‘I’ve had 16 free batteries’: This Florida woman used lifetime warranties to continually replace parts on her car for 43 years. Here’s how you can save money with a similar strategy

Buy to keep

When Veitch bought her car, she knew she wanted the $3,289 vehicle to last forever. She learned all the mechanical details of the car so that she could figure out when she needed lubricant and when the car needed fixing.

Even when she took Chariot into the shop, Veitch saw to Chariot’s care. She told Growing Bolder that she would either remain present during tune-ups or, if she had to leave, refer the mechanics to a diagram of the car’s inner workings, which showed all the parts needing lubrication.

Taking care of your things is one of the best ways to ensure that you don’t have to buy new ones in the future.

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Buy for loyalty

Veitch was married thrice — but Chariot stuck around longer than any of her ex-husbands.

“She’s never lied to me, never cheated on me and I can always depend on her,” she told Growing Bolder.

Though Veitch put in the work to keep Chariot running smoothly, she also smartly bought parts with lifetime guarantees. She once paid $13 for a 6,000-mile checkup thanks to these guarantees.

That’s a good principle when buying anything. Though many companies have axed their lifetime guarantees, such as L.L. Bean, there are still a few out there who are committed to quality.

Patagonia has its “Ironclad Guarantee,” which offers free repairs for any of its products in perpetuity. The brand told Women’s Wear Daily that it fixes around 40,000 of its items per year.

Another company is Craftsman, the tool company. It has full lifetime guarantees for many of its products, such as hammers, screwdrivers and certain gauges. It also offers many limited lifetime guarantees and three-year guarantees on other products.