Buying a car is a huge milestone and an amazing achievement. Owning a vehicle can make your life so much easier and this is a great asset to have.
However, as most people know, cars can be incredibly expensive and there’s more to it than just the cost of purchasing the vehicle itself.
Car ownership is a long-term and ongoing expense. There are many different costs involved that people often neglect to budget for.
If you’re thinking of buying a car in the future, here are four of the most important expenses you’ll have to consider.
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1. Loan Repayment or Cash
Of course, you’ll have to pay for the vehicle itself, and there are a few ways of doing this. If you buy your car in cash, you won’t need to worry about monthly repayments or interest.
However, it’s difficult for most people to come up with such a large sum of money at once.
Your other options are to take a loan from the bank or finance your car through the dealership.
Both of these will involve a monthly payment for your car, and you’ll be paying interest on the total too. Consider what bests suits your budget and plan accordingly.
2. Repairs and Maintenance
Once you’ve actually bought the car, you need to keep it running. If you buy a brand new car, it will often come with a warranty and even a service plan which will keep you from paying for repairs and maintenance for a few years.
You could even spend extra money up front to extend this. For example, if you own a brand new Lexus, you can look into buying a Lexus extended warranty.
However, once the service plans and warranties have run out, you’ll need to budget for annual services and be prepared for any surprise damage. For instance, if your car is prone to scratches, you may want to consider an automotive ceramic coating to protect and prolong your car’s paint.
3. Car Insurance
You also need to have your car insured, in case of any accidents, theft or other incidents.
Cars are expensive, so replacing yours or paying for expensive repairs or parts out of pocket could be difficult or even impossible, which is where insurance policies come in.
Selecting the car insurance available to you is important, since you want to be sure that you can trust the company you buy it from.
Remember that insurance won’t cover your routine maintenance, so you’ll still need to account for those costs each year.
4. Cleaning and Fuel
Although it might not seem like an essential expense, washing your car regularly is very important for many reasons. It keeps your vehicle looking sharp and even protects it from cosmetic damage – keeping its resale value high.
Finally, fuel is an important expense to consider. Without gas, you won’t be going anywhere, and certain cars are heavier on fuel than others.
Consider whether you want a petrol or a diesel-fuelled car, or even an electric car which are becoming more and more popular in modern times.
While they’re more expensive up front, you’ll be saving on fuel for the rest of your car’s lifespan.
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