The need for car repairs often comes up at the most inopportune times. You might have just finished paying off some medical bills and think that you're finally going to have a little extra money to play around with, only to find that your transmission is acting up and is going to have to be replaced. When these situations occur it's easy to think that there's nothing you can do to make the cost to repair more affordable. However, there are techniques you can employ which can make a substantial difference in how much you have to come up with. Use this information to learn more about how you can get your car repaired at an affordable price when money is tight.

Buy Your Own Parts

One of the most expensive components of having your car repaired is buying the parts. It's amazing at just how much more affordable your total bill becomes when you take back your power by purchasing your own parts.

There's a number of reasons why it's such a good idea to buy your own parts.  Firstly, you have to account for the age of the car itself. Using the example of replacing the transmission, it just wouldn't make sense to put a brand new transmission into a car that is ten years old. Depending on what you'll actually be paying for the parts and labor, the car might not even last long enough for you to recoup your investment.

Also, auto repair technicians are involved in a very busy line of work. They often have pipelines already in place where they partner with a particular parts vendor and only buy parts from them. The problem is that there just might be more economically priced versions on the market that their busy schedule won't allow them to become privy to.

You can take the time to research all of the alternatives until you find a parts dealer with the kind of prices you're looking for. This could result in tremendous savings.

Timing Makes The Difference

If you want to get the most competitive pricing on your auto repairs, try to time it so that you're getting the work done at a time when the technician isn't very busy. This means avoid weekends at all costs and try to have the work done mid-week. The technician may not have as many customers so this could cause them to be a bit more open to negotiating an agreeable rate.

Getting your car repaired doesn't have to break the bank. The next time you need to take your car in to the auto repair shop, remember these tips so you can keep more of your hard-earned cash.