As a first suggestion, before you step out of your home to buy a car, make a list of what you need
today and what you will need during the years to come during your ownership.  Most of us are so
concerned with satisfying today's wants that we neglect what life will look like three, five, or seven
years down the road while we are still driving our new vehicle.

Things to consider:

• Your children.  Lots of things change in your children's lives in three, five, seven years down the road.  Will they be old enough to drive and maybe have their own vehicle?  Maybe they are only three now and later, at six, eight or ten years old their activities will be far more demanding on your driving habits: sports activities; more visits with friends; school events...you get the idea!
• Your job.  Maybe today your job requires that you put intense kms on your car but you don't expect to continue with this work long term.  It could be the reverse, maybe you intend to have a job that requires you to drive a lot in the near future.
• Elderly parents.  If your parents are elderly and soon may not be able to drive, you may have additional driving needs, taking them to appointments and on errands.
• Lifestyle Change.  Your near future may be affected by present health issues or retirement plans.  Will you take more road trips when you retire or less road trips?  If you have health challenges you may have regular doctor or hospital visits for check-ups or tests.  Alternatively, health issues may keep you at home more and reduce your driving demands.
• Budget.  Of course, before you leave home, always know how much you want to spend on your new vehicle.  If you are purchasing the car with funds in your bank account, consider there will be taxes and possibly some value added products that you will want to purchase.  If you are financing or leasing your purchase, know what your budget limits are and again, allow yourself some room for value added products that may interest you.  Nothing worse than stretching your affordability before you are introduced to the finance manager who will present other products to you.

Next week..."What to Expect during the Auto Purchasing Process"


This blog is created for you, the Know what to expect...Be in the Driver's Seat!

Buying a vehicle can be a stressful event and yet it should be one of your more enjoyable
experiences since it is typically the second biggest purchase your household will make,
your home being the first biggest purchase.  Knowledge will prepare you for your auto purchasing
adventure.  When you know what to expect some of the fear is removed from the anticipation. 

Questions and Answers, this is the place to be.   Opinions are everywhere, your family, your friends,
your colleagues, they will all have their own experiences to reflect on.  An experience by one person
doesn't necessarily make the results the same for the next person.  Here you will receive answers
based on facts from several years of experience from behind those walls of mystery. 

This blog is created for you, the Know what to expect...Be in the Driver's Seat!