• 1. provisional license (lasts for 10 years): take ID photo, get proof of address for last 3 years, apply, receive license ✓
• 2. driving lessons (takes on average ~44 hours to learn, with an extra 22 hours private practice. 2 hours for every year over 17 = 54 hours + 22 hours. £25-30 per hour, 2-4 hours weekly, total £1650 for lessons without private practice fuel costs) (free assessment lessons, discounted lessons, buying lessons in bulk. make sure you get a progress record and a driver with a green license)
• 3. practice theory materials (50 mcq: highway code, traffic sign knowledge, essential driving skills - must get 43+ to pass. hazard perception test: 14 video clips, 75 points available - must get 44+ to pass)
• 4. take theory test (costs £23, lasts for two years without taking practical)
• 5. take practical exam (costs £62-75, lasts for 40 minutes. includes vision test - reading number plate from 20m away, "tell me" questions including safety tasks like checking tyre pressure/tread depth; "show me" questions like demonstrating safety tasks such as how to wash and clean windscreen. 20 minutes of test will be 'independent driving' so follow traffic signs, or directions from sat nav. will need to know how to pull over, pull away, stop at side of road, pull out from behind traffic, hill start. emergency stop(hand straight on wheel, clutch all the way down, floor brake), reversing exercise - parallel park, park in parking bay, driving in and reversing, or reversing in and driving out. pull up on the right hand side of the road, reverse or around two car lengths, and rejoin traffic).
• 6. choose a car
• 7. get a car
• 8. insurance (learner's insurance, £1 a day for upto 150 days. Blackbox, to get discount do a Pass Plus course for city driving/night time driving, but learn rurally)
• 9. pay taxes on car (vehicle tax one off payment when registering car, depending on Co2 emissions of car - for 0-150 emissions it's £0-£215. covers vehicle for 12 months, then second payment onwards is £150 a year. MOT costs £55 and lasts for 12 months, fine is £1000 to drive without an indate MOT). RAC states that maintenance of a car including MOT costs about £472 a year - looking into used car warranty and paying a monthly fee may be better depending on what it covers.
• car clubs! instead of owning your own car, if you drive under 6,000 miles a year it may be worth joining. paying a join up fee and then paying for usage and fuel, so may be cheaper than buying your own car. cars are situated in parking spaces around cities and get unlocked with a membership card or app! examples: co-wheels car club, zip car, enterprise car club.

steps taken

• made savings pot for provisional, lessons + tests ✓
• made savings pot for car, taxes, insurance + repairs ✓
• applied and received provisional license ✓