Apart from buying a house, buying a car is one of the most expensive things you can do, but you can control this. Whatever your reasons are for keeping costs down, you can buy and run a car on a budget provided that you’re clever about it.
Be Realistic when Setting your Budget
Set your budget at the least optimistic level rather than letting your heart rule your head. This leaves you space for movement and ensures you are being realistic about how much you can actually afford. There’s no point even looking at cars until you’ve worked out how much you can afford to pay for one, and how much you can afford on running costs.
Whether your buying a car to practise driving, or looking for a car for when you pass your driving test budgeting is very important. If you haven’t started having lessons yet and your just getting ideas for cars perhaps look into your lessons first to get used to the roads through a Driving Instructor Market Harborough company which can be found at https://demarcodriving.uk/.
Every car is different and what may seem like a great deal might not be when it comes to running it. Use car forums or money saving forums such as http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/), to see what others think. Also listen to the advice of friends and family to find out which cars are more or less likely to break down and which have the best (as in lowest) fuel consumption.
Used Cars & Finance
Anyone looking for a car on a budget will be looking at used cars. New cars have a premium attached that is wiped out the moment you drive it off the forecourt. When you buy a used car, look for things that may make it even cheaper but still work for you. For example, if you only need a car for a short period of time, you can save by getting one with lots of miles on the clock.
Some people think that if they have a bad credit history they have no chance of getting car finance on a used car but this isn’t true. Wherever you’re based if you’re researching car finance or bad credit,there will be a specialist out there for you.
Negotiating
Finally, never be afraid to negotiate when it comes to buying a second hand car. Follow advice from industry experts to save even more money through negotiation.
Further areas in which you can make savings by comparison and shopping around include fuel, insurance premiums. And you can avoid long journeys by car pooling with friends.