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Disclosure: Sponsored post.
Anyone else hate car shopping? Do you worry about if you are getting the best deal for your money and if you are buying the right car for your family? We have purchased several vehicles new and used over the years and we always find ourselves asking these questions.
Me posing with my first new (used) car in 1999 after I graduated from college and started my first teaching job. Oh to be so young and thin.
Our Story
Last summer, our transmission went out on our 2001 Honda Odyssey minivan on our way to Gulf Shores, Alabama for a family vacation. We found ourselves miles from home with some big decisions to make. (You can read more about our trip here.) We decided not to repair our minivan since the repair costs were more than the vehicle was worth. Luckily the repair shop we visited fixes up vehicles and donates them to needy families each year. They call it "Cars for Christmas". We decided to donate our car and give it new life to bless another family. At Christmas this year we received photos and a letter sharing the story of the family who received our old minivan. It was a good feeling knowing that we were able to help another family.
In the meantime, we rented a vehicle to drive home after vacation and since we owned a second car we were able to get by without a minivan for a while. A friend also loaned us a little truck (thank you Nate!) that my husband drove for a while. This meant we could take our time and do our research. We knew we would eventually need a minivan with baby #4 on the way, but we had a couple of months to make sure we were getting the right car. Since we were looking for a very specific vehicle, a "newer to us" used Honda Odyssey, it did take a little time to find the right car. We live in a more rural "small town" community so the local selection of used Honda Odysseys was slim. Thanks to the internet, we were able to find minivans, compare prices and read reviews without leaving the comfort of our home. This was a huge help not only because of the travel time involved with car shopping when you live in a rural area, but also because it is hard to take children car shopping. So we did as much research as we could online. A lot has changed since I bought my first car back in 1999!
There is so much information online now. Did you know that you can read reviews and search for the car that you are looking for at Cars.com ? There is even a price comparison tool that helps you compare price and mileage of several similar vehicles from different sellers.
We came home from the hospital with our new baby in our new (used) Honda Odyssey minivan. We literally bought this van the day our son was born. (Cutting it a little close for my comfort, but waiting patiently helped us get a good deal.) We had seen the van a couple of weeks before and my husband had done a little negotiating with the dealership owner (it was a small dealership). We originally saw this minivan online and decided it was worth the hour and a half drive to see it. So the day our son was born, my husband went back to the dealership, took the minivan to a mechanic, did some more negotiating and came home with our new van. Don't be afraid to negotiate. If you are patient and offer a lower price, they just might take it.
4 Tips for Buying a Used Car:
1. Be patient. Take your time and do your research. 2. Research online. It will save you time and money. 3. When buying a used car, always take the car to a mechanic for an inspection before buying. 4. Don't be afraid to negotiate. It could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. 
11 Comments
I had my old car for 10 years. I just bought a "new" car in May. My husband told me to never buy a new car (especially of the kind I got) because the value depreciates SO MUCH the second you drive it off the lot. My husband is smart, so I trust his judgement and opinion, and he helped me find the most perfect car for me, that didn't TOTALLY break the bank but still felt NEW even though it was used :) 10/13/2017 12:28:59 pm
Cars from Japan are regarded as being well made, as well as being among the most powerful. Japan has many brands that cover almost any category from pickup trucks to sport cars, family cars to ultra compact run abouts. Below are five car manufacturers from Japan that are popular here and in other parts of the world too. 10/28/2017 06:16:32 am
Thanks for sharing such valuable tips and revealing your plot. I hope many buyers will be helpful after using these tips and they will definitely learn a lesson about car purchase from Faith's story. I would like to say that if anyone has made up his mind to purchase a second-hand car, then he has to be willing to grab as much information as he can from the vehicle write-ups on the internet or from his colleagues, relatives, automobile dealers and other from the vital sectors where he would like to buy his vehicle model. Before stepping into the buying process, he needs to set a budget and stick to it till the end. It is mainly because buying a used car is a little bit risky. Thus, one should take his own time, rather than rush into an ordinary deal. 11/6/2017 05:03:33 am
It is a nice and informative post. It is going to be very useful for me, as we are planning to buy a used car. The dealer told me that it has been used for one year, but I should not trust on him. And I am going to take a mechanics with me for inspection. As one of my relatives once buys a used car, however, it started showing problem after some time as my relative didn't inspect it by himself. So I don't want to repeat the same mistake as my relative does. And I will buy it after inspection and a good negotiation. 1/19/2018 10:57:50 pm
I agree with the fact that, we should do some research on the internet before buying a used car. We can compare price of different used cars and also can choose the car which is suitable for us. It is always recommended not to buy a used car from an auction, because we know nothing about the issues associated with those car. Before buying a used car, the car should be inspected buy a trusted technician to identify any types of major mechanical issues associated with the car. 5/3/2018 06:18:18 am
Nicely written & useful post. Before entering into the buying process of a used car one should fix a budget & stick to it till the end. We have to do some research on the internet before purchasing a used car. We must collect as much information as we can about the vehicle from the internet, from our friends, colleagues, relatives, automobile dealers & other car experts. We can compare the price of different used cars & choose the one which matches our budget and suites our lifestyle & requirement. 7/7/2018 04:49:26 am
Buying a used vehicle could save a lot of money. However, one should be very careful while buying a used vehicle. Used vehicles are problematic in nature and proper inspection of different components of the used vehicle is really necessary. Such types of inspection should be carried out by experienced professionals, as they could identify hidden mechanical and cosmetic errors and could make us aware about such hidden problems. Apart from this, history of the vehicle needs to be properly studied. 11/30/2021 07:57:30 pm
Awesome content and tips that everyone can follow through on buying their first car. 7/24/2022 07:27:39 pm
Thank you for mentioning negotiations as something you can try and look into when buying a used car. I can bet that this would be something that can really pay off in the future, especially with how we're looking for a simple car that doesn't have many features aside from the safety necessities. I'll keep this in mind and bring a family friend with me to help me negotiate the price of any used car we end up buying. 9/1/2022 03:39:05 pm
You make a great point about doing online research beforehand. I need to buy a new van. My old one broke down. 4/27/2023 10:59:50 am
It's helpful to know that we'd get a mechanic to inspect a used car before buying it. Recently, we decided that we need two cars since our jobs are apart from each other, so my wife and I are looking for a used car, and your guide will help us find it. Thanks for the tips on negotiating and buying a used car successfully. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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Welcome to Home Ec @ HomeHi, I'm Faith, a former Family and Consumer Science teacher turned food blogger. I love God, my family, and food. You can usually find me in the kitchen preparing family friendly, homemade recipes and taking lots of pictures. 
Still Goldens, Southern, IL
 Fan Favorites
The Best Dry Brined Turkey with Citris and Fresh Herbs
 Dehydrating Pears and Apples in the Instant Pot Duo Crisp
 
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