Okay, so we're all skint and won't be buying a new car in 2009. We look at our car sitting miserably out in the driveway and we think, 'another year driving around in this lump'. Well don't despair, because there's a lot you can easily do to spruce up your car for 2009. Here's the top five tips from The Filter to help you:

1. Start off by giving the interior a good clean up. Give it a proper hoover (vacuum for any Americans), polish the dash and the door interiors and clear out the boot and glove compartment. Get a decent air freshener - you can get ones that specifically give off the smell of a new car so don't just go for the cheapest.

2. Now accessorise the interior.

• Get a new set of mats. These will do the front and rear. You can get cheaper rubber ones for about 30quid or a decent set of carpet & rubber mats for about 50quid.
• Now get a new set of seat covers. A decent set of seat covers can really transform the interior of the car, covering up any coffee stains on your seats and giving the feel of a new car when you sit into it. These will range from 40 to 80 euro for a decent set of covers 
• If you do a lot of driving / commuting, why not get yourself a seat cushion, about 25 quid and well worth the investment
• If you're like me and you dump everything and anything into the boot of the car, then you should probably also get a rubber boot mat for 2009 (36.50euro). This will transform the boot into an area that also looks new. And it will protect your boot carpet, if you're going to be selling the car on.
• The steering wheel can often start to fade after a few years, so why not get a new steering wheel cover. Now i'm not talking about the racing style steering wheel cover, but there are nice leather-look steering covers from about 12 euro.

3. Now the exterior. Start off by giving the car a good wash. You can go to the car wash if you're lazy, but the jet wash is a better option if you really want to get rid of the long-term grim. My advice is to do a jet wash, park up for a while and scrub any existing dirt off (concentrate on the lower regions of the car, where the dirt tends to be almost cemented on), and then give it a second foam clean and jet wash. Now drive home where the real work will start.

4. Polish and wax the paintwork. If you're really serious about sprucing your car up, you really need to give it a decent polish and wax. This will make a real difference to the look of your paintwork and it will also keep the car looking good and clean for a good long period of time. You can get waxes that are suitable for different ages of paintwork so be sure to choose correctly. Some waxes can last for 6 to 9 months so you may not have to do it again until the middle of the summer - so it is worth putting the effort in.

5. Accessorise the exterior. I'm not talking about 'go fast stripes' and boot spoilers (The Filter doesn't like them!), but if your wheels are looking jaded, why not put on a set of new plastic wheel trims (about 40euro for a set of 4). Get a new set of mud flaps (14.50 for 2), or if you do a lot of driving possibly a set of wind deflectors (allow you to drive comfortably with the window down) - about 50 euro.

So there you have it, five changes that won't break the bank and half a days work that will transform your car for 2009. We spend enough time in the car so it's worth the investment. Give your car some dignity for the year ahead.

Here's a few handy video demos to help you with sprucing up the car: