Stick to your plan!

We had been doing our homework for a couple weeks on dealerships for cars in our area. We had a budget, we had financing, we had a trade-in, and we had the time to do the running around and chatting that it would take to make sure we got what we wanted for the price we had planned....but, dealers don't like the word "budget" it makes them a little dizzy because they don't seem to hear it very often.

Our budget was exactly what we could AFFORD! Again, not a poplular concept when your plan does not include a dealer's idea of what you should be able to afford. This "should" is based on your credit score, and lucky (or unlucky, we haven't decided just yet) my husband and I have very good credit.

So, again, stick to your plan!

We went to this dealership here, and laid it out flat! We wanted used, under "this many" miles, it had to be a Chrysler Town and country Touring edition...we are going to have some 6 foot boys that need the leg room, and we plan on running this car into the ground...we wanted a back up camera, and we wanted a DVD player. The back up camera is so that my husband and myslef can see all the wonderful people who sneak up on us, this has been a problem in the cobalt we had and we knew that adding some footage to the vehicle would only augment it. The DVD is because we have made some long trips as a family in the last 2 years, and they can feel even longer with stir crazy kiddos!

So, we negotiated. We looked at this car and that car, came back and looked again. The dealer found a car, not used and without some of the options we wanted...and it was RED! I really didn't want a red car, I had heard this was a killer with car insurance!

He had an idea of what we were going to pay, and I made sure that he had no doubt that I was not kidding when I said the word BUDGET! He got upset with me over $5 bucks a month...yes I haggled over 5 bucks! He wouldn't budge, and neither would I, so he brought in his other "help"...you know, the guys that say the same exact thing a thousand different ways just to get to you change your other mind? It only served to annoy me, and my husband and I walked away with no car 4 days ago. He tried one last speech about a "mere 5 bucks" and I told him that I didn't feel bad for sticking to the budget that takes care of my family and our needs....he said nothing more!

We decided to wait until tax season, and try again with another dealership. And today we a got a phone call....

It was that man! They had "benevolently" decided to drop the payment those stinking 5 bucks a month if we would get this car. My husband being the haggler he is countered and told him the price we would be getting with the other dealership we had looked at, and all the extra stuff that they didn't have available on the vehicle they wanted us to buy. He told my husband that they couldn't beat that price....and five minutes after he got off the phone he called back...They would MATCH the other dealership's price and install the DVD system on their own dime!

HAPPY DANCE, HAPPY DANCE!!!! This new price was UNDER our budgeted price! We had accomplished what we intended! We were going to get a vehicle that fit the needs of our family until our children are grown, and we did it at the price we could afford! We stuck to the plan!

My advice to you would be to not feel guilty at all when you make a plan! My husband and I heard more than a few side comments about how they were "losing money on this deal" tonight....I DON'T FEEL BAD! Go sell yourself another charger or challenger and then you can "earn" your commission off of some other person!

This was for my family, and we knew what was possible, and we achieved it!