"Are you thinking about buying a car this year, but have no idea how to go about it? Buying a car is a big financial decision, and one you shouldn’t just rush through over the course of a weekend. Start your research with these 10 car-buying tips to help you find an affordable car that also fits your lifestyle.
Start with your budget.
Let’s start with a bit of a reality check. Unless you’re filthy rich, you probably can’t afford a brand-new car. New cars drop in value like a bag of rocks, losing 60% of their value in the first five years! This isn’t a smart investment. You really should only consider buying new if you have plenty of money to burn.
With that out of the way, your first step is deciding what you can afford to pay for a car. Leasing a car and going into debt to buy one are both bad ideas, so what you can afford is based on the amount of cash you can pay up front—the only responsible option."
https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/car-buying-tips
Start with your budget.
Let’s start with a bit of a reality check. Unless you’re filthy rich, you probably can’t afford a brand-new car. New cars drop in value like a bag of rocks, losing 60% of their value in the first five years! This isn’t a smart investment. You really should only consider buying new if you have plenty of money to burn.
With that out of the way, your first step is deciding what you can afford to pay for a car. Leasing a car and going into debt to buy one are both bad ideas, so what you can afford is based on the amount of cash you can pay up front—the only responsible option."
https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/car-buying-tips