Now’s the Time to Buy that Used Car!

July 18, 2012 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Used Cars

Used cars are often the best value, for your money, when it comes to purchasing a vehicle. Right now is the perfect time to buy that used car. Used car values are great right now! If you’ve been thinking about getting a pre-owned vehicle, now is definitely the time to act.

When you purchase a new car, the moment you drive it off the lot it depreciates significantly in value.  With a new vehicle, often times buyers are upside down (meaning they owe more than the car’s worth) for the first couple of years, unless they were able to put down a sizable down payment, as cash or trade in. With a used car, you don’t have the issue with instant depreciation that you have with a new car purchase. If you’ve made a smart purchase, you should be able to turn around and sell the pre-owned car you just purchased the very next day for almost exactly what you just paid for it. In fact, with a vehicle that’s priced right, you may even have equity in your pre-owned car from the time of purchase. Right now, this is more likely than ever!

Some times it is very good to get used cars via online services like Craigslist. At any time in any area you must at least find 10 to 20 cars for sale at an affordable price. Even now a brief search pulls up many search that includes Nissan Juke for sale in Chicago which is costed at least 3 times less than its evaluated price.

The economic challenges many car owners have faced in recent years have resulted in a glut in the used car market, for late model, low mileage pre-owned vehicles. As car owners look for ways to cut back on their household budgets, many have traded in their cars for less expensive vehicles. With more cars on the market than usual, this means prices are lower than ever before for a wide variety of high quality care. More cars to choose from and lower prices equals a great time to buy.

In addition to the superior value pre-owned cars offer right now, financing rates for used cars are exceptional right now as well.  For buyers with good credit, you can find 36-month used car loans with an interest rate of just over 4 percent. That’s less than 1 ½ percent higher than new car loans. Buyers with good credit can enjoy the value of a used car, with interest rates very similar to new car purchases.

For buyers with bad credit, there are an increasing number of banks willing to work with buyers with less than perfect credit. As we discussed earlier, one of the advantages of a used car is it doesn’t depreciate as quickly as a new car. Add to the mix an increased number of sellers selling their cars at a reasonable price, and even buyers with poor credit are finding lenders that will finance their pre-owned car purchase right now. The lower purchase price and higher value ratio, often means even buyers with poor credit can get financing for a pre-owned vehicle with a reasonably small down payment.

How to Save Money on Gasoline

June 9, 2012 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Save Money

With gasoline prices continuing to rise, and budgets becoming increasingly tight, it’s not surprising that many drivers are looking for ways to spend less money on gasoline. Following are six ways to save money on gasoline.

1.         Use less. - If you want to save money on gasoline, use less of it! Try to do all of your shopping in one location. Find someone to carpool with for both work and family activities – such as dance lessons, Scouts, and sports practices. When the weather is nice, take the extra time and walk or ride your bike. You’ll not only use less gasoline and save money, but also be healthier in the long run.

2.         Take advantage of grocery store fuel incentives. – Many grocery stores have added a gas station to their facility, for the convenience of their customers. In conjunction with this gas station, grocery stores often offer a discount on fuel, for customers who spend a certain amount of money and track their purchases with their shopper’s club card. Shop specifically at grocery stores running this promotion and be sure to use your shopper’s club card when you purchase your gas, to get the discount.

3.         Check your spark plugs. - Fouled up spark plugs can significantly reduce your fuel efficiency. If you’re even semi-handy with vehicle repairs, most vehicle’s spark plugs are easy to replace and relatively inexpensive.

4.         Check your tire pressure. - Underfilled tires are one of the most common reasons why drivers are not getting the most fuel efficiency out of their vehicles. Your fuel efficiency decreases by 1 percent, for each three pounds of air pressure your tires are underfilled. In addition, properly inflated tires will help extend the life of your tires, saving you even more money.

5.         Keep your foot off the brake. - Your car uses significantly more fuel when accelerating from a stop than when maintaining a constant speed. This is why stop and go traffic is such a fuel efficiency killer. Instead of accelerating as quickly as possible when heavy traffic moves, give the car in front of you room so that you can continue slowly forward, without having to hit your brakes every other minute. Some vehicles like Nissan commercial vehicles and vans have larger leg room and hence the seats have to be adjusted properly. This will ensure proper positioning to apply brake at the right time.

6.         Accelerate gently. - Although you may be eager to get up to speed after that stop sign or light, if you want to save money on gasoline, get rid of your lead foot. Accelerating gently from a stop will dramatically increase your fuel efficiency. Additionally, it can improve your driving safety, should the cars in front of you suddenly come to a stop.