Having a car is one of the essentials these days, especially if you live in a rural area without good public transport. But running a car can be expensive, and everyone is trying to look at ways to reduce their running costs.

One way you can reduce the costs of having a car is to change to one with lower exhaust emissions, as this reduces the cost of road tax. I recently decided to sell my car and did just that.

You can also reduce your fuel consumption by making sure your tyres are always inflated to the optimum level, and that you don't drive round with a full boot. Also, did you know that having your windows open or using air conditioning use more fuel?

Of course having a car can make life much easier. There is no waiting around for buses in the cold, no having to carry heavy items back from the shops, but do consider how much it will cost to tax, insure and run. Don't forget to factor in the cost of MOTs and annual services and repairs.

If you think about the kind of car you have, and about how you can minimise your running costs, then you could find that you save hundreds of pounds every year, and in the current economic climate that is definitely worth looking into.