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The MileMind Journal

Drive smarter, spend less.

Plain-English guides on what your car really costs — running costs, leasing and mileage, and getting money back where you can.

Featured A row of new cars on a UK dealer forecourt, number plates visible, on plate-change day

Buying & selling

UK number plate change: what the 76 plate means

The 76 plate lands on 1 September. What it means, whether it's worth waiting, and the rules that carry a £1,000 fine.

SG Sam Gregory9 min read
Car keys, a receipt and a stack of pound coins on a table — the real cost of running a car

Running costs

How much does it really cost to run a car in the UK?

Finance is only the start. Here's how to find the true monthly number — and why it's worth knowing.

SGSam Gregory7 min read
A mileage logbook with a handwritten business trip entry, a car key and a coffee — logging business miles for HMRC

HMRC

Business mileage and HMRC: what the new 55p mileage rate means

The rate just rose to 55p a mile — the first change since 2011. What you can claim, and how to keep it simple.

SGSam Gregory7 min read
A close-up of an electric car's alloy wheel and brake disc, hinting at rust on a rarely used disc

Fuel & EV

Regenerative braking problems: why EV brakes rust and seize

Regen does most of the stopping — which is exactly why the brakes it saves can quietly rust and seize.

SGSam Gregory6 min read
An EV charging connector beside a green petrol pump nozzle

Fuel & EV

Petrol vs EV: what running costs really look like in 2026

We ran the numbers on fuel, charging and servicing so you don't have to.

SGSam Gregory8 min read
A desk calendar with a car key and pen, renewal dates marked

Running costs

The renewal calendar every UK driver should keep

MOT, insurance and road tax — the dates worth knowing before they know you.

SGSam Gregory4 min read
Loose pound coins, a receipt, a car key and an air freshener — the small car costs that add up

Running costs

Seven small car costs that quietly add up

Parking, cleaning, the odd top-up — the little stuff that never makes the budget, until it does.

SGSam Gregory5 min read
A car key resting on a folded document beside a calculator

Running costs

Buy, finance or lease: which is cheapest over five years?

Three ways to get the same car, three very different total costs. Here's the honest comparison.

SGSam Gregory9 min read
A car dashboard odometer showing the mileage

Leasing & mileage

Leasing? How to stay under your mileage allowance

A simple weekly habit that keeps a nasty hand-back bill from creeping up on you.

SGSam Gregory6 min read
A line of parked used cars on a dealer forecourt with price stickers in the windscreens

Running costs

Car depreciation: how much value a car really loses

The biggest cost of owning a car is the one you never see coming. Here's how depreciation really works.

SGSam Gregory6 min read
A set of car keys being handed from one person to another at hand-back

Leasing & mileage

What excess mileage actually costs at hand-back

The pence-per-mile charge looks small — until you multiply it. A worked example.

SGSam Gregory5 min read