Hello Dear Reader,
Like you, I’ve broken down. The car has hiccoughed to a halt
and then just wouldn’t start again. Often, it’s just something minor as an
electrical fault but when you’re on the side of the M5, it’s pouring with rain,
it’s a dark winter’s evening, I can assure you it didn’t feel minor at the
time. As someone asked me for advice on this matter I thought I would share my
experiences and opinions which changed after that.
Every day, we have a forty mile round trip commute and we
choose to go to work together in the car. We drive up and down the A38 between
Liskeard and Plymouth. Like all sensible travellers, we keep our car in good
condition, make sure it is regularly serviced and we ensure there is always
plenty of fuel in the tank. We haven’t had a breakdown at all with the car we
have yet we always make sure we have breakdown insurance. Over the years, we’ve
used all of the providers of breakdown cover and have found that the best for
our area is the AA. I’m not sure how you can find that out for your area but
we also checked our suspicions on motoring forums. Well, the petrol head
husband did that for me.
On the occasions where I have broken down, I was on my own
on both situations. All I wanted to do was call someone I could trust, let them
know that there was a woman stood on her own at the side of the M5 and be
assured that someone was on their way. I’ve also broken down, late at night and
in the middle of Plymouth and was reassured when I was told to wait somewhere
public such as a cafe or pub and that I would be found. The other incredible comfort,
was not only that my car was fixed, but I was followed for a few miles to make
sure the car was ok and I was safely on my way home.
As a car owner and regular commuter, I have to make sure I
get my money’s worth out of every mile. I need to make sure that most of the
repairs can be fixed roadside or that the car can be put on the back of a breakdown truck and taken to a garage of my choice. Be warned, not all breakdown
and recovery services will promise you that and will just take you to the
nearest garage. I also make sure that I take out a new policy every time and
don’t just renew. I’ve just taken out a policy with the AA and been given a £50
Amazon voucher for doing so. That gift back almost halves the cost of their
insurance that I would have bought
anyway at the full price. I also got a good deal that the car is insured for
breakdown whether either of us were driving it. It means we can leave the
insurance details safely in the glove compartment and neither one of us is
responsible for carrying it around. In the past, I’ve broken down and had to
phone home for the policy number and phone number. Now, the car is covered.
No matter how well we look after our car and even though
we’ve not broken down since we’ve had our current car we always take out
breakdown cover. It’s money well spent on peace of mind. In answer to you Dear
Reader, yes I always have breakdown cover and consider it worth every penny.
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs xx
I entirely agree , we always have breakdown cover , its usually between RAC and the AA, i don't think there is much between them ,peace of mind is well worth the cost and the expert advice that makes you informative to the garage you choose to do the repair so you are not fleeced in the long run
ReplyDeleteAs I drive an old banger (I put a pic of her on my blog yesterday!!), yes I do have cover. I got an excellent deal through Groupon a few years ago and got cover for something ridiculous like £20. Since then it has gone up, but the last time I shopped around and went back to them with a cheap quote I had found for £45 and they matched it. I had to use it last year when the brakes went going down a steep hill to a campsite in Dorset. That was terrifying, but I have to say the RAC were excellent and we had a courtesy car for a few days of our holiday whilst the garage fixed it. I just have the basic cover with no Homestart, but I wouldn't be without it.
ReplyDeleteJane
shoestringcottage.wordpress.com
We have had our AMA membership for nearly 25 years and have used maybe five times. But the sense of security is priceless especially when driving through some of the remotes areas of my province.
ReplyDeleteTwo old cars here, £150 to RAC. Both broken down since we got it last October. Nothing serious but oh the joy of the little orange van. Well worth every penny!
ReplyDeleteMy father used to be one of the shift controllers of the road side assistance for the AA in our state. I have nothing but praise for the men and women who do these jobs. In peak periods it was amazing to watch the logistics of the operation pre-computer days.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more. Have been with Green Flag for some time now and found them to be wonderful - I have needed them twice in the past 4 years - both times the car has failed me when I've been on my own, in the dark, in the winter when it has been raining heavily. Both times I had prompt, efficient rescues Bob's motorbike is covered by a Carole Nash specialist biker policy, and they were equally good when he had his accident last February, in terms of recovering the bike, getting him home and sorting out the insurance.
ReplyDeleteThis is one bit of our budget we regard as non-negotiable.
great post, Froogs!
I'm sure its different where we live but: we used to have AAA. It was $117 per year for our 2 cars. I called my insurance company and asked if they offered roadside assistance coverage and it turns out we had already been paying for it with our insurance premiums. It's only $8 a year for both our cars. It's a reimbursement type deal, so if we were to break down I would just call a tow company and then submit the receipt to my insurance to get reimbursed. I keep meaning to write down the name of couple tow truck companies to put in the glove box just in case. We've never actually had to use this. My husband's car is only 2 years old and is a lease and my van is a 2007 and in good condition, plus we both work within 5 minutes from home and have lots of family near by. Last time my battery died, my step-dad was able to meet me within 10 minutes of my call and give me a jump. But for $8 a year, its nice to know if some major tow or repair was required we could recoup some of our money.
