| Before going to the dealership do yourself a favor and | | | | buying. |
| write a checklist for buying a new car. Purchasing a | | | | 6. Find out what the invoice of the car is. This is what |
| new car will be one of the most expensive decisions | | | | the dealer paid for it. You can use it as a negotiating |
| you will ever make. Going into it blindly will surely cost | | | | point. |
| you thousands of dollars. A checklist for buying a new | | | | 7. Go online and get quotes from different dealers. In |
| car is a simple way to help save you money. It is | | | | many cases you may be able to garner a better deal |
| essentially a checklist of 10 things you should do | | | | by doing it online. Make sure you get a hard copy of |
| before you sign the loan on that new car. Please see | | | | the quote and bring it with you to the dealership. |
| the example below. | | | | 8. Perform a thorough physical inspection of the |
| 1. Decide on a budget. How much can you afford to | | | | vehicle you will be purchasing. Just because it's brand |
| spend on a new car? Figure this out before setting | | | | new doesn't mean there are no dents or scratches. |
| foot on a dealer's lot. | | | | 9. Bring a "car buyer decision guide" to the dealership |
| 2. Figure out how much fuel, insurance, and | | | | with you. It's simply a handwritten guidebook filled with |
| maintenance will cost. Factor this into your budget. | | | | information specific to you, such as how much you |
| 3. Check for any incentives or rebates. These are | | | | can afford to spend, what car best suits your needs, |
| often unadvertised. | | | | average car sales prices, etc. It will help keep you |
| 4. Instead of limiting yourself to one particular | | | | focused. |
| dealership, get quotes from several dealers. | | | | 10. Learn to negotiate. This is perhaps the most |
| 5. Make sure you test drive the actual car you plan on | | | | important tip on your checklist. |