Let's go driving

Let' go driving — Thing you should know before 25

My first car was a two-door 96 Honda Accord. It was white and old but kept me warm in the winters and cool in the summers for about three years. Then everything went wrong! My automatic windows, well, let’s say the palm of hand-assisted with the winding up and down. I often prayed that my window would go up before the thunderstorm would start or didn’t even worry about rolling down.

Moving onto the emission test and praying that I didn’t need to drive the car all around the state I lived in for me to pass! Then I would be legal for another year! Those were the days of many prayers and filled with faith-building experiences; yes, I will believe that all of it was a test!

On the other hand, was it a test when I needed to place freon in the vehicle so my air conditioner would surprisingly get cool every summer? Not cold, but cool! The struggle was real, Marbs! Likewise, I believe the air is less polluted because it is gone, broken down into parts, repurposed for greater things. Since I like to move around from distances A to B, I had to get another car; so I did! A 2013 or 2014 two-door Toyota scion. White just like my Honda but very new and sporty!

Why did I lease this car?

I usually let my husband navigate the purchases of our cars, mostly because I am not a car fanatic! However, what I am good at is the finance of it all. Leasing a vehicle allows you to have a lower monthly payment for a set time. You do not own the car; I would like to say it is similar to a rental agreement but with a more extended period of time that you use the car, with times frames of two to three years.

You can drive the car of your dreams, and at the end of the contract, you can buy it or choose another car you may have been eyeing. However, mileage is a significant factor for lease cars; in that, these cars, after the lease is up, are returned to the dealership and then can be sold as pre-owned/certified cars. Let’s just say if you do a lot of driving on a daily bases leasing a vehicle may not be an ideal option.

Health & Wellness — https://www.teleurgentcare.org/

This is all mine!

Buying your car with a conventional loan is when you use a bank, credit union, or a private loan company that approves you for a car loan with an agreed-upon interest rate; then, you go to the dealership and find a car. Some payback terms are longer than the others; for example, you could pay $500 for 24,36,48,60,72, or 84 months.

Is it me, but why do we calculate by months and not years? I would prefer you say you will be paying $500 per month for the next four years! Well, everyone has their preference. The longer the terms or length of time to pay on the car, the lower the monthly payment amount. In the end, the car is yours, forever! No returning it to the dealership! I mean, unless you just want a newer one with better safety features or more legroom for long road trips!

I take $42k @$200 per month, please!

Please negotiate for your automobile! Research and compare prices at different dealerships and even private auctions if that route suits you better. The car salesman needs you to buy this car, not the other way around! I don’t see anything wrong in getting a more extended warranty period or a more comfortable monthly payment, especially if you have fair to excellent credit!

Please be aware of your interest rate for your car loan as well! Dealerships offer finance options, but their rate can be double the percentage than if you had considered financing the loan with a credit union or bank. Again, I must stress the importance of negotiation! Everything from having the car delivered to your home for free, such as with car companies who are solely online. To be able to have a period anyway from 1 to 5 business days, in which you can test drive the car to see if it would be a good fit; after all, this will be your car!

Ring the bell…