Learning to drive is an expensive business. The average cost of lessons alone comes to over £1,100 – and then you have to throw in the extras. Your theory test will set you back £23, while the practical can cost £99. You have to apply for your provisional license, too, which means spending up to another £43.
Finally, you will need to purchase a copy of the Highway Code, a revision book and a practice DVD. All in, learning to drive costs the average person well over £1,300 – not a small amount of money by any means. The big question is – how can we make these figures look a little smaller? Read on and we’ll explain more.
The basics
First of all, let’s trim some of the excess fat. Start the process by applying for your provisional license online – it’s £9 cheaper than by post. You should also plan on taking your practical test on a weekday, shaving off £13 of the cost of the test. Get yourself down to your local charity shop, too. You should find an up-to-date copy of the Highway Code, the revision book and DVD for less than a fiver. Do all this and you have already saved £42 – not bad for a minimal amount of work.
Look for voucher codes
Discount codes are popular for almost everything you can buy online – and it’s no different when you are learning to drive. Take a look at voucher sites on the web and you can find anything from Insure Learner Driver offers for insurance to deep discounts on lessons. Driving instructors often use these discount sites as a way to attract business, so take a look around and see what you can find.
Find the best local deals
Most driving schools and private instructors offer introductory lessons as a way of drumming up business. Take a look around and shop about for the best deals you can find. There is one caveat to doing this, however. In general, the better your instructor, the more likely you are to pass the first time. It makes no financial sense to use a poor quality, unqualified instructor if it’s going to take you 100+ lessons before you can drive.
Always block book
Block booking lessons gives you even more discount. In fact, over the course of your learning, you can save up to 25% of the cost of the lessons it takes to prepare you for your test. Given the average cost of lessons is around £1,100, that’s going to save you £275. We’re already close to dropping under that target figure of a grand!
Aim to pass the first time
Never go into your test without full confidence you will pass. If you fail, you will have to pay a lot more money – not just to retake the test, but also the extra lessons you need. Practice in your spare time, too. An hour and a half lesson a week from an instructor should teach you what you need to know. But you still need to put that into practice. So, find an experienced and responsible driver who can go through everything you have learned in your lessons. Not only will it get you driving quicker, but it also means you spend more lesson time learning new skills.
Hope this has helped. We reckon you can learn to drive for far less than a grand if you follow these instructions. Good luck – and now get ready to stay safe on the roads!