The calculated way of driving

The little Fiat has had some attention last week. During the christmas holidays I changed the sparkplugs, oil and filters (less then € 50). The stupid gasket of the engine head still leaked oil like a drunken sailor. It seems to be a common problem of these engines. So I took a tube of silicon kit and puttied it till it never leakes again.
The tires are worn too. I had these tires since we bought the little one, almost two years ago, and they weren't very good. The profile was good but the front right tire had a puncture and was empty every three months.  And while winter is coming to us from the north (Groningen and Friesland are frozen in by blizzards), I bought a full set of second hand winter tires at Gijs Janssen's shop. Good service reasonable prices and a nice guy too.
For 50 euros I became a set and that's cheap. 14 inch wheels, so now my last years copricerchi, imitation FIAT wheel caps, don't fit anymore. Maybe I will look for some light metal wheels to put the tires on, maybe I won't.
This car still surprises me. Its a little rascal and for the purpose we need a car, just good. In our holidays we went to Maastricht several times, we visited Aachen and Nijmegen. Comfort isn't Alfa like, material in the car isn't too, but we're driving. When I make a short calculation this is what I find:

Costs up till now (from february 2014) 25.000 kms:
Maintenance
clutch and timing belt € 710
2x oil and air filter, sparkplugs € 52
oil due to gasket leak € 50
windscreen wipers € 20
APK (technical inspection) € 30
sub sum € 862

Extra costs
gasket engine head € 18
gasket injection unit € 16
used winter tires € 50
sub sum: € 84

Tuning & trims
gear lever knob € 20
gear lever cover € 16 and a lot of love
wheel caps € 38
sub sum € 54

Exactly 1000 euros for almost two years of driving, ex petrol, taxes and insurance.
Count that up with petrol (1,50 a liter =) 2500, taxes 616, insurance 408 euros the total amount of 25.000 kms or two years driving is 4525 euros. Per kilometre this is 0,181 cents total cost for everything. Oh wait, the car itself cost the proud sum of 650 euros.

So the total driving costs are
€  1000 maintenance and extra costs
€  2500 petrol
€   616 taxes
€   408 insurance
€   650 car Fiat Punto 60S, 1994
€ 5175 all costs / 25.000 kms is 0,207 cents for everything.

I figure some more costs are due this year. The front brake discs are gone. I have to change them, plus an extra set of brake pads and brake fluid. Don't know what more I'll find.
I looked the discs up, and a rediculous sum of 28 euros are the price of a set of two discs for the Fiat. Pads are not even 20 euros. So this repair won't alter my total driving costs very much.
In that respect the Fiat is a sensible car. It's practical, cheap in maintenance and driving (I calculated 1litre for 15 kms). I stiil like the looks of the little rascal for a small car. It's a good design. What I don't like is the interior, which is cheap and of a mediocre quality. But what would we do with an all new car and being cautious not to scratch or dent it?
This is another way of driving, very sensible. When the Alfa will be on the road, in spring time when the weather is fine,  we'll experience a whole different way of driving.

I'll keep you posted.