The benefits for your car when moving from the city to a small town

There are many factors that come to play when one considers moving out of the city and into a small town. More will change than you think and it’s good to be prepared for it. And while it can be daunting to move to an unknown area and not see any familiar faces, there is a range of benefits that make a small town the perfect place to settle down or even start out.

One of the changes will be the way you use and need your car. We’ll be looking at the benefits for your car should you make the move from the city to a small town.

Less fuel consumption

When you live and work in a small town, your fuel expenses will reduce immensely. To drive to work from home, if driving is even necessary, won’t take up too much of your petrol tank. Therefore, it won’t be necessary to spend more than the, roughly, R700 on a full tank every month. Obviously, if you want to make trips out of the small town back to the city, you’ll be spending more on fuel but, otherwise, you can practically write off that expense.

You’ll find that a lot of the following benefits revolve around spending less money on fuel. But, with the petrol prices as high as they are and seemingly further on the rise, it’s a serious benefit that can lower your monthly expenses significantly.

Small towns generally have one main road where the garage, café, grocery and clothing stores, auto-shop and furnishers are all, basically, within walking distance of each other. And if you’re used to only finding parking three streets away from where you need to be in the city anyway, the “extra” walking really won’t be too much of a change.

Downsize to one car

If you’re moving from the city to a small town with your family or partner, you’ll probably find that one car is more than enough for everyone to get to where they need to be. Leaving home five minutes early to drop your loved one off to work will still allow you to get to work on time and you’ll be halving your petrol costs even more. You’ll also be saving on car maintenance and car insurance when you only have one car to worry to about.

The process of downsizing your cars may mean you both sell the cars you currently have and find the nearest second-hand car dealership and look for a suitable pre-owned vehicle for the two of you to share.

Lower insurance rates

Not only will you save money by paying for insurance on one car as opposed to two, but small town insurance rates are usually lower than in the city too. And that’s due to the fact that there’s a much lower chance of accidents in small towns, making them lower risk areas and, therefore, allowing lower insurance rates.

Should you choose to keep both your cars, you’ll still end up saving money on car costs anyway with less fuel and lower insurance.

No traffic

Road rage is nonexistent in small towns. Except, perhaps, for you in the first few months as you transition from the urgency of city roads to the relaxed demeanour of small-town drivers. There’s no traffic to make you late for work or burn up all your fuel. Again, allowing you to save on fuel costs and practice your patience on the road.

Not to mention that next to no traffic means clearer air and eco-friendly living.

Helpful community

Another, overall, benefit of living and owning a car in a small town is that you’re surrounded by a helpful community. Everyone knows everyone and no one hesitates to help out when someone runs into a bit of trouble. It’s easy to find a contact for a mechanic when your car breaks down on a Sunday night or at least find some hands to help you get the car back home.

Small towns are accommodating in ways a city is too hesitant or sceptical to be. And, because everything is close anyway, it’s not too much trouble to help someone get to where they need to be. You’ll also not be charged an arm and a leg for a simple car repair, which makes saving for a rainy day easier.

While there are many things you will miss about the busy city life, there are perks to staying in a small town. Most of which are financial perks and who’s really going to complain about that at the end of the day?