How To Reduce Stress and Save MONEY when Buying a Car

This post is a sponsored post.  All opinions and information provided is 100% mine.

There is nothing more stressful to me than buying a new car.  And I have done it many times in my life, and I may have a new car but I ask myself questions like "Did I actually get a good deal?" or "Did I overpay?" Here are a few things to think about when in the market for a new car:

Buying From a Seller Direct

I have done this before and it's a big risk and sometimes a good deal can be too good to be true.  Unfortunately one time, I purchased a vehicle that I was told had been sitting up for awhile and just needed new fluids, but really it needed a new engine, which I learned AFTER the purchase....UGH.  So lesson learned on this deal! Another car I purchased direct from the seller, I actually knew the person I purchased it from and knew the car had been maintained and well taken care of...so I got a good deal and a good car on this one!  Whether you know the person or not, make sure to test drive the car, ask to bring it to a mechanic to have it looked at, and don't feel rushed to make a decision.

Buying From a Dealership

I hate dealerships - I feel like they are trying to pressure me into a car - or make me feel like I am getting a good deal and in the end I have walked out (sometimes with a car and sometimes without) not even sure if they were even offering me anything at all.  My last new car that I purchased, I went to several dealerships to find out who would offer the best price - it turned out they were all trying to sell me the EXACT same car...so I found out which dealership had it on their lot and saved the "transport" fees just for driving down the street myself!

DO YOUR RESEARCH

In both instances, it would have been helpful for me to know more information about the car I was purchasing.  That's when Cars.com would be helpful to anyone in the car shopping process.  Show the seller or dealer that you are well educated in car facts and this alone will most likely help you in negotiating a better price!  Even if all you do is look up similar car prices, you may be able to save yourself THOUSANDS of dollars!

Cars.com offers pros and cons of specific car purchases too - they don't hold back on telling you the truth! A great resource I found was a listing of cars with the Best and Worst Gas Mileage - no one wants to buy a gas guzzler and get stuck with high gas bills (See article link HERE)

BUY WHAT YOU NEED AND 
GET WHAT YOU WANT

 If your family needs a van to fit all the kids and cargo, then buy a van, but make sure you get the right one for you! Use Cars.com to figure out which van will work best to suit YOUR family needs - don't let someone convince you that you need another vehicle or a fancier model - all those upgrades you pay for, so get what you need! When I purchased, they tried to convince me to upgrade to the model with heated rear seats...it cost an extra $4,000 for that bell and whistle! I stuck to my wants and walked out with a vehicle that had features that I needed! And what the heck is GAP insurance? They break it out with a great explanation here

SELLING A VEHICLE

With every new car purchase, there is an older car that needs to be sold or traded.  Another great feature that I found on Cars.com is the ability to find out your car's value - I simply entered my license plate number and all my vehicle information pulled up for me (I had to enter current mileage) and GOOD NEWS! Even though I still have a car note, I would be able to sell my car today for more than I owe!

Plug in your car info HERE and see what it is worth! You can also have dealers make you offers directly on the site as well.

Most importantly, when purchasing or selling a vehicle, RESEARCH is super important - and Cars.com has ALL the information in one place for you to easily locate and get the information that you need to make an informed, smart decision before your next purchase!

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