Planned Finances

January 4, 2009

How to Save Money Buying Your Next Car

Introduction

Buying a car can be a costly and expensive business and is likely to be the second largest purchase made after buying your own home. This article examines how you can save money on your next car.

1. Be clear about what you want

Before you can save money on your next car you need to first understand what exactly you want. It's worth taking some time to think about what is and isn't important in your next vehicle and what you are willing to compromise on.

a) Will it be used primarily for city driving our longer journey's. City driving might require a more compact car choice to enable you to find those tight parking spaces and get good fuel efficiency. Long journeys might require more comfort

b) Is it a working car or is it just for fun? In which can consider whether you are willing to trade speed for fuel efficiency.

c) Will other drivers use the vehicle, and if so how will this effect insurance premiums?

2. Research

Good research is the key to saving money on your next car. Get a copy of the most recent vehicle trade handbook. This varies from country to country but it contains a comprehensive guide to the values or car types and models depending upon the mileage they have accrued and their age. You can also now find information online. Refer to this information when you see a car you are interested in to ensure that you are not paying over the odds.

3. Where to look

Three primary sources for finding a car are dealerships, via private sales through an individual and online. Some of the most popular places to pick up a good car and save money are exchange and mart and eBay.

You can save significant amounts on car sales through online traders because very often they don't have the overheads of traditional high street dealerships. Buying new cars can see you save anywhere between 15-20% through such online traders as those listed above. However also consider buying a used car online as these can often bring about the most lucrative savings, particularly through auction sites like eBay.

A friend recently bought a pick up truck with a guide price of $1000 for $200 on eBay and it turned out to be excellent. However, the major drawback is that not seeing the vehicle may leave you open to buying a dud.

Traditional high street dealerships usually add a mark-up of between 15-25% to cars that they sell, so be willing to haggle.

Private sales are where the best bargain are to be found because individuals may not be so aware of current market prices, therefore enabling you to pick up the perfect vehicle at a reduced price. Look in the classified sections of local papers and specific car trade magazines.

4. New Versus Used

Whilst owning a new car may be important to some individuals, some of the best bargains can be found through used car sales.

Some dealerships often accept used cars in trade for new models that they sell in order to smooth the sale. Very often dealers don't have the space to hold onto these used vehicles and are keen to secure a quick sale to get them out of the showroom. This especially true where, for instance, the dealer is tied into one car company like, Chrysler, but accepted a Ford in part exchange. They won't be permitted to advertise it in the showroom and will want to sell it off quickly. It's worth checking out the used car section of your local dealer to see if some bargains can be had.

5. Haggle

As mentioned previously most dealers and also those who sell privately, will add a mark-up of between 20-25% on the cars that they sell.

Never pay the ticket price always take time to inspect the car and see if there are any minor marks that you can use to build an argument for a price reduction.

Some useful questions to help you save money include;

a) What's your best price?

b) I really want this car but not at this price, what can you do for me?

c) What discount can I get for paying cash?

Always ask for their best price three times before you give in, persistence pays of! Be prepared to walk away or say no if you are unhappy about the price, it's amazing what an effect this can have on the price!

Also try to purchase your car towards the end of the month, ideally in the last 2 days. Most car dealership's sales targets run from the beginning to the end of a month and if they are desperate for a sale to increase commission rates, they are more likely to give you the best possible deal.

Finally always see what other extra's you can get thrown in, ask a question like "I'll accept that price if you throw in a free tank of gas/petrol."

6. Inspect the vehicle thoroughly

A sure way to save money on your next car is to get it inspected before you buy. Take a mechanic friend with you to give the car a once over and always take it for a test drive. The test drive often reveals underlying problems with steering, suspension or unusual squeaky noises if they exist.

Most motoring companies now offer a comprehensive checklist that you can get a free copy of to help those with little knowledge of cars spot any immediate problems.

7. Decline finance deals

Most car dealers make huge sums of money on finance deals that they talk you into getting in order to purchase your car. Whilst it is tempting to get a car on credit, avoid it wherever possible or shop around for a low interest loan from a bank instead. Most car finance deals have high interest rates of between 15-25%, which on a $10,000 car will add between $1500 and $2500 to the final price of the vehicle during the term of the credit agreement.

