Keep on rollin’, Baby.

 

 

I hate getting new tires.

It’s never a decision I make for myself, but rather I casually take my car to get a small patch and end up with $800 worth of rubber. And of course my car’s previous owner got fancy tires that come in at $150 a pop. Grumble, grumble.

In life pre-Henry, I tended to shrug off my dad’s warnings about my tread getting too low or the bubble in the side of my tire that was caused by someone driving over a curb (that someone was obviously not me).

Now, I pay more attention.

The penny trick
You can use a penny or a quarter to determine if your tire treads are too worn out for safe driving. Most tires have fancy wear bars but I need a reason to justify my jar of pennies anyway. Remember, if Lincoln’s head is covered by rubber you’re good to go. (Source)

Rotate, rotate, rotate
I always thought this was just another way to take my money but if rotating tires is going to delay tire replacement, sign me up. Rotating your tires causes more uniform wear and should be done every 5,000 miles.

The stars (and your tires) must align
Simply put, when your car is crooked your tires wear unevenly and cost you more money in the end. Have your mechanic check your alignment periodically or when you feel your car “pulling” to one side or the other. (Source) 

Yes, your tires need air.

I will never understand how gas stations can charge for air. It’s air! Regardless, I still pay 50 cents to keep my tires inflated which decreases tire wear and most important, saves gas. Tires lose 1-2 psi per month, even more when it’s cold. Your owner’s manual, the side of your tire, or even the inside of your door should tell you optimal inflation levels. Or you could just put it on your husband’s to-do list like I do. (Source)

In honor of this week’s National Tire Safety celebration (par-tay!) educate yourself on the basics. For a few fun quizzes to up your knowledge, click here. And if you really want to get into the spirit of the week, make yourself this cake!

LWTK’s mommy blogger, Sarah, is attempting to be a good mama to little Henry, wife to Shea, full-time employee and part-time grad student all while avoiding making dinner from a box every night. In her non-existent free time, she’s running, eating popcorn and blogging about it all at The Gatsby Diaries.