One of the important and most stressful decisions you are going to make is buying a car.  Cars are expensive and most people have them for years, so it’s a choice that has a true impact on your life.  Your car is what you will drive to work, important events and your day to day activities and it will impact you for years.

So how can you find a car that you like,  without wrecking your budget?

Here are some tips to get you moving in the right direction.

When I bought my new car there were so many things that I had to consider and after owning my car for little over two years there a few things I wished I would of done differently.

1. Decide What You Want & What You Can Afford- When it was time to buy a car I knew what I wanted or at least I thought I did. My list was short and I underestimated some important details.   I had it to do over again I would of done things differently.  All cars cost money so you need to know how much it will cost you to drive and service.  How often do you need an oil change and what is the normal maintenance schedule.  Put together a list of the ownership costs  for at least the first 3 years. Use this loan calculator to see what you are going to spend monthly 
2. Put Together A List = Put together a list of about 3 cars that is a great starting point.  Put your choices in order, but be flexible.  Make a list you can work from, you can add to it later but start collecting data. Take a look at this list of the Best Cars of 2018, you may find a car that you overlooked.
3. Look At Reviews – I can’t emphasize this enough.  The more information you have the more you will know.  Look for any known issues or problems, if it was a problem then you want to know. This may sound but its important and well worth whatever time you spend putting it together.
4. Explore All Your Options -Find the cars you are interested in and then add a few more. Try places like cars.com it’s a great tool when you are in your job search.
5. Stand Your Ground & Be Willing To Walk Away –  There is nothing worse than finding the “perfect car” only to realize that it’s out of your budget or the reviews are bad. Just because a car looks good now, it doesn’t mean that the car is right for you.  It’s hard to walk away from a car after you have fallen in love with it, so keep an open mind and does lose focus.  Sometimes the best thing you can do is walk away and trying again tomorrow.

Invest time and energy on finding the right car and it will reward you in the end.