Every vehicle needs them. Without tires, no car is going to be going anywhere. Tires are the glue that keeps a vehicle on the road and driving in the direction you want it to be. The problem is that tires wear down and need to be replaced. Tires are expensive. The only option then is to make sure that you get a good deal on a set of tires.
How is that possible though? Aren’t tires just another retail item with a set value? The truth is that there are actually several ways in which you can make sure to save money on tire purchases. The amounts can really add up too. Saving tens or hundreds of dollars on tires gives you the option to save that or perhaps treat yourself to something nice. If you need tires or think you will in the future, consider these aspects of tire purchase.
Listen to Your Mechanic
There’s several tips within this overall theme. If you use your own mechanic rather than a dealership or chain repair store, they can give you good advice. Most of them will advise you to stay ahead of your tire needs. If a couple of the tires are starting to look slightly bald, they mad advise you that they could use changing in the future. This gives you a larger window to search out a good deal. You can purchase replacement tires ahead of time. It’s important to note that putting on different tires of different brands is never really recommended. If buying in singles, try to buy the tires that you would still be comfortable purchasing at full price in the case of an emergency situation where you need a different replacement immediately.
The other thing about listening to your mechanic is that you are building a rapport with them. Many mechanics are more than willing to give discounts to the customers that they actually like and feel are loyal to them. Sometimes it’s possible for mechanics to cut into their own profit margins to give their customers deals on tires so that they come back for other issues.
Timing is Everything
Sure there’s sales throughout the year, but there’s two times that are better than any other to buy tires. Through April to early May, many people are considering summer road trips. Conveniently, tire sales pop up to help prod consumers in that direction.
The other time when sales arrive to push consumers into purchased tires in in October. This is when people who need winter tires start to think about if they require a new set of winter tires, or if it’s time to move from all seasons to winter tires. While the answer to that question is almost always an affirmative, the tire sales are good.
Shopping for tires during these times is great. What’s even better is if you can reverse your purchase needs. No business wants their winter tires to sit around on shelves throughout the summer and wait for next year! That’s lost space and opportunity. As long as you have storage space, try getting new winter tires in the April window for the future winter. The same can be said for new all seasons or summer tires purchased in October before winter begins.
Where You Shop Matters
In a perfect world, prices would be the same everywhere. Sadly, prices tend to be higher at small businesses that we’d love to support because they can’t move the volume of larger stores. This means that large warehouse style stores like Sam’s Club and Costco can have great deals on tires. Oftentimes, the savings from the tires more than offsets the cost of the membership.
Another option is some of the discount tire stores online. Websites like Tire Rack or Discount Tire Direct are solid options. Shipping will be expensive, but even with shipping costs considered, you can often save hundreds. Be careful on Amazon as many tires are resold there from other vendors with immense shipping costs.
Also, when you are buying tires, you save if you are buying a full set. The bulk discount applies and you’ll often save between $10 and $20 per tire off the single tire cost. This is still useful if you need to replace two tires. Say you’re replacing your fronts now. It’s possible or even likely the rear tires may need to be changed in a year or two. Buy in bulk now, then you have them for the switch when the time comes!
