5 ways to save money when learning to drive
Learning to drive can be costly so here’s some tips to try and keep the costs of learning to drive to a minimum.
By Nia
Updated on Mar 28th, 2023
As soon as young people turn 17, they often have their sights set on learning to drive. It’s easy to get carried away with the thought of buying a car or going on your first road trip – but before all of that you’ve got to learn to drive and think about insurance! It can all get quite costly so to help – here are 5 ways to save money when you’re learning to drive!
1
Bulk book driving lessons
Our research shows that young drivers are spending on average £35 an hour in driving lessons, and according to the DVSA , drivers will need around 45 hours of driving lessons with an instructor to be test ready. This priced at (on average) £35 a lesson will see you spending over £1,575 on lessons alone! There are a few ways to save on this cost, so don’t worry too much. Many driving instructors will offer a saving if you bulk-book lessons together. Check out deals from driving instructors if you’re yet to choose one or ask your current driving instructor if there are any savings to be made.
2
Pick up private driving practice
A great way to keep costs low when learning to drive is getting in private practice - save money on learner driver insurance. This allows you to have extra practice outside of your driving lessons on a parent’s or friend’s car. You can arrange cover on a monthly basis and practise what you learn in your lessons as much as you like during that time - saving you paying for extra driving lessons and preparing you better for that magic pass. The great news is that it's quick and easy to arrange, there's no black box and you can be covered instantly!
3
Book your test on a weekday
You may not realise but there are ways to cut costs even on booking your or practical driving tests. Booking your test mid-week is generally cheaper than if you book a test at the weekend. Whilst it’s not a huge difference – it’s still a saving of a few pounds. This way, you can also fit in a few extra hours of practice on the weekend with a supervising driver like a parent or friend, win-win!
4
Pass on your first attempt
Of course, passing your driving tests on the first attempt will save you money, because you won’t have to pay for them again if you pass! You may be eager to rip up your L plates and get your full licence, but if you book prematurely and you’re not test ready, you’ll have to fork out for them again! A great way to get that pass quicker is to pick up provisional licence insurance and practice driving with a supervising driver. Check out our driving practice tips for some extra advice.
5
Learn to drive a car online
There’s nothing stopping you from picking up driving knowledge outside of lessons. In fact, studying at home (especially for your theory test) is a great way to go. There are a lot of resources online to help you when you’re learning to drive – for free. The government website is a great place to start – they have information on everything from The Highway Code to a step by step guide on learning to drive a car. You can even take practice theory tests online, including the hazard perception test!
BONUS TIP!
If you know what car you’ll be driving once you pass, you can save even more. Young provisional licence holders could save over £169 on overage on our Named Young Driver Insurance³ policy or £373 on our Black Box Insurance⁴ policy, when taking it out as a provisional licence holder.
As well as that saving, you’ll also start earning your own No Claims Discount before you’ve even passed your driving test, which means the savings will keep on coming your way!
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