So you’re planning to buy a car? Let me stop you right there! It’s not as simple as just racing down to the nearest dealership, handing over cash, and driving away. That’s sure to be a recipe for disaster. Believe me. You’ve heard the phrase fools rush in, right? Well, this is the perfect scenario to apply that saying.
Buying a car’s a big step for anybody. And, before you part with your hard-earned dollars you need know a few things. Not everything of course, but there are key elements you’ve got to be aware of when you’re planning to buy a car. The points I’m going to list for you here are some of the most important things you need to know about.
Prepare for Running Costs
Okay, first up we’ve got running costs. Now you might have thought I was going to start with buying a car as the first point. But no, running costs can account for more in the long run. So you need to bear in mind that running costs are expensive. Once you have a car, you need to prepare for having no money. Or at least, considerably less money than you had before. Fuel prices seem to be forever on the rise, and it’s difficult for any of us to make ends meet. A car’s an added expense some of us could do without. But make sure you account for the additional costs before buying.
Don’t Get Ripped Off
It’s easy these days to get ripped off by unscrupulous dealers. Unless you know a lot about cars you’re always going to be at risk of being sold a dud. The good news is that this is exactly what the Lemon Law is there to protect. You need to make yourself aware of the Lemon Law resources available to you, so you don’t get ripped off. Or if you do get ripped off, at least you know how to react to it. Try to find out as much as you can about the car you want to buy and the dealership you want to visit too. And you could even take a friend or family member with you who’s knowledgeable about cars.
You Need Regular Maintenance Checks
Bear in mind that your car’s going to need regular maintenance checks. Cars can be a right pain in the proverbial because they soon develop problems. Some are quicker to develop issues than others, of course. But I think you need to prepare yourself for the fact you might need to get quite a lot of work done on your car. Just make sure you find a service garage that you trust. And make sure you account for maintenance work when you budget for your vehicles running costs.
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Congratulations, You’re Now a Taxi
One of the more annoying facets of buying a car is that you’ll instantly transform into a taxi service. Your friends and family members will be expecting rides everywhere. I know you don’t think this will be the case, but trust me, it will. You’ll need to get used to being a glorified taxi service. You should also prepare for being the designated driver on night’s out. It can get frustrating, but it’s part of the process, unfortunately. You might want to think about asking for petrol money from your friends, as the costs will soon mount up otherwise.