8. Associated costs

Before you make your final purchase think about other costs associated with your car once you have purchased it.

a) Buying certain types of cars will push up your insurance premiums and may also make it more attractive to car thieves.

b) Diesel engines are much more fuel efficient that gas/petrol engines, saving your lots of money on fuel. Also many diesel engines can be converted to run on bio fuels like cooking oil, which can save you even more money on fuel in the long term as well as helping the environment.

There is a detailed article on how you can convert your diesel engine to bio fuel available online, I have included the link for this at the end of this article.

Summary

This article has focussed upon how you can save money on your next car. Consideration has been given the importance of good planning and research when starting the searchJ Dawkins is the author of the Your Free Debt Help blog, which is dedicated to providing free debt resources, guides and information to help individuals with their personal finance management. Also find the latest free money making and money saving ideas at Friends & Money

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Online Loan Management Application Is Handy For Borrowers

Procuring a business loan is easy but more simple it becomes when you consider the online business loans. The business professionals and venture owners have a new hope of getting a loan at the appropriate time by taking this scheme into account. You need not have to follow the documentation process in this loan.

Online business loans are offered in secured and unsecured form. The secured and unsecured form enables applicants to grab amount with or without using collateral, respectively. So, based upon your credit ability you can borrow and repay the amount. Repayment term of secured loan is elongated from 3-25 years, and unsecured loans graces from 1-10 years. All options are open for every sort of credit holders. Bad creditors can also borrow the capital and invest for the advancement of business.

The finance supports fresh business and also running ones so that owners can boost and expand his business to the expected horizons. Borrowers of this scheme can buy raw materials, machineries, equipments; pay the wages of employees, maintenance and buying shares and stocks correspondingly.

Interest rates of this loan have been tabled in a reasonable manner, so that borrowers can easily borrow and repay the amount. The interest rate alters in the market due to the competitive market. In the market, you can find lenders who are negotiable and might ease the burden of monthly installments by cutting down the interest rates. Loan calculator is another device which helps to get a preview of your monthly installments. To get the preview of monthly installments insert the loan amount, interest rates, repayment term.

Online application is a high end application process. It let applicants and users to approach lenders around the globe within seconds. And also in less time you can access the amount by enclosing the details accurately.

So, online business loans are designed to support fresh business as well as the running business so that business professionals can look for its advancement.

Unsecured personal loans are designed to get approved without any collateral due to which it has created a nice place among the borrowers. These loans are very much popular among the borrowers like tenants and non homeowners more so because they cannot afford to pledge any property. Without any security, these loans are offered solely on the basis of borrower's employment and income earned. This is done to verify whether the borrower is capable of repaying the borrowed amount or not.

When availing a loan, it is important that the borrowed amount does not become a burden on your limited earnings. If any such loan results in high monthly outgoings, then you are likely to make payment faults. Your focus, therefore, should be on finding loans at cheap rate of interest and at low costs.

You should note that a low rate of interest on any loan comes only when the borrower does not carry risks. This means that your credit history should have no blemishes like late payments and payment defaults. An unsecured loan carries higher interest rate. Nevertheless, such a loan may come at comparatively lower rate, if the borrower boasts of excellent or good credit history.Mark Jones holds mater degree in mass communication and works for http://www.paydayloansinfo.co.uk her new article is Online loan management application is handy for borrowers.

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Ways To Minimize The Financial Problems

In many households, financial problems are on the increase due to a number of reasons like-

- High mortgage repayments

- Rising energy bills

- Increased food costs

- Increased water rates

- Soaring petrol prices

- The threat of rising council tax bills.

Well, the list seems to be eerily too exhaustive.

In cases where there are a lot of debts - like credit cards, store cards, loans, etc. - the situation of rising costs may push many households into increased problems in the future. If you think that you may have to face financial difficulties, take action as early as possible. A number of ways can come to your rescue to reduce your financial strains, like:

i) Minimize outgoings: You can easily cut down on the money you actually waste each month on unnecessary outings. You can make conscious efforts to cut back on going out, buying clothes, and even money that you put aside for general spending. Rather than spending a fortune on outings, spend more time at home; enjoy cheaper entertainment such as DVDs and relish home-cooked meals.

ii) Consolidate debts: Seek the refuge of a low rate consolidation loan to reduce the amount that you have to pay out each month, especially by the way of expensive debts, like plastic cards and loans. The right consolidation loan can help you in two ways - reduce your number of repayments and bring down the amount of payouts.

