Fresh Auto: 4 Reasons People Should Budget Before Buying A New Car

Buying a new car may be a worthwhile investment especially if you are constantly taking the bus or putting money into your current junker. However, new cars can be really expensive. 

That is why it is always a good idea to create a budget long before you start shopping for your next vehicle. That way you can make sure that you have the right amount of money saved up to be able to afford the car of your dreams. 

Here are some other reasons why it is a good idea to save up for a new car. 

You Don't Want a Salesperson Telling You What to Buy

When you determine your budget ahead of time, it helps to determine what type of car that you will buy. For instance, if you determine that your budget is $10,000, you aren't going to buy a new Mercedes. 

Instead, you may be looking at a late model Hyundai or a Nissan Versa if you want to buy a vehicle from the current model year. 

Never Base Affordability on the Monthly Payment

Many people determine if they can afford a car based on the monthly payment that they are given. What most people don't realize is that lower payments are generally the result of a longer loan term. 

While buyers may think that they are saving money, they are really paying their lender more interest and building equity in the vehicle at a slower pace.

Make It Easier to Shop for Financing

Lenders base their interest rates based on how much you borrow, how long you want to borrow for and whether the car is new or used. 

Setting a budget ahead of time allows you to do so with those factors in mind. This helps you determine if you want to go to a credit union for a loan, talk with an online lender or just see what a dealer has to offer. 

Those in the Cincinnati area can visit dealers like those at Milton Ruben Toyota if they need a loan.

Can You Afford to Buy Right Now?

Just because you want a new car right now doesn't mean that you can afford buying a new vehicle that meets all of your needs. 

In some cases, it may be best to lease a vehicle or save up for a few months to make a down payment. Waiting may also be a good idea for those who need time to improve their credit to get a better interest rate.

If you are in the market for a new car, it may be a good idea to consider your financial situation before you start shopping. This enables you to control the car buying process as opposed to allowing a salesperson to make decisions for you.

3 Ways To Avoid Future Debt When Buying A Car

Buying a car usually means taking out a loan that will be the buyer's responsibility for the next several years. However, this does not doom a buyer to future debt obligations just so they can have a reliable means of transport. 

Buying within the limits of one's likely needs for the vehicle, aggressive payments towards the loan, and smartly cutting losses on money-pit vehicles can go a long way towards reducing the possibility of ongoing debt. 

Remember that the extent of future debt is dependent on available cash and other liquid assets that could offset that debt. Smart money management and understanding the value dynamics of cars can go a long way towards minimizing ongoing debt. 

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Stay Within Limits

Buying a car entails making decisions about types of vehicle, additional warranties, features, and so on. A general rule is to keep things as low-cost as possible without sacrificing performance or putting on excessive risk. 

This means that a smaller car with more protection and coverage could be a better deal than a more expensive "tougher" vehicle with bare-bones coverage or repair warranties. 

Pay Ahead

Paying more than the stated minimum, and making more such payments if possible, knocks down car loan principal faster. 

The result is a quicker road to legal ownership of the car's equity, less total loan expense and greater resale value should the owner decide to sell when the loan is paid off. 

Future debt becomes more of a possibility and challenge if existing car payments linger and weigh down a buyer's net liquid cash. In addition to paying ahead, you also must pay attention to the terms of your loan. 

If you’re a first time buyer, you may be eligible for special promotions that will help you pay off the loan faster. Companies like BlueSky Auto Finance can offer these deals, but make sure you ask if they don’t.

Cut Losses

Barring exceptional upkeep and specialized car enthusiasm, a car is certain to be a depreciating asset. 

Be careful not to sink more money in the car than it is likely worth. Kelly Blue Book and similar services can give a close estimate for how much a car can fetch on the market. 

If a buyer ends up sinking as much, or more, into car repairs and insurance than they could extract from it through a trade-in or sale, cutting losses and selling is typically a lesser evil. 

The sale funds and lesser ownership expenses could be used to offset future debt.

Combined with financial maneuvers such as co-signing in case of credit issues, these tricks will go a long way towards warding off future debt when buying a car. 

Services such as Blue Sky Auto Finance are always willing to work with prospective buyers to find a solution that works.

What Refinancing Your Home Can Do for Your Pocket Book

Buying a home is perhaps the largest investment any person will ever make in their lifetime. It will also likely be an investment you will make more than once as you will likely buy, sell, and move from home to home. 

So it is important you know how your mortgage can affect your bank account. With that said, there will be times where you will want to consider refinancing your home to ease your financial burdens.

