Buying a Car

A feeling of nausea comes over you.  You have tiny beads of sweat on your forehead.  Your palms are clammy.  Sounds like some sort of serious illness may be setting in.  In actuality, you have just stepped onto the hot pavement of the first of many car dealerships to come…you’ve decided to purchase a new car.  Why does this process have to be so agonizing?  Honestly, it seems we’ve brought this on ourselves.  Making a large purchase can be very stressful; however, if you’re prepared, it should be no different than buying a loaf of bread.
So many choices.  So many colors.  So many features.  Do your homework; that’s the key.  Know what you want before going to any dealership.  Make a list of the things you feel are a must have.  Then make a list of the things you might like to have.  Lastly, make a list of the things you do not want or even need to have.  Most importantly, know how exactly how much you want to spend.  This is very important because, you will be tempted to spend more once you see the cars all shiny and new.  The dealership may try to convince you that you can afford to spend a little more.  They may also have a tendency to ask you how much of a monthly payment you can afford.  This may be a way for them to sell you a car that costs more than you can or want to spend by extending the term of the loan.   
Once you have your lists.  Go onto the internet and do some searching.  There is a wealth of information out there that you can tap into that will help to narrow your search.  This can be overwhelming, but well worth your time if you stick with it.  Once you have found the vehicles you are interested in looking at, you will need to actually go look at them.  Yes, this involves going to the dealership.  This can be scary, but if you’re prepared, you can do it.  Some people will actually leave the vehicles they want to trade in at home so there is less of a chance they will get pressured into a premature sale.  Call ahead to make sure they actually have the vehicle you are interested in seeing.  Be polite to the salesperson and make sure to tell them that you are just there to see and possibly test drive a vehicle but that purchasing is not in the cards in the near future.  Chances are that they will move on to easier prey.
Once you’ve decided on a vehicle, watch for special offers.  Most dealerships are offering some sort of special offers these days.  When you’re ready to purchase, going in on the last day of the month can be beneficial as they are typically trying to make their sales quota for the month and are more likely to be willing to work with you than at the beginning of the month.  Also if you’re willing to purchase a model late in the year, you are likely to get a better price; kind of like buying day old bread!