After-Holiday Car Shopping

With the holiday season wrapping up and all of your shopping done, you may be turning your mind towards your own necessities again. And if you're in need for a new car, this may be the right time to buy. Many people automatically dismiss this idea because they feel that their budgets have already been stretched. However, there are a lot of post-holiday sign and lease deals that can make it worth your while. In many cases, the long-term savings are well-worth the temporary effect on your finances. 

Just like most businesses, annual sales are an important measuring tool for how the year went. As a result, many automobile dealers are willing to sell cars that have been sitting on their lot to increase sales for the year. Dealers will often run special sales in the month of December and will cut prices drastically as the New Year approaches. Start your new car search mid-December and shop around for the best deals. You're sure to score a great vehicle for an amazing price before the ball drops.

Ever hear of a rainy-day deal? For car dealers, there's such a thing as a snowy-day deal too. On cold, rainy, and snowy days, people don't like to venture outside. In the winter, there are months filled with rainy, snowy, cold days and as a result, car sales tend to be low in the winter. When sales are down, you're more likely to score a better deal than when dealerships are selling cars like hotcakes.   

The end of the year and the beginning of the next is also a great time to take advantage of dealerships looking to move 2013 models off of their lots and make room for the 2014 vehicles. Many will feature end of the year clearance sales and give buyers added incentives to get the current model instead of the coming one. 

If you're in the market for a new car, don't wait! Take advantage of the post-holiday shopping season by getting yourself new wheels. Do your research and find dealerships that are offering special sign and drive lease deals. Take advantage of eager car salesman and dealers that are looking to boost numbers. Further, be prepared to visit a few dealers to get the best price for your new car. Don't be afraid to wait until the best deal comes to you. 

Taking Advantage of Labor Day Car Sales: To Buy or to Lease?

Labor Day is coming up, and while to many people this means barbecues and back-to-school, you've probably also heard your fair share of weekend-long sale events at car dealerships. It's long been considered one of the best times of the year to buy a car, but the deals aren't just for buying. In fact, most dealerships put plenty of emphasis on lease deals this time of year as well. Of course, the power of choice always raises the question: which is better? It depends heavily on what type of consumer you are.

Fickle buyers: take advantage of those sign and drive lease deals! Leasing is the ideal decision for anyone who doesn't think they'll want to keep a vehicle for the long haul. It's more economical than driving a new car off the lot then attempting to sell it only a few years later. The car will have depreciated in value greatly by then and you'll probably be eating several thousand dollars.

Getting a great lease deal does require doing your homework and understanding how leasing works. The basic principle is that your payments are calculated by determining the difference between the capitalized cost – which is the car's selling price – and the residual value – which is the anticipated value that the vehicle will hold at the end of the lease. Essentially, when you're leasing a car, you're only paying the cost of its value depreciation over time. Know these terms before you go to be able to have the most informative talk with your car dealer and decide if the payments and contract seem to fit your lifestyle. Around Labor Day, many dealerships have the aforementioned "Sign and Drive" deals which require no money down, and they often flaunt much lower payments. If you plan on leasing, it's a great time of year to take advantage of that.

However, if you think you're going to end up buying the car after your lease is up, it's in your best interest to buy up front. It's been said that buying a brand new car and keeping it until it's monetarily not worth keeping anymore due to value depreciation and mechanical issues is the best financial route to take. Of course, unlike leasing, this doesn't take into consideration the fact that you might not want to keep the same car for its entire life, so take that into consideration. You can get some great deals on brand new cars around Labor Day, but be sure to do your research first if you're actually committing to purchasing it – vehicles are, of course, a big commitment of a purchase.

Both buying and leasing are attractive options depending on what you're looking for. Leasing is definitely a great short-term option, especially if you get a Labor Day deal. Buying, however, can be more economical for someone who plans to keep the car for the next decade or so.