Families are a growing brood and one that you need to cater to financially in all parts of life. This includes getting them to and from school, as well as out and about to visit family or to do something together.
A car is a great way of providing much-needed freedom and flexibility that’s needed for families of any size. There are plenty of cars out there, but how do you choose a great car that’s not only notably safe for families but affordable too?
It’s worth knowing the checklist you need to work through in order to find an affordable car for your family. Here are a few tips to ensure you get the best vehicle for your money.
Take a look at your savings
It’s important to review your savings before you go any further. While some people will pay for their car on finance, others will use their own savings to front the cost of the vehicle. It’s good to understand what savings are available to see if that payment would be possible from your own bank balance. If not, then it’s best to go with finance.
Of course, with finance, you’re paying so much per month, so you’ll want to estimate how much you can afford each month. Some households may be able to afford more each month, so it’s good to know how much you can afford to shell out each month on top of running costs and taxes expected. Typically the average car will set you back around $48,681. This is comparing sub-standard cars, hybrid options, and luxury cars.
Set a strict budget
When it comes to finding a car, you want to set a strict budget. The reason for doing this is that you don’t want to get swept up in the idea of buying a car that you’ll struggle to afford or won’t be able to keep up the monthly payments as a result.
To help ensure you keep to the desired amount you wish to spend, make sure you know what your budget is. If it’s you and your partner or spouse shopping for a car, have this discussion before walking onto the sales floor. It’s easy enough to be swayed to add any extra few dollars or more onto the car’s finance, for example.
Don’t be swayed by anything over the budget and make it clear to those you’re visiting, that this budget is capped and is non-negotiable.
Have a criteria
Criteria are an important part of finding an affordable car. While you want to find a car that suits your budget, you don’t want it to be missing any of the necessities you need in the vehicle itself.
As a family, there might be certain safety functions you need and tech features that are going to help you navigate easily from A to B. Make sure that along with a budget, you’ve made a list of what you need from the car. That way, you’re going to ensure you find the best and most suitable car for your requirements.
You may have a few needs and wants that are optional but make it clear what are non-negotiables when it comes to what are must-haves.
Check out pre-owned inventory sites
There are plenty of pre-owned inventory sites that are worth exploring, like MyCar for example. This is a great way of bringing together all of your options and reviewing them individually. Not only that but you can make easier comparisons between multiple vehicles when it’s all in one place.
Pre-owned inventory sites are very trustworthy and also provide the necessary filters to pre-select what you’re after so only the desired ones are shown.
Go directly to the car manufacturers
If you’re looking to get a few comparisons or you’re after a new car that’s just rolled straight off the manufacturing line, then it’s worth going directly to the car manufacturers. There are plenty of showrooms around to take a look at and it might be worth visiting them in order to expand your search.
Try to negotiate where possible
Where possible, try to negotiate on the price. Most of the time, there’s a bit of wiggle room on the price being displayed on the car’s dashboard. Don’t be afraid to haggle a little to see if you can get a bit of the price knocked off.
Finding an affordable car as a family is a tough one in this climate but still possible to do, so get researching!
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