Buying a new Vehicle

Buying a car or a Vehicle is a big ticket item, and the first thing to do in buying big ticket items is research. Make sure that the item you are purchasing is really what you want and what you need. You need to shop around and look for the vehicle that will give you the most value for your money.

You should find out the history of the vehicle you are about to purchase. You should also list the advantages and disadvantages of the vehicles that you have chosen, since the moment your drive a new car off the lot, it depreciates in value. You will also have to keep the vehicle for a number of years and pay the car loan as early as possible to make sure that you get the value for your money.

When budgeting you should also set money aside for the vehicle's maintenance and repairs so you won't be surprise if you need to change tires or batteries. You should determine the true cost of the vehicle, so you don't go over the budget.

Having a budget will give you information on how much you can afford. Maybe you can cook at home instead of eating out that will give you savings to pay for your car loan. If you know what your average spending in each category you will be able to identify in which category you can cut back. This will tell you if you can afford the monthly car payment of your chosen vehicle.

Choose the the number of months that you are comfortable that you can make payments using your budget. Buy a vehicle that you can really afford not what you think you can afford.

Then compute for the total cost of ownership for your chosen vehicle. The cost of vehicle ownership is not just loan payment, it also includes insurance, taxes, maintenance, and repairs. All vehicles should be maintained in order to function well, that includes oil change, tires, batteries, wiper blades, periodic maintenance, and tune up. You will need to find out the true cost to own that vehicle on a monthly and yearly basis.

Since you will need to keep that car for a number of years to be able to gain the benefits of ownership. Due to depreciation the value of the vehicle will drop each year, however you can recover some of its overall costs by maintaining and caring for your vehicle, since it also provides you with the necessary transportation to your work.

Vehicle's value can go down at about 15% to 20% the moment it is driven off the lot. Nowadays, more people are buying used vehicle since it is a way cheaper however, you will have to allot more time in research to make sure that the vehicle is sound and in running condition. If you don't have knowledge about cars, you can have a trusted mechanic inspect the used vehicle and get the full report on the vehicle's history.

Purchasing a used vehicle can save you a lot of money. Leasing a car only makes sense when you have significant disposable income, or if your company pays for it.