.  What you will find out that you can get a lot of your damages covered, but again each and every state is different.

How you can ballpark your estimates

Where did it happen? Every part of the car is going to vary, when it comes to your damages.  Did you get hit in the door?  Did you get hit in the bumper.  After you diagnose this, you will also want to rate the damage from a 1 to 10.  If you see a slight dent, then it’s probably a 2ish.  If the door is so smashed in, that it is almost touching the other side, then it would probably be a 10.

From there, you will want to diagnose the area that was damaged.  Can you remove the part easily?  For example, if it is a hood, you will notice that you can more than likely take one hood, and replace it with another.  If it’s a small dent, then it probably only requires a little pop.

The best way to find the price on the damage estimate, is to be precise online.  Do a search for what exactly happened.  Let’s say that you have a Dodge Caravan.  Let’s say that you got hit in the bumper, what you can do is search this and see if anyone else experienced the same problem.  This works a lot of the times.

Getting a close number

Many of the times, you can find a part online and see what the part price is going to cost.  Now, on top of the part price, you’re going to want to add in labor, which can range from $20+ an hour, depending on the job.  So, what I will do is basically take the part price and triple it.  So, if you have a door that needs to be fixed, and the door sets you back $200, then you probably will pay $600 to get the whole thing replaced.

While I would love to get you a great estimate, every make, model,  damage, as well as area are different.  Your best bet is to either get a search done online that is very detailed, or even head down to a collision shop to see what they would charge.  Most of them will give you a free estimate in person.

Whether you have a smaller house, a driveway, or maybe you just want to park your car in a safer spot, you’re going to find that a canopy is going to be the best route, when you want to protect your car from the sun, and rain.

If you’re looking for a canopy, you’re going to want to first make sure that your homeowner’s association, as well as city ordinance allows it.  You will also want to make sure that you get one that is big enough to fit your car, as well as fit in your yard.

Listed below are 5 canopies that you can consider for your car:

• 12×20 Ft Canopy by Generic (around $130): A reasonably priced canopy that measures at 12×20.  Very easy to set up with tubing fittings, as well as bungee balls to stake into the ground.  This is one of the better selling canopies on the market.
• Caravan Canopy 10×20 (around $85): This white canopy is one that is great for those that are looking to save some money.  Not going to cost you no more than $85, you’re going to find that this will do the job for anybody out there, with a car.   This brand has a high duty, high grade steel frame, so that you know that it will keep your car safe.
• ShelterLogic 10×20 (around $300): This Shelter Logic branded canopy is great for those that want a canopy that protects your car all around.  Most canopies will protect your car from the top, but this one in particular will protect it, as if it were in a garage.  With great stability, and a very strong steeled frame, you can be assured that your car will remain safe.
• Domain Carport by Caravan Canopy (around $65): This canopy almost reminds of the Shelter Logic based brand, where you can protect your car around the whole car itself.  While it is one of the cheaper ones, you’re going to find that this particular brand is going to be out of stock quite often.
• MOTO SHADE Deluxe (around $140): The last one on my list is this one made by the company MOTO SHADE.  Another reasonable option that is great for trucks, vans, cars and more.  In addition to this canopy, you’re also going to get UV Protection, as well as no tools required, when you want to put it up!

These are just a few of the many ones on the market today.  You’re going to find that if you want to protect your car from the snow, rain, sleet or whatever it may be, you will want to highly consider a few on the top 5 list above!

Every car needs a battery, and you’re looking to purchase a new one, you’re probably wondering on how much you’re going to have to spend, in order to get one in your car.  Whether you want to purchase one new, or maybe used, I wanted to give you a ballpark number on what you should expect, when you want to get a price idea.

Listed below are generally what factors the price tag, when you’re thinking about getting a new car battery:

• The size of the battery: Every car is going to use a different sized battery.  Since there are different sizes, you will find that this will influence the price.  You will find that there are group sizes such as 24, 65 and 75.  These are your most common sizes.
• The CCA: The CCA or known as the cold cranking amps will influence the price as well.
• The warranty: With most things in life, if you’re going to add a warranty to your battery, you’re going to have to pay extra.
• The brand: Brands play a big role in our lives.  If you’re going to go with a higher end battery, you’re going to have to pay more.
• Installation: While some places are going to charge you for installation, some places will do it for free.

