Paying someone to do anything... for budgeting, a good rule of thumb is to double the cost of the parts, and that what it “should” cost. That rule doesn’t always hold true. (think 80-20 rule)

None of these tasks are particularly difficult, if you’re mechanically inclined. You can purchase tools to help, but aren’t NEEDED to get them done. Things like the Motive pressure bleeder for the brakes, or a vacuum tool for filling the coolant system. Changing engine mounts can get time consuming due to the tight engine bay, but not difficult.

 

Evaluating the chemistry of the fluid is another way to determine if it needs to be refreshed. There are labs that will do that for you for a lot less money than these dealershi prices. A turkey baster can be used to get samplesfrom the reservoir. A car that stays on the road in decent weather will have longer fluid life.

 

I'm just "old school" when it comes to that stuff in lieu of overthinking it. Oil change every 3-4K miles, Coolant every 30K, Brake fluid every 20K, Power steering flush every 40K, Transmission fluid/filter (if present) every 40K, Fuel filter every 50K. And blinker fluid as needed with top off .

 

Those rates are obscene. Invest $50 in a Schwaben pressure bleeder for the brakes. Then you can replace the fluid for about $20 in under an hour. Coolant is a little more involved but not difficult. I use Castrol Edge and OEM filter for oil changes. $40 and 45 minutes of my time. And I enjoy the time in the garage.

 

^ what dmath said.

Doing a coolant drain and fill is easy too - $20 - $25 for a gallon of Mini genuine coolant, a bucket, and a little bit of time and you can do it yourself. I have the Schwaben pressure bleeder (similar to the Motive one) and it makes bleeding the brakes a snap.

Check the forum section for your generation and you'll find lots of DIYs that will walk you through the generation/model specific details of most simple maintenance tasks.