No matter how much it costs, owning my own car was the best decision I’ve ever made.
Before I bought my first car, I was trying to find out if I could maintain the cost once I bought it but couldn’t really find any resources online. Luckily I was able to take care of it, but I wished I could have had the whole plan before I got into it so it was not as scary as I felt. It’s good to have a plan beforehand when it comes to money.
So in this post, I would like to share how much I spent to maintain my car in 2023. I hope this will help someone who is thinking of getting their 1st car!
Total $19,107.47
And the details are below.
Basic Info
Car : 2023 Subaru Outback Premium
Location : I live in Queens, New York. (This affects my insurance.)
Parking : I park my car on the street. (so I don’t pay for parking. And finding a spot is not that bad in my neighborhood.)
License : I’ve had my New York State license for about 4 years. (This also affects my insurance.)
Mileage : About 5,000 miles every 3 months.
28.0 miles per gallon (This is what it shows on the dashboard)
Oil change
About every three months.
Car Wash
About once a month.
Mechanic
Mechanic cost in the list was for my 2011 Outback. None for my 2023 Outback so far.
About AAA membership
When my first Outback (2011) got overheated and the engine died in the beginning of June 2023, it took 6 hours for them to get me a tow truck. I was on Interstate 78 in New Jersey, between Irvington and Hillside. There was a AAA branch around there but they didn’t wanna come. So they were trying to outsource and it took that long. so I would recommend to do research if you are thinking of becoming an AAA member.
Only good side was, because I have a AAA plus membership, when a tow truck finally came, I was able to bring my car to the Bronx, where my mechanic was, without money out of my pocket. (It was about 30 miles away). This is the only reason I am still keeping the membership.
In Conclusion
To be honest, I am surprised how much I spent last year. I will try to find a way to save for 2024!
Hope this report helps you to make a plan to purchase your car!
