When you are learning to drive it never occurs to you about how much fuel to make the car go where you want to. Mum and or dad just get in and drive you to which ever place you or all of you want to go. Sometimes the driver may stop at a garage for fuel but you do not notice how often, or how much comes out of the bank account to pay for it. This becomes apparent to you when you have your own car or motor bike. And what a shock too!

Then, there is motor insurance those of you who have a car after passing your test always nearly faint when you start getting quotes from insurance companies.

It also never occurs to the learner driver about maintenance of a vehicle as Merlin the wizard (Only one of many witches & wizards who work their magic) covers the costs, tyres, window wiper blades, repairs of engine or body parts (and NO, Â I do not mean arms or legs but sometimes the cost seem as though that is the case!)

And guess what! I almost forgot to include road tax every year, and the M.O.T. Everyone I have ever known are always on tender hooks the day that their car goes in for its M.O.T. It is almost like waiting for an exam result. Will it pass, or will I have a bill to pay, will that bill be big or small? What will happen to my bank balance, can I afford it? The relief when the news is good, that this year everything passed!

Phew, what a relief. I am legal to drive her (or him (your car, bike) again.

Another huge expense come in the guise of buying or leasing the vehicle in the beginning and what an expense that will be. We never get any younger neither does a car depreciation has again to be factored into the lesson cost, and like me an instructor's car wears out quicker.

And the list seems never to end.

All these factors have to be afforded by your driving instructor!

Let me point out the tyres do have to be replaced more often, the insurance is a specialized insurance for the car and its passengers. The car is bought from new, or is leased this is a high expense and a more regular expense. Your driving instructor training has to be paid for, with a special check test every 2-4years, franchise x 12 monthly payments, tax, national insurance, a lot more fuel is constantly needed. Any cancelation of any appointments with pupils has to be factored in as the mortgage still has to be paid (unfortunately!!!).

Many people do not think about fuel and time etc going from appointment to appointment. The car is an instructor's workplace, none of us think about this, we all assume that running a car and business is a unseen thing.

When you go on a night out with your mates stop and think how much your taxi ride cost is coming home, you maybe only in the car for 30minutes but that 30minutes can cost as little as £20.00 or as much as £40.00. times this by 2 = £40.00-£80.00 (per hour). We just except this price and we haven't had the use of a fully qualified teacher, teaching you skills that will last you your whole life.

Maybe the going rate for a tutor to help you study for school work will cost you £35.00 or more per hour add this to the taxi drive costing £40.00- £80.00 = this amounts to £75.00- £105.00.

Driving lessons then seen relatively none expensive, don't they?

Take care and look out for me again

Mrs BubbLe