ReplyDeleteI have been a frugalista for a very, very long time. I've left blogs and forums because nothing is new. But you have just changed that!!! It's simple and brilliant and would have bit me if it were a snake. So many times I have been disappointed because something is offered for new customers and nothing offered when I renew. I never thought to renew as a new customer or reapply. Really what is the difference and why should I be penalized for being loyal. New mindset. I will ask for the special given to new customers and get it or cancel and then become new again. I am feeling giddy :o) Thanks
ReplyDeleteIn the US AA is Alcoholics Anonymous, so I smiled every time you referred to it. I wonder if your AA is the same as our AAA, refered to as Triple A. Here, a tow truck comes to the aid of AAA customers/insurers last and will only take the car to the nearest garage. My insurance charges me $2.50 for roadside service--towing, gas being brought to me, locksmith service, etc. It is the best money I have ever spent. It is illegal for repairs to be done on the roadside, hence I had to pay $98 for a thermostat. That included towing, a $2.50 thermostat, and installation. I was so upset.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, my car has not broken down in years. It is always so upsetting when I am stranded and frightened, not to mention wondering how much it will cost.
OH Froogs, this post is freaking me out. I have breakdown cover but my car has started making a disturbing grinding noise. I MUST get it checked because it would be awful to break down with all the little ones in the back. I hope it'd something that can be easily repaired!
ReplyDeleteThis is way off this topic, but inquiring minds need to know....do you have a recipe for a gluten free breading for fish? I have my cod fillets (great sale price this week) and we want to have fish and chips.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
In the US, I've got AAA-Plus, and the "Plus" is that I pay a bit more but can then be towed up to 100 miles, instead of to the nearest garage. I live in a rural area, and most places I drive to are at least 25 miles away. The extra cost has been worth it, for the few times (over many years) that I had to be towed, and especially for the one time my car cooling system mysteriously emptied itself onto the parking lot while I was teaching, and I was 71 miles from home. Bonus: the driver gave me a lift right to my own door on the way to taking the car to the shop.
ReplyDeleteBack in the day, when we had a new vehicle every three years, they alway came with free three year coverage. Horribly expensive way to get it though, and one of the reason we got into debt in the first place. We are making do with our 18 year old truck now, so that we can pay things down and get rid of the mortgage. I discovered that the AA here has a Mastercard that earns points towards our coverage, so we have one just for fuel only, and last year only had to pay $17.00 for the remainder of the year's coverage. I pay it off diligently every month, and it has a very small limit. I walk to work and back, and my husband is semi retired , so we don't put lots of miles on it, and we are budgeting for a new to us vehicle in three years. Much better to plan for these things, that get left on the side of the road.
ReplyDeleteWe only take out cover if we go on a driving holiday out of the city - I wouldn't want to be alone on a county road without that back up. But as we only drive short distances on Sydney and there's always somewhere to wait we haven't taken it out for a while. I think it would be about the same as a taxi home and we would then use our insurance to sort out the issue later.
ReplyDeleteBut now your post is making me rethink.
What other insurances do you take out? I'd be interested on your take on life insurance for example...
We had been with the RAC for years, costs always going up. This year we shopped around and ended up with green flag for 1/3rd of the price. Yes, it is low as we are new but we now intend to shop around every year!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I've always had since having a car is good cover and virtually always it has been with the AA. In my opinion they really are the best.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first met my Lovely Hubby he didn't have cover and guess what he broke down on a journey to the opposite end of the country, much too far for me to get out to him (if I could have we could simply have swapped cars and then I could have phoned the AA because in our case it is whatever car you are in that is covered). As it was he had to sleep in the car overnight and then a tow truck came to tow him to the garage, a total towing cost of over £250 before any repairs were done, he could have joined the AA a couple of time over for that amount, needless to say he is now covered.
Hi froogs(3rd time lucky)whats going on blogger!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have purchased some bread mix flour from AF , I was telling someone about it and they said not to use it as it will be full of bugs and worm things...yuk..so now im worried about it and daren't use it.. I bought 4x 3.5kg for 99p a bag, its yet to arrive, so not looked at it yet...whats your advice please froogs? its making me feel sick!!!! x
Hi frogs(3rd time lucky)whats going on blogger!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have purchased some bread mix flour from AF , I was telling someone about it and they said not to use it as it will be full of bugs and worm things...yuk..so now im worried about it and daren't use it.. I bought 4x 3.5kg for 99p a bag, its yet to arrive, so not looked at it yet...whats your advice froogs? its making me feel sick x
Dont believe a word they say. Best before does not mean eat before. Just use it as it will be fine -
DeleteYou can store the flour in the freezer and no worries.
ReplyDeleteA good tip if you are unsure of any flour is to put it into the freezer overnight, this would kill off any potential eggs that might be in there. BUT I seriously doubt there will be any. SO many folk are ridiculous about out of date foods and spread these daft stories to try and validate their irrational fears.
ReplyDeleteUse your common-sense with foods ... sniff them, look at them, taste them, if they appear okay go with your gut instinct and use them.
Hello
ReplyDeleteThis is been very irritating when you stuck due to vehicle broke down.
car transport
Thanks for sharing