Often, car owners will end up spending more cash than they bargained for just to have a routine maintenance check done. But with a little education you can save on repair costs and reduce your visits to the mechanic. Here are six expert tips that will beg the question afterwards: "why wasn’t I doing these things before?"

Tip #1 Car Brand

Consumer reports show that Japanese brands have consistently held the top categories for reliability and durability in the market. The report also shows that consumers are keeping their cars longer [on average over 5 years] than before. These studies suggest that the first rule when buying a car is to invest in brands that offer both functionality and lower maintenance costs. Also noteworthy is the fact that Japanese auto parts are more widely accessible than American or European brands.

Tip #2 Know your Car Manual

How often do you need to change your oil? Is it every 3,000 miles or maybe every 6,000 miles? You will be astonished to know that you may only need to change your car oil every 8,000 miles or more depending on your car. This knowledge can reduce your cost in half—and although it may seem like small savings—that’s the point—these savings add up. Reading your car manual will not tell you how to repair your car but it will certainly tell you when maintenance is due and how often service parts such as a timing belt needs to be checked.

Tip #3 Keep a Log of Repairs

Stay committed to saving on car repairs. Get into the habit of writing down your mileage and date of each repair done! This will help you track not only when the next routine check should be done but also alert you to any unusual problems occurring after a recent repair.

Tip #4 Learn to Do-It-Yourself

There are some routine checks that you can do yourself. You would be amazed how simple it is to top-up your liquids or even update your windshield wipers. Resources are widely available on the internet. When your car is routinely maintained, it can last a long time without major repairs.

Tip #5 Buy your own Replacement Car Parts

Get a price quote for the part that needs replacing and shop around! Oftentimes you are better off buying your own replacement part than at the repair shop. Smaller auto shop dealers and licensed salvage dealers sell new and refurbished auto parts at discount prices. By doing your research you stand to gain huge savings on overall cost of car repair.

Tip #6 When to Say Goodbye to your Clunker

Don’t hold on to a clunker just for sentimental reasons! Crunch the numbers--total the repairs done over the last 6-9 months--then average the cost over the value of a routine monthly maintenance bill. You know it’s time to give up your car when you spend more money on repairs at the auto shop than on monthly upkeep, and you have a mileage count that is too high.