iii) Explore additional income possibilities: So as to have additional money coming in each month, you can consider taking on an extra job to bring home more income. This can help you to handle your financial commitments at hand as well as cope with the ever-rising costs.

iv) Seek financial advice: Before your financial situation becomes a mess, seek financial advice if you are not sure how to best cope with it yourself. Trained and experienced ?debt counselors? who work for a number of debt charities may be able to lend in a helping hand, when it comes to sorting out your finances.

v) Contact your creditors: It may be worth contacting your creditors if you have a number of debts that you are grappling with, resulting in you overstretching your finances. Work out the possibility of modifying the term of your loan in order to reduce the repayment amount each month.

In the opinion of a leading financial expert, though people would welcome a further interest rate cut in March, this was not quite likely because of inflationary pressures. With the increasing fears over rising inflation, The Bank of England may not cut interest rates until May. However, interest rates may hopefully be cut two times in the latter half of the year.Better Ways to get no fax payday loans at http://www.paydayloansinfo.co.uk/

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December 30, 2008

Closing the Sale With Ease

How confident are you when the time comes to close the sale? One of the most consequential factors at play that can contribute to a successful closing (and possibly understanding when you should move on) has to be the leverage and confidence you posses when going into a sale. Apply the following information effectively and you will be able to build both your confidence and leverage.

Stop emotional attachments when they are clouding your vision.

Emotional attachments can reek of desperation whether focused on the ego, the money or the time invested into your sales process. And anyway, many prospects see right through the desperation or need for a quick sale and can even sense that your pitch is now more focused on getting a deal done than it is about the solutions and value you can offer. You need to be able to close the sale with a greater sense of confidence. This, in turn, should eliminate bad deals altogether.

Manage your pipeline.

You need to manage all of your accounts over the entire sales process using an account profile management system-a corkboard will suffice-to post prospect information on as they progress through sales cycle stages. This is a great way to visually follow your sales activity. There are software programs that do the same thing, however, seeing your writing and notations up on your wall is a constant reminder to work harder. Engaging yourself in activity's which move you through your sales cycle will give you the power to either close a sale or walk away confidently.

Formulate your value statement.

You need to believe in your mission, the products you market and understand what benefits are your customers receiving. And the term, "Value statement" denotes the fact that you need to have a very enthusiastic and confident belief in whatever you are selling. A lot of it can come from the positive results experienced by your clients.

Possess a very stout history and track record.

Amassing an impressive track record full of positive testimonials and results is priceless. For your closing ratios to increase, you should be focused on all of the great results you can provide your customers with. Ask your prospects what they want to do with your services or products once they are in possession of them. Understand what their specified objectives are and then over deliver those objectives. Because in the future when you need help closing a deal, you can contact these satisfied customers who will gladly help you out.

As so many of us are already keenly aware of, loosing a deal that you have put your heart and soul into can be quite demoralizing. Maybe your business activity was lacking or the qualifying questions were lacking something, etc. Whatever your situation is, effectively utilizing the tips in this article will allow you to close more deals with ease and waste a lot less of your precious time. And we all know that time is money!Naz Daud is the founder of CityLocal.

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Get Quality Information Before Filling The Bankruptcy

If it is the worry about expenses that is holding you back from jumping into filing for bankruptcy, then you should probably reconsider your decision because, Before doing anything, ensure that you have enough information available about two things - the laws and regulations in your state, and the expenses involved in filing and hiring an attorney. After all has been said and done, getting your financial status regrouped could actually be beneficial for you.

Before you make any decisions, you should research about filing on the Internet, as this decision can change your life in many different ways. Before you do something that you are not quite sure about, it is advisable to gather information. Just like everything else, filing bankruptcy has its advantages and some disadvantages. All you have to find out is the way, which will be financially the most beneficial for you in the final analysis.

It is entirely your decision whether or not you wish filing on your own - you could hire an attorney for completing all the processes. Obviously, it will cost you less, if you choose to file on your own. Whatever your final decision, there are bound to be some expenses involved, but the costs will be much less than your actual debts that could have gotten you into the such situation in the first place. In that case, you need to conduct the research necessary for learning how to complete the necessary forms properly, as one little mishap, and things get messed up! After all the initial effort, you may actually have to hire a bankruptcy attorney in order to complete the legal forms.

