My vehicle gives me the liberty to go where I please, whenever I please, without depending on the only two city buses that stop in my neighborhood each day.
It lets me take road trips and explore more of this beautiful country without shelling out for pricey plane tickets.
But beyond insurance and unexpected repairs, the car routinely drains my wallet with maintenance like oil changes and tire rotations.
Oil changes have been the worst part of owning a car for me. At least every three months, I’m paying a minimum of $30.
Call me stingy or frugal — but I was sure there had to be a smarter option.
For a while, I collected Jiffy Lube coupons. Occasionally they shaved a few dollars off, bringing my post-tax cost to $27.
A friend showed me how to do an oil change myself. We spent $23 on supplies, then used about 30 minutes to complete the job.
I was only half-focused. Doing my own oil changes would save me only $24 across the four oil changes I need each year. The time investment didn’t make sense to me.
How I Discovered the Best Oil Change Bargain
Then, I noticed an ad in a sidebar.
“Three oil changes for $24!” it proclaimed. Naturally, I clicked.
When I landed on Planet Super Saver, I was skeptical. I searched for a nearby location and found one just a couple neighborhoods away.
Before buying a package, I called the participating local shop to confirm. It wasn’t a scam.
Not only did I get three oil changes for the advertised $24, but the redemption card they mailed included:
- Two complimentary tire rotations
- A free check-engine-code read
- Two free snow tire changeovers
- Road hazard protection at no charge if I bought four tires
- Free brake inspection
- A free front-end alignment with the purchase of four tires
- $25 off timing belt replacement
- $25 off a set of four shocks or struts
- $20 off any tune-up service
- $20 off front or rear brake jobs
- $20 off transmission service
- Two more oil changes for just $17.99 each
- $50 toward $500 of service
- $75 toward $750 of service
- $100 toward $1,000 of service
I’ve been purchasing this package for three years now.
Although the whole card is handy, I’ve mainly used it for oil changes, tire rotations, brakes and a regrettably large repair bill that qualified me for the $50 credit.
Even by using only part of the card’s perks, I still save a bundle.
How You Can Score the Same Deal
I haven’t paid more than $8.98 per oil change in over three years. Here’s how you can replicate that:
1. Subscribe to Planet Super Saver’s Newsletter
When you go to the homepage, a pop-up will invite you to sign up.
By joining the newsletter list, you can watch for promos and pounce when a strong deal appears.
2. Keep an Eye on Promotions
At first glance, the packages on the site may not seem enticing. In my region, they often list for $79.95.
The major savings happen when you apply the newsletter promotions.
Typically, the newsletter deal reduces the package to $23.98 — marketed as $24 for three oil changes.
If you order a physical card, there’s a $2.95 shipping charge, bringing the total to $26.93. That equates to $8.98 per oil change if you consider the other perks on the card as free add-ons. That’s a 70% saving!
It gets even sweeter.
Some offers I’ve used dropped the package price lower still. The cheapest I’ve paid was $19.99. With the $2.95 shipping fee, that worked out to $7.65 per oil change.
3. Wait for the Card in the Mail and Redeem It
I have a Seinfeld-slow mailman, so mine usually takes one to two weeks.
If you need an oil change right away, ordering the mailed card might not be ideal. The digital option could be better — and it saves you the $2.95 shipping cost.
Once the card arrives, book an oil change with the participating mechanic, bring the card, and tell them you’re using it.
You’ve already paid for the service, so you can leave the shop without spending another cent.
These days, I enjoy my car more — I pay about a third of what I used to for routine maintenance.
Your turn: How do you cut costs on vehicle upkeep? Ever managed to pay less than $7.65 for an oil change? Also check out tips to save money car repairs and see whether driving stick can manual transmission save money.
