While my car is aging, like everything else that I own, I find myself looking through endless auto ads trying to identify the style that I want. While my husband in the past has just driven onto the lot of a dealership and got sucked into the “less than perfect” purchase my plan is a little different.
My plan is to do lots of research before ever setting foot on a lot to make a purchase. While I may have made mistakes in other areas of my life, I am very money conscious. Maybe not frugal but I do collect coupons when I can find them. I do compare prices when possible and I don’t just settle for second best.
My grandfather always said “buy the best that you can with the money you have”. Instead of wading through mounds of paperwork for that auto loan, I plan to pay for this purchase in cash. The biggest benefit of that of course is no interest and no car payment. By liquidating some of the assets I already have before making that purchase it puts me in a better position to negotiate on price.
Currently I am researching not only style but the “best bang for the buck”, the best safety record, and best performing car. A little time now in doing the research I hope will save me a lot of headaches down the road.
I hope sometime in the next few months I will be cruising down the road in my new car and still be debt free. Wish me luck!
Through My Eyes 