The True Cost of Purchasing a Car - Money Tip Tuesday

<p style="text-align:left;">You just passed your driving test and you’re ready to hit the open road with new wheels. Before you start looking for your first car, you need to consider all the costs of auto ownership. </p> <p style="text-align:left;">Links:</p> <ul style="text-align:left;"><li>Visit <a href='https://www.carmax.com/'>Car Max</a>, <a href='https://www.cargurus.com/'>Car Gurus</a>, <a href='https://www.autotrader.com/'>AutoTrader</a> to search for cars</li> <li>Try using Triangle's <a href='https://trianglecu.cudlautosmart.com/'>AutoSmart</a> tool to find your next car</li> <li>Check out Triangle's current <a href='https://www.trianglecu.org/home/personal/loans/autopurchase'>vehicle rates</a></li> <li>Follow our podcast <a href='https://www.facebook.com/pg/MakingMoneyPersonalPodcast/posts/?ref=page_internal'>Facebook</a>, <a href='https://www.instagram.com/makingmoneypersonal/'>Instagram</a> and <a href='https://twitter.com/TCUpodcastMMP'>Twitter</a></li> </ul> <p style="text-align:left;">Transcript: </p> <p style="text-align:left;">Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast.</p> <p style="text-align:left;">New drivers are excited about the newfound freedom that comes with a drivers’ license, but to really experience true liberation you have to have your own vehicle. We just went through an auto purchase with my 18-year-old daughter who needed a car for college. Here’s what we found out: the sticker price is only the beginning.</p> <p style="text-align:left;"> Once you know your budget, you can do online searches through third-party apps like CarMax, CarGuru, AutoTrader—the list goes on and on. I would tell you it’s a quick search, but it’s not. We spent weeks searching for the right vehicle online. I knew the make and model of the car we were looking for and, with some online searching, I soon realized my budget was unrealistic unless I wanted an older vehicle or one with a lot of miles. </p> <p style="text-align:left;"> When I mentioned that the search results were produc