Driving lessons and exam on a budget

emperorstevee

Hello everyone,

I have decided that it's about time to take up driving lessons. I have left it a bit late, and I'm really experiencing the downsides of not being able to drive. Certain jobs requiring it and my parents not always being available to give me lifts. However, I do not have a very big income, I'm still looking for a full time job. At the moment, I teach piano part-time. I know that however much money I manage to save learning to drive, it's going to be quite costly, so I'm just going to jump right into it heads first, keeping in mind it will make me a lot more money in the long run.

What sort of advice could people give me for saving money when it comes to finding an instructor, doing the lessons and taking the exam?

Thanks in advance!

Steve

a.turner

I think it's about £30 an hour for lessons these days and you'll probably need about 20.

Jackmydad

You can get intensive courses that will get you through in a few weeks, but I guess they're not going to be cheap.
In fact in getting involved in cars in any way, shape or form never is really cheap. . .

AdrianC

The best way to save money on learning to drive is to get good at it quickly, so you need fewer lessons. Then pass first time.

Practice as much as you can, with somebody who knows how to drive properly, and who won't insist on overriding the things your instructor has told you. Find an instructor you get along with.

scaredofdebt

You can do most of your preparation for the theory test online, just use free resources to learn what you need.


Some mock tests - https://www.gov.uk/take-practice-theory-test


As advised, depending where you live it's £20-£30 an hour per lesson and you'll need about 20 hours before your test. Some instructors give a discount if you pre-book a few lessons.

PasturesNew

Ever thought of a moped?

It's what people used to do. You got a moped at 16 and learnt to drive about 19-20 after you'd been working a year or two.

It gets you mobile instantly, cheaply.

MovingForwards

Moped / scooter / 125cc motorbike, complete your CBT in a day, insurance, tax and you are on your way.

jmould859

Are your parents able to take you out to practice? That can save on lessons. You can build confidence and proficiency with them before you take lessons to iron out any bad habits you inevitably pick up. I had 5 or 6 lessons before doing my test but had done around 40 hours driving with my parents.

You can spread the lessons out too, then practice what you have learnt. I'm currently looking for lessons for my wife. There doesn't seem to be much variation in price per lesson - £20-30 as others have said but some offer discounts for booking a block of 5/10/20 lessons and a test so it is worth shopping around.

silverwhistle

MovingForwards wrote: »

Moped / scooter / 125cc motorbike, complete your CBT in a day, insurance, tax and you are on your way.

Back in the day I had a cheap motorbike (in those days you could ride a 250 on L plates). I didn't learn to drive until I was 28: I went out with a friend who was a professional (coach) driver and then had four 1.5 hour lessons from an instructor. Passed first time, which I understand is often not the case when you're older.



The road sense and self-preservation instincts developed on two wheels were very useful!

MovingForwards

silverwhistle wrote: »

Back in the day I had a cheap motorbike (in those days you could ride a 250 on L plates). I didn't learn to drive until I was 28: I went out with a friend who was a professional (coach) driver and then had four 1.5 hour lessons from an instructor. Passed first time, which I understand is often not the case when you're older.



The road sense and self-preservation instincts developed on two wheels were very useful!

Ahhh the good ol' days when taking your bike test was a guy telling you where to go and he pops out of nowhere to watch......or passing your bike test and being able to drive a Robin on the bike licence, I've heard about the days!

VFR

Jackmydad wrote: »

You can get intensive courses that will get you through in a few weeks, but I guess they're not going to be cheap.
In fact in getting involved in cars in any way, shape or form never is really cheap. . .

As above is by far the best method & the method used by most pro licence holders (HGV / PSV) to get up to speed and ready for the test.
IMO read nothing but the Highway Code as driving to that is all that is required on the test, once read start again etc etc.
Also as has been said its vital that you get on with the instructor, if any issue change to another but let the instrutor know your feelings and why.