by Tan Hui Yee, Danielle Ang, Lynn Lee, Susan Long, Sandra Davie, Radha Basu, Wong Kim Hoh, Chua Hiah Hou

23. Driving a bargain

THESE are advertised regularly on The Straits Times Classifieds and at websites like sgCarmart. On offer are vehicles given up by - or forcibly repossessed from - the original buyers who could no longer service the instalments.

On paper, the auction vehicles look good. For instance, among the 29 cars auctioned off in the most recent GE Money auction that ended on Wednesday was an eight-month-old Toyota Mark X, a six-month-old Fiat Punto and a pair of year-old Honda Fits.

Previous auctions saw a year-old Honda Accord auctioned off at about 20 per cent lower than the price tag for a new vehicle. Generally, the mid- and high-end makes appear to go at a heftier discount, compared to the entry-level models.

But buyers would be well-advised to check out the actual vehicles. This is because there can be significant drawbacks, from weird smells to unidentifiable stains on the seats.

Some of the cars also do not come with keys - likely those that were repossessed. So, not only will you be unable to start the vehicle, it also means that there is a disgruntled former car owner somewhere in Singapore, with a grudge and a car key.

That said, many of the cars are in almost-showroom condition.

24. Pick and park

PARKING fees can burn a hole in your pocket, so it pays to do some research online before heading out to a mall this weekend.

One handy website to visit is the Land Transport Authority's OneMotoring website, which lists the parking rates of buildings islandwide. Go to http://www.onemotoring.com.sg/publish/onemotoring/en/on_the_roads/parking/parking_rates.html

If you are shopping in the west on Sunday, for example, spending three hours at Jurong Point will set you back $3.21 in parking fees, but costs nothing at the IMM nearby.

In Orchard Road, parking for three hours at Ngee Ann City on a Sunday afternoon will cost you $9.01. But at Wisma Atria next door, it will set you back only $5.10.

25. Cab and ride

WANT the convenience of door-to-door travel but are grimacing at exorbitant taxi fares? Here's a middle way:

When getting to a relatively inaccessible part of Singapore, say Mandai Road, take the MRT to the station closest to your destination, in this case Yio Chu Kang station, then continue your journey by cab.

Mix and match this with free shuttle buses provided by shopping centres and hospitals.

Suntec City, for example, has a free shuttle service picking up and dropping people off at City Hall station every 10 to 15 minutes from 11am to 10.30pm daily.

Hospitals also provide free shuttles. Alexandra Hospital's, for example, picks up and drops passengers off at Queenstown station every 20 minutes between 7.40am and 8pm from Mondays to Fridays, and between 7.40am and 2pm on Saturdays.

Two separate shuttle services offered by KK Women's and Children's Hospital run to and from Novena and Bugis stations every 15 minutes between 8am and 9.30pm from Mondays to Fridays.

26. Wheel deal

ANTICIPATE traffic ahead. Driving smoothly, with as little sudden acceleration or braking as possible, evens out fuel use and improves the efficiency of your car's engine.

Turn off your engine when you are waiting for someone. Idling for more than a minute consumes much more fuel than restarting the motor.

Junk the junk in your boot. On average, every 50kg added load in your car increases fuel consumption by 2 per cent.

Keeping your car properly maintained improves your gas mileage. Also, keep your tires properly inflated and go for thinner tyres if you can.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on July 5, 2008.