If you decide to hire lawyer, you can expect the filing part to be the chunk of your procedure expenses in the end. The court cost of filing a chapter 7 would be a couple of hundred dollars, including your filing fees and notices fees listed at bankruptcyinformations. However, in comparison, the expenses of filing a chapter 13 could be about thirty dollars cheaper. Whether you are filing jointly with your spouse or individually, the costs of both of these filings remains unchanged. Before you make any decisions, you should research about filing on the Internet, as this decision can change your life in many different ways. Before you do something that you are not quite sure about, it is advisable to gather information. Just like everything else, filing bankruptcy has its advantages and some disadvantages. All you have to find out is the way, which will be financially the most beneficial for you in the final analysis.If you choose to hire an attorney, the expenses will be higher than the all the actual bankruptcy fees put together.

Whatever your final decision, there are bound to be some expenses involved, but the costs will be much less than your actual debts that could have gotten you into the such situation in the first place. Before doing anything, ensure that you have enough information available about two things - the laws and regulations in your state, and the expenses involved in filing and hiring an attorney.Get quality information about Bankruptcy advice and California bankruptcy law.

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Categorize Your Expenses ?the Online Way!

Majority of us now and often try to commemorate where we have spent the money and why the balance sheet of the company is not matching?

Now-a-days, business has evolved a great deal. Financial transactions occur at frequent intervals and it may get difficult for an accountant to record all the expenses.

The problem does not end here. It?s not just that your accountant has to record the expenses, but also create different categories in which expenses of the same nature can be recorded. This consumes a lot of time and energy as far as the manual book keeping is concerned.

You might also notice that in your day-to-day life you have to deal with various financial transactions. Money incurred on petrol, tuition fees of your children, monthly expenses incurred on the maintenance of your house- all of these come under different miscellaneous expenses that may go unnoticed while maintaining records.

From the point of view of your business, a time has come that you should continuously update your fund recording techniques or get ready to face the blow by your competitors. A system that is far more accurate takes utmost care of recording the expenses, and above all can categorize the expenses under different headers without ant difficulty.

An easy and accurate solution to this is that you should acquaint your accountant with the basics for using Internet. The online money management is an excellent money management tool that is really in the buzz!

Online money management is an easy way to tab your penny and categorize your expenses in different headers. With this, you can easily know where your expenses have gone. You can rename, label or re-categorize any transaction as you will get this flexibility only in online money management software.

It will help you to view the track of:-

  1. Account wise categorization of expenses.
  2. The amount by which your expected budget increase your actual budget.
  3. Comparisons of finance management at regular intervals
  4. Dashboard facility that displays the full financial report of your account in front of you.
  5. Reminder and alert facility.

With a host of features, online money management software aims at increasing your financial efficiency both at home and business.

With the help of online money management software, people will not face any problem of categorizing the expenses in different headers and at the same time they can reduce the extra labor cost kept for book keeping.

Online money management proves to be an easy and effective way to record your financial transactions and that too without the fear of missing financial links!manageMe7 is a revolutionary new concept in online money management. It helps you untangle your finances and lets you gain complete control over the way you manage your money. It?s so simple to use and yet take care of the cumbersome task of managing your personal finance!

For further information visit our website to Personal Finance Software and Home Budgeting Planner

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December 15, 2008

Money Blunders this Christmas

It is Christmas time and we are all seeing all the commercials on sales and gift giving ideas. We get ad's in the mail and in the newspaper. We turn the radio on and all we hear is about Christmas gift ideas. It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of the holiday and to forget that you have a budget you should stick with. We want to see smiles on people we care about faces. I know for myself I think about the people I still have left to buy for. Even after I have bought what I wanted to buy someone I find more things I want to give them. I saw the below article the other day and thought it would be helpful to let others know about. It says:

10 Holiday Money Mistakes

With the sour economy, holiday budgets are tight this year. In fact, according to Consumer Reports, 76 off! How could I pass that up?" Sound familiar? But just because something is a good deal doesn't mean it's a good deal for you. With so many discounts this season, it's easy to fall into the trap of buying something simply because it's on sale. You may spend more than you normally would have or end up with a closet full of cheap, unnecessary stuff.

