It's no secret that owning a car costs you a lot of time and money. In between vehicle maintenance expenses, you have to pay high gas prices and parking fees. If you're really unlucky, you might even have to shell out some cash for traffic violations, accidents, and car rentals.

After all this damage to your bank account, you need to catch a break. Fortunately, these thrifty Android apps can help you cut down on some of the costly expenses that come with owning a car.

1. Car Scanner

Do you ever wish that you had a pocket-sized mechanic? Car Scanner is the mini diagnostic tool you've been looking for. To get started, you'll need an OBD2 sensor with Bluetooth capabilities. If you don't have one, this BAFX OBDII scanner is a suitable choice.

When the "Check Engine" light comes on in your car, you don't need to schedule an appointment with the mechanic right away. Plugging your OBD2 sensor into your car's port should automatically sync it to Car Scanner. The app pulls the data to tell you exactly what's wrong with your car so you can try to fix it yourself and save money.

Not only does Car Scanner show fault codes, but it can also measure your car's performance. Check your gas mileage, run acceleration tests, inspect engine performance and sensors, and customize the app's display to show specific gauges.

If you want even more features, you can opt to upgrade to Car Scanner Pro—the paid version of the app removes ads and unlocks more diagnostic features. You can pay $4.49 to unlock the Pro version forever, or pay a slightly lower price for a three-month or annual subscription.

Download: Car Scanner (Free, premium version available)

2. WinIt

After a night out in New York City, you walk back to your car, only to find a little slip of paper tucked in between your windshield wipers. As you unfold it, you realize you've been ticketed. Just in case you do get a parking ticket in the Big Apple, you should know that there's an app to fight against it.

WinIt specializes in disputing NYC parking tickets. Simply upload a picture of your parking ticket to the app or search for tickets associated with your license plate. Once you submit your ticket, you can add any evidence, and WinIt will do the rest. If you win your case, WinIt will charge you half the price that you would've paid for the ticket.

Download: WinIt (Free)

3. GasBuddy

It seems like gas prices are always on the rise. Keep track of which stops have the lowest prices with GasBuddy. Enter your location and the type of gas you use, and GasBuddy will find gas stations with the cheapest prices in your area.

You can even filter your results by which gas stations have restrooms, fast food, and car washes. GasBuddy always has your back, as it will let you know whenever a price increase is imminent.

GasBuddy isn't limited to finding you the best gas prices—it can also detect the motion of your car and determine if your driving habits are wasting your gas. Plus, you can enter the make and model of your car to view any potential recalls.

Download: GasBuddy (Free)

4. Scoop

Instead of driving your car to work every day and wasting gas in traffic, why not carpool with a coworker or neighbor a few days per week? Type in your work location and Scoop will find local carpoolers that have the same daily schedule. The more people who carpool together, the better—all members of the carpool will split the cost, saving you money in the long run.

Unfortunately, Scoop isn't available in every area just yet, though the app is being updated frequently. You'll have to input your home location and work destination to figure out if there are any Scoop users near you.

Download: Scoop (Free)

5. AutoZen

If you own an older car, you probably wish that you had the same Bluetooth touchscreen infotainment systems that new cars come with. Download AutoZen on your phone, and you won't have to spend extra cash on a new Bluetooth system. Instead, you can have the same hands-free calling and texting experience just by using your phone.

After picking out the best car phone holder for your device, mount your phone and open up AutoZen. With a simple voice command, you can send text messages, call friends, play music, and access your GPS.

If you don't want to accept any calls or texts while on the road, you can always pay for the premium version to use the app's "Do Not Disturb" feature. Not only will this app save you money on pricey car electronics, but it will also keep you from tickets you might get from driving while talking on the phone.

The Lifetime payment option is a one-time fee of $13.99, and it unlocks quite a bit of extra content permanently. Or, you can test out the app with a free seven-day trial followed by one of AutoZen's subscriptions (annual, six-month, or annual without in-app navigation).

Download: AutoZen (Free, premium version available)

6. Turo

Let's say your car breaks down and is stuck in the shop for a few days, but you don't have another car to get you around town. In this case, you'll probably opt for a rental car from a travel website. However, that's not the most financially prudent decision.

Don't spend hundreds of dollars on a typical rental car—find a car through the Turo app instead. Once you access the app, you'll find dozens of cars that everyday people rent out. Better yet, the prices are much more reasonable than a rental company. Turo is a great way to make some cash as well—rent out your car to local vacationers and get paid.

Download: Turo (Free)

7. SpotHero

When you don't plan out your parking situation during your visit to a major city, you'll usually be stuck paying a hefty parking fee in a non-ideal location. With SpotHero, you don't have to circle around the city to search for the perfect parking spot.

SpotHero lets you pick your parking spot in advance, which means cheaper prices. Simply enter the location you're headed to, along with the times you'll need parking for. The app will then display a map with all the available parking spots and their prices. Pay for parking right from the app, and skip the line at the parking garage.

Download: SpotHero (Free)

8. Driver: Dash Cam

Installing a dash cam in your car can help protect you in a hit-and-run or any other accident. Insurance companies love to see proof, and a dash cam can get you that proof. But what if you don't have enough money to splurge on a top-notch dash cam? Use your phone instead!

The Driver app functions as a free dash cam, as long as you have a mount to put it in while you're driving. You don't even have to manually start recording—the app automatically starts recording when you start driving. The app is capable of dual-camera recording, auto-deleting videos for storage management, and running other apps while Driver records in the background.

If you splurge for the DriverPremium subscription—which costs $4.99 per month—you can store all of your future dash cam recordings in the DriverCloud. With Cloud Sync technology, you can view your videos from any browser and trips are available for up to 90 days.

Download: Driver: Dash Cam (Free, premium version available)

Spend Less, Drive More

Owning a car doesn't have to be so expensive after all. When you have the right apps, you can save money on gas, parking, and even a trip to the mechanic. If you want to save even more money on an in-car entertainment system, try creating your own!