Four money-saving tips to make sure you’re road-ready for festive trips
FAMILIES who drive to see relatives at Christmas do an average of 115 miles, so it pays to be prepared.
The RAC puts the price of fuel at around £23, but the whole cost could easily run to more if things go wrong.
Get road-ready with these simple, money-saving tips . . .
CHECK, MATE: It’s a good time to join the one million drivers who have signed up to Halfords Motoring Club.
You get a free ten-point car check, saving £15.
Pack a breakdown kit, such as the Auto XS, £19.99, from Aldi, which has a hazard- warning triangle, tow rope, booster cables, foot pump, gloves and torch.
DE-ICE ICE BABY: A TikTok video’s doing the rounds showing drivers defrosting windscreens using a carrier bag filled with hot water.
But Graham Conway, managing director of Select Car Leasing, warns that using red-hot water, rather than warm, could crack windscreens.
Instead, to de-ice windows, he suggests mixing three parts vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle.
JAM-PROOF YOUR JOURNEY: You may not be able to avoid traffic queues altogether, but you can make sure that you’re prepared to sit it out.
Take entertainment for the kids, a fully charged phone, extra layers of clothing and food and drink.
Keep a couple of blankets in the car — like Wilko’s pink fleece one, down from £4.50 to £2.
Pack heated handwarmers in case you break down and have to sit at the side of the road.
Halfords has a value pack of five pairs of Hot Hands handwarmers, down from £4 to £3.20.
FUEL FOR THOUGHT: Petrol prices are ramping up money worries this Christmas.
But there are things you can do to pay less.
Register at petrolprices.com or confused.com/petrol-prices to find the best-value fuel near you. Check supermarket pumps, too.
Asda recently cut petrol by an average 4.5p a litre, diesel by 5.5p, according to the RAC.
- All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
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