Stay focused by drawing up a budget and gift list before you head to the store. Write down everyone you need to buy for, along with the amount of money you're willing to spend on each person. Then, jot down gift ideas for each person on your list. An hour of forethought can save you a bundle in the long run.

2. Forgetting to budget for the extras. Gifts aren't the only expense this time of year. Don't forget to factor in the costs of greeting cards, postage, family photos, shipping, dÃ?cor, entertaining, travel and even higher utility bills for your festive outdoor light display.

3. Buying on credit. Financial experts say that those who shop with credit cards tend to spend as much as 30% more than if they'd shopped with cash. The reason: When you shop with cash, you're more aware of how much you spend and how much you have left because you can touch it. And once the money's gone, it's gone.

Plus, if you have to put the purchase on your credit card or sign up for the store's financing, you simply cannot afford it. Any good deal you thought you were getting will be eroded by the interest you'll accrue and the time you'll spend as a debt hostage. About 12 million Americans are still paying off last holiday's bills, according to Consumer Reports.

4. Not keeping the receipt. Don't you hate it when you buy something only to find the store puts it on sale the following week? Hang on to your receipt. Many retailers will honor the sale price if you made the purchase within a few weeks and refund you the difference.

Keep your receipts, also, in case you or a loved one needs to make a return. Without a receipt, you may only get store credit — or your return could be refused altogether.

5. Spending to impress. This is a biggie, especially for young adults who may feel compelled to prove their success and their new independence. Don't let your gift giving become a larger statement than the gift. Before tossing something in your cart, ask yourself if it's something the person will really use and if you can really afford it. And the same goes for entertaining. It's the company of friends that matters, not how much money you spend.

6. Over-giving. It's wonderful to get caught up in the spirit of giving, but not if that means you'll break your budget or go insane trying to pull it off. You don't have to buy something for every single person you know (your co-workers, neighbors, newspaper deliverer, that nameless guy you make small talk with at the bus stop). Stick to the people who count most in your life, such as family and close friends. You might even suggest drawing names among groups of co-workers or relatives to whittle your gift list further. Chances are others are feeling the strain, too, and will welcome the idea.

7. Giving in to gift guilt. Don't let guilt drive you to break your budget or go into debt. You don't have to spend the same amount of money on every kid on your list, for example. Giving thoughtful, age-appropriate gifts is much better. You also are not obligated to give a gift that has the same monetary value as a gift someone gave you, says etiquette expert Peter Post, or even to reciprocate unexpected gifts. Simply accept the gift and say thank you. (Test your gift-giving etiquette.)

8. Failing to do your homework. That discount looks like a good deal, but do you know if it's the best value for your money? (Remember, inexpensive sometimes just means cheap.) Hit the Web before making major purchases to compare prices, read customer reviews and make sure you're getting a quality item at a good price.

Check the Web for coupons, too. Many retailers offer coupons you can print and take to the store, or you'll find e-coupons to save on your online purchase or your shipping costs.

9. Procrastinating. In the frenzy of last-minute shopping, you have no time to give thoughtful presents. So you compensate by spending more. If you're shopping online, aim to make your purchases by mid-December. That way, you won't have to pay extra for expedited shipping, and your gifts stand the best chance of arriving on time.

10. Fruitcake. And for heavens sake, don't waste your money on a bad gift. You may as well toss your money on a blazing yule log. Here are some common gifting gaffes to avoid:

Gadgets they'll never use (golf-ball-finder glasses, battery-powered potato peeler)

Desk clutter ("gone fishin'" plaques, Zen gardens, paper weights)

Overly personal (lingerie, nose-hair trimmers, weight-loss books)

Thoughtless (cookies for the diabetic, wine for the recovering alcoholic, or giving someone the same gift two years in a row)

Tacky (holiday apparel, stuffed animals for anyone over age 10)

Cliche (snow globes, coffee mugs, Chia Pets and, yes, fruitcakes)

Source: Provided by:

What to do

It is a tough question on how much do you spend on Christmas. I do feel a good thing to do is communicate to people in advance that you do have a limit on Christmas spending. Also think about sending Christmas Cards by e-mail instead of mail. That can save you quite a bit of money. Christmas is about being with people you care about and not about how big of gifts you give or get. No need to start 2009 with a bunch of new bills. Let me know your thoughts. Have a great Holiday season.

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Quilting for cash

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