If you finance the car, youll have monthly payments that include interest.

Another big part of your ongoing car budget: routine maintenance and repair work.

Because were looking out for drivers on a budget, we excluded data about luxury vehicles.

A couple laugh as they drive in a vehicle.

The sticker price alone of such vehicles makes them bad choices for car buyers making financially savvy decisions.

Over 10 years, the average Prius driver can expect to spend $4,008 on car maintenance.

Our team has compiled alist of creative waysyou can fatten your bank account this week.

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This is a long list, so dont get overwhelmed.

Go ahead and start now, but be sure to bookmark this post so you could easily return later.

Well keep it updated as offers changes or expire.

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Ram 3500 drivers can expect to spend $25,844 on maintenance over 10 years.

But that shouldnt be surprising: Rams vehicles are designed for tough jobs.

Their heavy usage pushes them to their limits and leads to more maintenance over the years.

And those Ram and Ford trucks?

Theyre significantly more expensive to maintain.

So how much does it actually cost to own a car?

According to AAA, $10,728 a year.

In 2023, thats nearly $50,000 on average.

This can help you determine if the asking price is fair.

Instead, youll make a down payment and then finance the rest of the cost with acar loan.

Youll continue making monthly loan payments, including interest, until youve paid the car off.

Choosing a shorter loan term can reduce what youll pay in interest but your monthly payments will be higher.

Before signing, look at yourmonthly budgetto see how much you might afford.

For example, a 7% sales tax on a $50,000 car is $3,500.

In some states, you may also have to pay for annual emissions tests.

But the real savings come from driving ahybrid or electric vehicle.

Thats less money youll owe Uncle Sam when you file your income taxes.

When financing a car, many lenders require that you carry gap insurance.

Once your car is paid off, proactively reach out to your agent to drop this coverage.

Other common maintenance tasks include replacing wiper blades, brake pads and spark plugs.

During inspections, mechanics may uncover more significant repair work.

And on certain highways, you may have to contend with toll booths.

Depreciation

Unlike houses, which usually increase in value over time, cars arenotan investment.

They lose value with every mile.

The difference in value is a cars depreciation.

Cars depreciate most quickly in their first years.

Its already lost some of its value.

However, a new Toyota Prius is $16,500+ cheaper than a Tesla Model 3.

The top 10 most affordable cars to maintain come from Japanese brands: Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi.

Toyota in particular is noteworthy for its dependability.

The brand scored above the industry average in J.D.

Powers Vehicle Dependability Study.

American car brands ranked among the most expensive to maintain.

Rams average 10-year maintenance cost across its models is $16,802, according to research from CarEdge.

Subaru and Hyundai (Japanese and Korean, respectively) round out the top 10.

Timothy Moore covers banking and investing for The Penny Hoarder from his home base in Cincinnati.

Probably not as good as youd like.

It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.

But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?

Ask one of these companies to help…