Having a car in the United States is essential. After all, without a reliable rail system or other form of public transportation that Americans can use to get to and from work, to the grocery store, or anywhere else, what other option is there? Luckily, owning a vehicle can be a ton of fun, especially if you’re the type who likes to go joy riding with the windows down and the music loud — really, who isn’t? That being said, buying a car, regardless of whether you’re looking to buy from new or used car dealers, is a significant financial investment. With these simple tips, you can gain all the benefits of owning a car for much, much less.
How to Save Big When Looking for a Car Sale at Your Local Car Dealers
- Play Your Local Car Dealers Against Each Other
- Look for Cheap Car Dealers in the Off Season
- Empower Yourself with Knowledge
- Work out and Stick to Your Budget
For BankRate.com, there are few better ways to save money when buying a car than playing your local car dealers against each other. Think about it: they are constantly competing with each other for business. If they find out another dealer is offering a better price, chances are they’ll lower theirs. This is Psychology 101 in car-buying form.
Did you know that car prices are typically higher in the spring and summer than they are in the winter? As Daily Finance writes, that’s because more people are looking for vehicles during the nicer seasons. It’s all about supply and demand. If you can hold off until the end of the year to buy, you’ll likely be able to score a really sweet deal.
Look, we both know that car dealerships, like any business, are in it to make money. That’s why TIME recommends buyers do their research before heading to their local car dealers. Using the Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, and other popular auto websites, you can find out what you should expect to pay for a certain make and model of car with X amount of mileage. Doing so, you can spot a deal or a ripoff without trouble.
The biggest secret to saving money when buying a car is, perhaps, defining your budget and sticking to it. As a general rule of thumb, you don’t want to buy a car that will lead to payments of more than 20% of your monthly income. Knowing your budget will instantly eliminate many more expensive choices, helping you to make a smarter decision.
Are there any great tips for saving on new or used car shopping that we failed to mention? Tell us about them in the comment section below! See more: hudiburgnissan.com
