You are probably worried about being taken advantage of you because you didn't ask the right questions or because you just didn't know what to look for. Maybe you've been taken advantage of in the past by new car dealers and have a natural distrust for people that sell cars. There are a few things that you can do to avoid being taken advantage of when you are buying a car. Just because you are not an expert on cars doesn't mean that you won't be able to make a great decision and get the ideal car of your dreams.


Ideally your car payment should be between 10% and 12% of your total monthly income. If you can make it even less than that, then you should do so. If you can't find a car payment that is less than 12% of your total monthly income, then determine what 12% of your monthly income is, put that aside every month for 6-12 months. You should be able to afford a used car within that time. Another plus about buying a used car is that you won't have those excessive monthly payments. You can just pay for the car outright after you've saved up.