How about basic vehicle maintenance? Once you have a vehicle, it is up to you to keep it clean, spend 20 minutes every weekend with your car, take a trashbag if you tend to collect soda/water bottles, food wrappers, keep your car clean of big items. Give it a quick vacuum, costs like $1.00. Spray some Windex on inside of windows if there is a streak that bothers you at night. Glass reflects kind of weird sometimes and what looks OK during the day can create a distraction on the glass. Before you know it, you'll be wondering if the illuminati left you an encoded message in that bug streak. No they didn't, you're not that important, maybe some day. If your wiper blades can't handle it, by all means, stop at a gas station and work the squeegee thing. It should be a habit while you gas up to clean your windows specially front and back. You are only helping yourself, and it's not like you should be texting while you are pumping gas.
Another thing to do is wash your car, at least once a month. Today's cars have awesome paint that just holds up, keep it washed, wax it a couple times a year, it is recommended to do at least twice a year. This helps to wash off the bird crap easier when you inevitably park under a tree and a whole murder of crows goes to town on your beloved ride.
Check your tire pressure, old school, with a gauge, if need be, but I believe newer cars after 2008 have in-dash detectors telling you pressure for each tire. Occassionally, you will need to put a little air in a certain tire, it's annoying, but keeping them at correct tire pressure is one way to ensure your car gives you the best fuel efficiency and running on a low tire, you are begging for a blowout.
I personally go and replace my tires every three years at Discount Tire, they have an in store card, and it makes me feel safer for Wife and kids that they not run around on questionable rubber. Sometimes they are cool, and even offer to buy back the tires I have, which helps a little with the purchase.
Change the oil when it is recommended, sure it costs $30-$80, but that is the blood that pumps through your engine and it wears down. I used to do it at home, but at some point I had like 30 3-liter bottles of old oil and I did not know what to do with it. Eventually, I took it in to Jiffy Lube and they disposed of it for me. Now we just go there, or sometimes the dealership. Yes, it might cost a little more, but they have yet to make the mistakes I've heard from family and friends. My brother went to a small gas station once and they didn't tighten screw where oil is drained. Eventually, his oil spilled and his engine seized. The gas station put a rebuilt engine in at their cost, but no way am I trusting a mom and pop place. That little truck was never the same, he traded it in soon after.
These are the little things that make you look like a man in control of his environment. Develop these habits while you are young, before the kids come, and the nagging wife, you'll be cleaning her car too, might as well learn to love it. And for Christ's sake, don't put those loud annoying mufflers that make you sound like your car ate a pan of beans, no freaking grown up on the planet likes that obnoxious sound your Dodge Neon is making as it cranks out its full 95hp. Just cut that crap out, do everyone a favor.
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