Photo by CC user armydre2008 on Flickr

Buying a used car in lincoln for yourself can be a very tedious and expensive proposition if you don’t know how some of the proceedings revolving around a car sale work. This may not be your first time buying a car, but a car salesman has sold cars to thousands before you and is someone who knows exactly how to separate you from your money.

Until and unless you do your homework properly before setting foot in the car lot, you’re not going to best deal and, in some cases, might even get swindled by the car salesman. .

Here are some important things to know before buying a car:

1. Your Usage

Know that buying a car is something that should always be done by putting your needs and requirements above everything else. Buying a sports car just to drop your kids off to school or running day-to-day errands does not make a lot of sense. Before you decide what car you want to buy, know what purpose you want it to fulfill.

This lets you narrow it down to what you really need. Whether you want a car with maximum comfort to make those long drives more enjoyable or one that simple gets you from point A to B easily and quickly you need to understand what it’s primary use will be.

 2. Compare and Contrast

Do not restrict yourself to one dealer. Buying a car is no ordinary investment and you do not want to spend the rest of your days regretting your decision . Scout and compare different dealers and their prices. Go to the ones that have gotten the best reviews and offer competitive prices. Also make sure you understand each respective dealer’s returns policy or the lengths they are willing to go to, should you run into any problems after picking up your car. .

Going through this compare and contrast drill is essential before buying anything, and even more so when it comes to buying cars. You never know if the dealer right next door might offer you the same car for a few hundred dollars less.

3. Pay on the Spot

If you really want to save money in the long run, you should make sure that you pay on the spot and not introduce any credit to your purchase history. The interests charged by dealerships can amount to thousands of dollars over a span of time, and that can multiply the total cost of the car at least three times, in some cases

In addition, add ons are also a method of siphoning off dollars from you in the long run as a small addon of, say $20, can cost you $2000 over a ten-month period! Try to avoid purchasing on credit whenever you can, but if you must, make sure it’s paid off as quickly as possible, with only the most necessary add ons. Otherwise, you might as well buy just blow away your hard-earned cash on a Mercedes Benz.