When you get your oil changed, they put that little sticker on your windshield to remind you when it’s time to get your next oil change. The sticker always gives you a mileage of 3,000 miles or 3 months into the future, whichever comes first.  3,000 miles used to be the standard, but they’re making cars better than ever now. Do you really have to have an oil change every 3,000 miles?

Most car manufacturers now recommend changing your oil every 7,500 miles or six months. However, for “severe” driving they recommend changing your oil every 3,000 miles.What is “severe” driving? If you do a lot of city driving, make a lot of short trips, live in a hot or cold climate or near the ocean or in dusty conditions, or tow a trailer, then your car experiences “severe” driving. That’s a large percentage of the drivers out there!

We all know that over-maintaining your car is a waste of money, but oil change are cheap. You should be able to get your oil changed for about $25. If you drive under any of these “severe” conditions, it’s definitely worth the extra $50 a year. If you err on the side of under-maintaining your car, it’s less likely to last as long as it could. If you maintain your car well, it should last 200,000 miles or more. The longer you can make your current car last, the more money you’ll keep. What if you could pay your car off and then save the money that you’re no longer using for car payments. You’d be able to pay for your next car with cash!

Some people fail to get oil changes because it’s inconvenient to be without your car. But an oil change should take less than an hour if you go when the shop isn’t busy. Since an oil change is such a simple matter, every repair shop does them. You can get an oil change at your local car dealership, service station, or even WalMart. If you can combine this chore with shopping for instance, you’ll save time. There are even specialty shops that will guarantee to have you out in less than an hour! And shops are increasingly offering convenient and pleasant environments for waiting. Many offer free wifi, snacks and tv to make the wait go by faster.

For most cars, I recommend an oil change every 3,000 miles. It’s cheap, simple and very smart. So pick a shop and get into the habit. When your car is long since paid off and still running well, you’ll be glad you did.