Buying Used Cars-How Much Should You Spend?

by | Sep 2, 2015 | Automotive

The time may come when you need to buy a new vehicle. Rather than purchasing New Trucks or cars, many people choose to look at use cars in Wisconsin. When you go to do so, however, you need to know how much you can afford to spend. You don’t want to purchase a car only to find that you can’t afford the payments and upkeep or that doing so means you have to really cut back in other areas. Experts offer certain guidelines to help you determine how much you should spend on your new ride.

The monthly payment for your car needs to be 20 percent of your take home pay or less. The thing to remember is you may wish to go below this amount, as this gives you some wiggle room at the dealership. Try to find something less expensive, but if you feel you cannot live without a certain car, you have a maximum allowable amount in mind. Emotions often come into play when buying a car, and having this figure ahead of time helps you to keep your head when your heart is screaming yes to a car that is out of your price range.

Determine how much you have in terms of a trade-in. Professionals will tell you that you should never share the fact that you are trading your car in until the negotiations are over. Figure out how much the dealer is likely to give you in a trade-in and how much you could get if you sell the car yourself. Private party sales tend to bring in more money, yet you have to clean the car up and be willing to meet with buyers, so factor this into the equation.

How much of a down payment do you have? This will lower your monthly payment also. The more cash you can put down, the less you will pay out each month. You may find you wish to hold off on buying use cars in Wisconsin until you can put down more, so you can get your dream car.

Finally, when looking for used cars in Wisconsin, be sure to factor in gas, insurance and servicing costs. You need to keep your car running and all of these costs add up over time. The more groundwork you do before you buy, the more satisfied you will be in the long run. Keep this in mind. Check over here.

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