After you have been in your home for a few years, you may notice that you have paid down a decent amount of your mortgage’s principal balance. 

In addition, the value of your home may have appreciated, or you may have made some excellent improvements to it that bolstered value. 

The combination of these events may have created substantial equity in your home, and you may now be wondering if you should tap into your equity with a refinance mortgage. 

Refinancing your mortgage can benefit you financially in several important ways. 

Lowering Your Mortgage Payment

When you apply for a refinance loan through a company like Republic State Mortgage Co., you can get a quote for the rate and term that may apply to your new loan. 

You will also receive an estimated monthly loan payment, and this may provide you with very beneficial news. In many cases, homeowners are able to lower their mortgage payment by refinancing their current home loan. 

This may be by qualifying for a lower interest rate, lowering their starting principal balance or both. When you lower your mortgage payment, your monthly budget will instantly be improved. This savings can be enjoyed throughout the life of the loan.

Reducing Interest Charges

As previously stated, refinancing your home can reduce the interest on your home. When you have a lower interest rate or a lower starting principal balance on your loan, you will pay less in interest charges. 

Reduced interest charges provide you with the ability to accrue equity more quickly in the future as well as the ability to make your monthly mortgage payments more effective at debt reduction. 

Both of these factors can drastically improve your financial situation over the years. This should also allow you to pay off your home quicker, especially if this is your forever home. Paying off your home is the ultimate goal. 

Once your home is completely paid off, you will be able to spend money elsewhere and go and do things a little easier that you were able to before. 

Using Cash out Proceeds to Pay Off Debts

If you intend to access some of your equity through a refinance loan, you can use the cash out proceeds to strategically improve your finances. 

For example, many will use the cash out proceeds to fully or partially pay off outstanding credit card debts, medical bills and student loans. This can save you a considerable amount of money in monthly expenses, and it also can make it faster and easier for you to pay your total debt balance off.

Refinancing your home mortgage is a wise financial move to make in many situations. However, each homeowner has a different financial scenario to consider. 

You will want to keep an eye on the interest rates and the housing market so you can get an idea of how refinancing your house might affect your pocket book. 

It is important to review all factors to ensure that this is the best move for you. Getting a quote from your mortgage company can help you to make a wise decision.

How To Invest In A New Car While Staying Frugal

While some buyers look at the purchase of a new vehicle as exciting, many consider it a necessity. The investment that's made on the purchase of a new car, from places like Bay Ridge Nissan, can be taxing on nearly any middle-class or lower income. 

As frugal as we may be already, the extra hundreds of dollars makes the need to be even more frugal a crucial step in maintaining financial independence. 

Here are some ways to invest in a new car while staying frugal.

Eat Out Less Often

As you pull out of your driveway towards your local fast food or dine-in restaurant, remember that eating out can cost 300% or more of what you would spend cooking at home. 

Preparing your daily meals at home can easily save you $200 or more on a monthly basis. It may seem like a lot more work to cook at home, but it can definitely save you a lot of money.

Choose Netflix or Streaming TV

The average household cable or satellite bill is around $100. You can cut that cost by nearly 90% with a simple Netflix subscription for $10/month. 

Additionally, many cable channels provide free access to their TV shows, so you don't always have to miss out on your favorites just to save a few dollars every month.

Use Less Water

Water consumption can easily eat into your monthly income. Getting out of your comfort zone is crucial to becoming frugal for your new car investment. Here are a few ways to lighten the load on your water ball.

• Shorten your daily shower by 2 minutes
• Trim one minute from each session of your lawn sprinklers
• Run a few loads of lots of laundry, rather than several smaller loads

Get Outside and Get Rid of Gym Memberships

While it's nice to be able to go to the gym before or after work, you can still get a great workout on your own. 

There are plenty of workout routines available on video streaming sites that require no equipment. If you're one for running machines, you'll appreciate the fresh air and scenery around you if you simply run a few miles around your neighborhood.

Lose the Bad Habits

If you're a smoker, gambler or consume your free-time with other unhealthy habits, you could be draining your bank account faster than you think. 

While challenging, cutting out these bad habits will make it exponentially easier to see to your new car payments every month. Making small everyday changes can really add up to making a huge difference.

Each of these frugal ideas alone may not do much, but as you work to cut spending, you'll be pleased with the results. 

Take the time to review your banking activity, and look to see just how much you can save for your new car by cutting these monthly expenses.