Do not overextend and put yourself in a bad position. Know your limit and then choose accordingly. Be smart. Possibly consider a vehicle that you are happy with but may not be exactly what you want but will accomplish what you need, with a shorter term auto loan. You will save a lot of money on interest, build back credit faster and improve your fiscal outlook.
A pretty fair barometer in considering a monthly budget to finance a car payment, is to spend no more than a maximum of 15% – 20% of your gross monthly income. This is to play it safe and smart. So for example, if you earn an income of$3,000 per month, you should spend no more than a maximum of $450 – $600 on your car payment. This is only a gauge that looks at the entire picture of fiscal responsibility so that you do not over extend yourself and get into further debt. income
Therefore, the type of car you buy and the specific model you choose will both play a factor in the additional costs associated with your monthly payment and future payments. Look at the big picture before making any decisions. Get perspective on what position financially you want to put yourself in before it is too late.
What to Look For
- Insurance rates – Most commonly, sports cars and expensive vehicles have higher insurance rates. Safer, smaller and cheaper cars will have much lower insurance rates.
- Fuel efficiency – This one is pretty obvious since we all have to fill up at the pump.
- Repairs – An old car might be a bargain at the dealership, but for good reason. You’ll be paying a lot more in repairs on an old car that has high kilometers on it. If you consider regular maintenance like oil changes and new tires on top of brake or transmission issues, that bargain doesn’t look like such a deal anymore.
- Backend costs – Dealerships will always try to sell you extra things at the end of a sale like rust and paint protection. Many of these are equivalent to snake oil but there may be some packages you may want to research and see if the benefits of buying it upfront will outweigh the potential costs down the road.
- Tax, Title and License fees – One of the more commonly overlooked costs of buying a vehicle is the one that every car sale requires. You must pay the tax, title and license fees associated with the car in order to legally drive it. While it might not be the factor that sways your car buying decision, it is important to know how much these fees will be before signing on the dotted line.
- Warranty – This is an especially important aspect to consider when buying a used car. The older the car, the more repairs will be needed to keep the car running and in good shape. A warranty is worth considering in order to keep your out of pocket costs down at the mechanic.
Make sure you have your finances in order, not only for the cost of the car, but also for the added expenses listed above.
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