One of the most prized possessions you’ll ever have is your car. It’s usually the second most expensive item you’ll have in your life and so you’ll want to make edits to it where you can. The problem? As it’s the second most expensive possession you have, it’s also going to be costly to upkeep. When you’re working to a budget, you need things to be cheaper and not too expensive and that’s not the easiest thing to have!
Over time, your car is going to depreciate and it can feel dated and lackluster – not what you want to achieve with your car! You want to make sure that you give it a bit of a makeover from time to time to make it feel like it’s brand new – even when it’s not. Sure, you can add the fun things like cheap number plates and cheap air fresheners, but you should be able to do an upgrade or two over the life of the vehicle without making yourself become too out of pocket. The problem is that most upgrades on the market can be far too expensive. The cost of cars is at a high right now, and you need easy and affordable not tough and expensive! So, let’s take a look at some cheap ways you can upgrade your car and give it a second lease of life.
- Add a new touchscreen. Most newly made cars come with a built-in GPS with a touch screen these days. Technology has really revolutionized the way cars are connected to the world and a touchscreen is a must to keep the car moving. The good news is that if your touchscreen has gone out, you can replace it relatively cheaply. You can buy them at car accessories stores for under $50 and they improve your overall driving experience. When you connect your phone to your car, your touchscreen will help you to play tunes, use the GPS and connect calls. You can install it easily with the help of YouTube videos and you don’t even have to spend the money on a local dealership.
- Install a backup camera. Do you have a front camera on your car already? You can either add a reverse camera to the back of the car or you can add an extra camera to the front. Dash cameras aren’t too expensive and you can install them relatively easily, too. It can make your car feel brand new again and dash cams aren’t massively expensive, either. You can install it yourself, which means that it’s a smart as well as cheap way to give your car a boost.
- Consider the blind spots. Do you have blind spot detection on your car already? This could save you from accidents on the road and make being in traffic far easier. Your car can sound alerts when it’s too close to either other vehicles and a blind spot detection system can really help you with that. It may cost you a little more to have it installed, as it’s not really something you should install by yourself, but the costs can be low. The actual systems aren’t expensive, either, which means you’re adding some safety to your vehicle without much outlay.
- Something for the kids. A small upgrade that could cost thousands of road trip fights and grumbles is a tablet headrest mount. When the kids are fighting over the magazines and the games in the back of the car, you get sick of hearing it over and over. So, installing a tablet headrest mount allows you to put the tablet on with a movie, keeping them from fighting and arguing and ensuring that you are able to keep focus on the road. The kids end up entertained and you get a relaxing and peaceful drive along the way. The good part is that they’re super cheap to buy and very easy to install, meaning that you get your sanity back!
- Give the sound system an upgrade. When was the last time you got your sound system looked at? You can make your car feel new again with a brand new stereo system and you can either remove what you have and install a new one, or you can just upgrade the speakers to enhance the sound. Either way, your car gets an instant fix up and it doesn’t have to cost the earth to do it. There are affordable options for your stereo system and you benefit from it almost instantly.
- Add tire pressure monitors. These don’t have to be very expensive, and you can keep your tires properly inflated when you do. It’s essential for your safety as well as your fuel efficiency and with the right tire pressure monitors, you can keep track of the pressure. You can also ensure that your tires are at the right levels no matter what. It’s easy to install and you can monitor your tires for a tiny cost, keeping you safe on the road.
- Upgrade your headlights. It takes time, but the headlights of your car can cloud over and become yellowed. Not only does this decrease your visibility on the road, you might find that you struggle to manage seeing on the road. Headlight restoration kits are easily available and they can be bought from your local automotive store. They often come with sandpaper, polishing compound and sealant, and you can then upgrade your lights and even change the bulbs if you want to. Headlight restoration isn’t the most expensive upgrade you could do but it’s definitely effective.
- Give the car a good clean. It’s an underrated way to upgrade the car, but a good interior and exterior clean is one of the best ways that you can upgrade it. It can feel like new again and you can even push the boat out with a wax and a new coat of polish. Vacuum the car out, clean the upholstery and wipe the windows to start with, and this simple process can make all the difference to the car without you having to go too far overboard.
- Give it a respray. When was the last time your car had a paint job? A spray of the entire car may sound expensive on paper but realistically, it doesn’t have to be. Consider how often you would actually repaint your car and go from there. Most people do a new spray once in a car’s lifetime but if you want your car to have a whole new look, it’s a quick and effective way to do it.
- Change the battery. This one may not be particularly cheap but it’s often cheaper than other larger upgrades. A battery change can go a long way and every little upgrade can really help to make the car a better and safer place to be. You’ll be able to improve both the functionality and the safety of the car in one go.
If you haven’t upgraded your car in a while, you might feel assured by the fact you don’t have to drain your bank account to do it. Car upgrades can be as affordable as you like and if you want to splash out a little more you can. Your car is an extension of your home living space so focus on getting it cleaned out first and foremost and then keep going from there. Once you make the smaller upgrades you’ll see such a huge difference.
© Copyright 2024 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife
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