militarymoms

Yes, I know you’re a military mom and probably don’t have time to fix your own cars.  Perhaps you’ve never even heard of an Auto Skills Shop before.  When I first married the military, I had no idea they existed, either.  Two decades (and a few extra years) later, I can tell you that we’ve saved thousands of dollars by using the Auto Skills Shops on bases around the world.

Once, quite a few years ago, I added up the hours my husband spent fixing our cars at various Auto Skills Shops and multiplied it by the prevailing automotive repair labor rate.  $3,000.  That’s a lot of money.  I’m sure if I included all the repair hours from the last decade, our savings would be twice that amount.

An Auto Skills Shop is a do-it-yourself automotive repair facility.  They vary a bit from place to place, but they always have a lift or two, tons of high-quality tools, repair manuals and software, and a staff that knows a LOT about fixing cars.  They’re cheap, too; you can rent a lift for a few dollars and use it to make oil changes, tire rotation and other maintenance tasks much faster and easier than they would be in your driveway.

My husband and son are regulars at our Auto Skills Shop.  It’s a great place to teach our family’s newest driver how a car works and how to keep it in good operating condition. 

The best part about the Auto Skills Shop, however, is the helpful staff.  (Steve, Ralph, Jime and all the others, this means you - thanks!)  There are times when my husband is away for months, and, of course, my cars conk out.  I’ve taken my cars and my lack of knowledge to the Auto Skills staff, and they’ve helped me diagnose problems and find parts.  Most of the time, they’ve put the parts on my car, too.

If you’re interested in learning how to fix your car, the Steves and Ralphs at your Auto Skills Shop will help you get started.  Think about it.

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