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PSA: I Used To Brag About My $611 Car Payment, Now I Bring A Calculator To The Dealer
Three years back I walked into a dealership in Mesa with a trade-in and zero clue, and I walked out bragging to my cousin that my new SUV only cost me $611 a month. I actually said the words "it fits my budget" out loud, like a genius. Then my insurance renewal hit, I ran the real numbers on gas and the 84 month loan, and the grand total came out to something like $52,000 for a car that smells like wet gym socks. These days I do it backwards: I check what my old ride is worth on two sites before I even park, and I carry a little calculator in my purse so I can do the math in the chair instead of in my kitchen at midnight. I also ask for the out the door number up front, and when a sales guy tried to talk payment instead, I just stared at him like he was speaking Latin. Six months ago I almost signed for a 72 month loan with a rate that made me laugh out loud in the office. What is the weirdest thing you do now to keep yourself from signing something dumb?
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harper_smith11d ago
The calculator in the purse thing is sending me because I do the exact same thing but mine is a cheap one from the dollar store that beeps really loud. Last time the sales guy asked why I had it and I told him it was for his math, not mine. The payment talk trick is so real though, they always wanna say "what number works for you" like we're picking a pizza topping. My rule now is I say the out the door price or I walk, and I've walked twice this year. The 84 month loan thing should be illegal, you're paying for a car you'll hate before it's even half paid off. Good on you for laughing at that rate instead of signing it, that laugh probably saved you ten grand.
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