Travelling anywhere with small children can be a bit of a nightmare, as mothers everywhere will know. Choosing the right car can take some of the pressure off though. Wide-opening doors make fitting car seats a much easier task, and plenty of boot and storage space is a must have when you need to cart buggies, changing bags, toys and snacks everywhere you go. Safety is of course highly important, and small children pose different safety questions to adults. For example, if you need to fit a rear facing child seat in the front passenger seat, it can actually be dangerous to have a working airbag in that position, so you need to know if that can be turned off. A vehicle check should be performed before purchasing any used car – this will discover if your new car has previously been written off by an insurance company, alongside checking for any outstanding finance or reports of theft.

Fuel economy is another consideration – most parents find that, once their children reach a certain age, they spend half their lives ferrying them from one activity to another, and trips to the beach, the park or just to friends’ houses are frequent.

The Audi A6 has a spacious boot and tests have shown it to be one of the safest cars on the road. Whilst not the most exciting car to drive, it handles well and is pretty green too.

The Skoda Fabia is a surprisingly spacious small car, and as Skoda are well known for safety and reliability is a great choice for carrying your most precious cargo.

Buying cars second hand is a great way to save money without skimping on quality or safety, and a used BMW 3 series from Auto Trader is an excellent choice for any mother. With low running costs, firm brakes and plenty of interior space, this model is one of the most popular, comprising around 30% of BMW’s total sales. The newer models are roomier, especially in the back, so look out for those coming on the market.

When we still don’t have a  car – I care less about insurance and all kinds of stuffs. For me, they are all nothing but additional expenses. This perception changed when we got our house and car.

I never worried so much about the fire insurance for our house. I became more concern on the car insurance. Last year was my first car insurance policy purchase. It was a smooth transaction. It was August 2009. Late September came typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) which devastated most places in our cities including properties. We were so lucky our garage is knee high from the main road. The flood reached the garage but we were not severely impacted.

After that incident, car insurance companies were swamped with policy claims for repairs and replacements. Those who have insurance may have had delays in claims but definitely most of them were granted – if “acts of God” is included in their policy. It was a lesson learned for those who doesn’t have insurance. Most paid a large amount of money for repairs, while some really lost.

It was a lesson for all of us, so this year, as my policy expires, I will surely get a new one. You’ll never know