With the average sizes that are mentioned above, you’re going to find that it is going to cost you anywhere from $45 to as much as $150 for a battery.  If you start to factor in the brand, as well as installation, you could pay as much as $200 for the battery itself.

How you can save on the battery

If you want to save, I would consider looking online through various automotive car shops online such as Amazon.  If you know how to install your batteries yourself, try to do it on your own.  You will find that this will be able to save you a few extra dollars.

Keep in mind that some states will make you pay an additional fee, if you’re looking to dump, or throw away your battery.  For example, a state such as California will charge $10+ for this process.

If you don’t already have an AAA membership, you may want to think about getting one.  Not only can you get great roadside assistance, you’re going to find that you can get some great saving options as well such as saving on your dinners, as well as saving on your rental cars!

If you’re looking to see what companies are going to allow you to use your AAA membership, when you want to rent a car, they are exclusively partnered with Hertz.  This is as of 2010.

What are you going to get in terms of a discount?

They state that you can get around 10% off your booking rate.  Now, this can change, according to what plan that you want to sign up for.  You will also find that you can take advantage of the following offers as well:

• You can get a free car seat rental with your car.
• You can get a discount with the GPS rental.
• You can also get 10% off the fuel purchase options.
• There are also other exclusive upgrades that you can take advantage of as well.

To take advantage of this offer, and learn more about the program, AAA has an informative page that you can view by going here.

If you want to find rental car discounts, without having a membership such as AAA, you will find that you can get many other discounts by following the following tips:

• Search for coupon codes online.  You can either search for the company itself, or you can search for “rental car coupons”.
• Search sites such as Priceline that will help you compare more than one rate to give you the best price possible.
• Check out travel deal forums / sites such as Travelzoo.com
• Call up, and negotiate your price with the company itself.

You will find that you don’t just need an AAA membership to save.  While this can work for many, the discount isn’t the best thing around.   The next time you rent a car, test out these tips to see how much you can save.

Credit: Flickr.com

Buying a used car can be a pain in the butt, if you don’t know what you want to purchase.  When you’re writing down what you want to buy, there are a few factors that you’re going to have in mind, and that is the following:

• Price
• Reliability
• Features
• MPG

What I did was scour the Internet, and found a few cars that many people tend to have luck with, as well as professional publications that have done studies over the past few years.  Many of them are factored those same qualities mentioned above.

1. Toyota Corolla
2. Mazda MX5
3. Honda Jazz
4. Honda HR-V
5. Honda Civic
6. Nissan Micra
7. Volvo S40
8. Toyota Celica
9. Ford Fusion
10. Toyota Yaris
11. VW Lupo
12. Volvo V50
13. Mini Cooper
14. Ford Fiesta
15. Honda Accord
16. Toyota RAV4
17. Lexus IS 200
18. Ford Focus
19. Nissan Almera
20. Kia Sorento
21. VW Golf
22. Ford Cougar
23. Lexus RX300
24. Sabaru Forester
25. Toyota Landcruiser

How did you come up with the list?

I scoured the Internet, and what I did was use part of the Reliability Index page, as well as Google some of the names to see how they fare with other users.   What I also factored in was the average repair costs, the resale value, as well as how many are still on the road.

You’re going to find with any list is that most of the foreign car companies such as Toyota, and Honda dominate.  When you’re looking to purchase a car used, you will want to take a look at these, because most numbers don’t lie.  Not only are you going to more than likely sell that car in the future, you’re going to want a car that won’t break down on you.

Of course, besides the list above, you’re going to want to look into more than just the reliability.  All of the cars above are going to fall into various price ranges.  You will also want to look into features and more.  As long as you do your due diligence, you should be able to find a car that best suits your needs, as well as one that is going to last you a long time.