Nowadays, the cost of tires can be astronomical. With the economy not so great at this moment, who can afford to buy tires frequently? Having your tires rotated and balanced on a regular basis can prevent premature tire wear and keep you from having to buy tires so often. The golden rule used to be that you rotated you tires every other oil change. But that has changed. Manufacturers used to recommend that an oil and oil filter change be performed about every 3,000 miles. Now, manufacturers are recommending oil changes less frequently. So, the rule for a tire rotation is about every 8,000 miles. You may be wondering why your tires need to be rotated. Well, depending upon if your vehicle is rear wheel or front wheel drive, those tires will see more wear. Plus the right-side tires are more exposed to curbs and road hazards that can wear the tread. By rotating them to the other side, that will cut down on how fast they wear down. The key is rotate in a crisscross pattern so that they get changed from front to back and left to right, evening out the wear. When it comes to balancing your tires, it would be a good idea to have them balanced when they are rotated. If the tires are off balance then it will cause a vibration that you can feel in the steering wheel. This vibration can cause the tires to wear prematurely. Now, you can save a more money by purchasing a maintenance plan. Most basic plans will cover the cost of tire rotation and balance. While there is an upfront cost to a maintenance plan, there will be no cost when you take your vehicle in for service. By paying the cost upfront, you are actually spending less than you would if you paid per service. So, when doing regular maintenance on your vehicle, don't forget about your tires. Forgetting them could result in spending more money than you could have if you remembered them.