We can help you shop on a budget and take the worry out of financing

Are you concerned about how you’re going to pay for your next car, truck or SUV? Are you determined to get a vehicle you know you can afford? Those are two very good signs. They mean that you’re serious about living within your means. At K&J Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Carlyle IL, we love working with people like you and we have the tools you need to make financing your next car a worry-free experience.

The first tool we recommend is our handy payment calculator

Some people go car shopping and get excited about the first cool vehicle they see. But then they find out that the car of their dreams is more than they can afford and they have to start all over again. With our online payment calculator, you can enter the key variables and make sure that the car you are interested in will fit within your budget.

Enter the the price of the car, the current interest rate, the amount of your down payment and the length of your loan. If you find that the bottom line number is more than it should be, you can adjust the variables and keep tweaking until you get to a monthly payment that you can live with. By working with our payment calculator, you can avoid disappointments and focus your shopping on a vehicle you can afford.

How to design payment strategy that’s right for you

If your monthly payments are too high in the payment calculator, the first step is to reduce the target price of the car you’re shopping for. That should bring your monthly payments down quite a bit, especially if you are aggressive about it. You can’t really adjust the interest rate but you can come up with a bigger down payment. That’s another way to lower your monthly cost. The last option is to extend the length of your loan.

Here are some common situations where it pays to be cautious

You might be fresh out of college and just starting your first job. At this point, your income is relatively modest and you might have to pay for personal startup expenses like a new apartment and a new wardrobe. That’s one scenario where a prudent financial approach makes sense. Or perhaps you’ve had some financial struggles in the past and you’re trying to rebuild your credit. That’s another time when it’s important to keep your expenses down for everything, including your transportation.

How to shop for a budget-friendly car

If your situation is anything like the two we just described above, you’d be wise to avoid shopping for a brand-new car. Instead, use the guidelines that you discovered by going through our payment calculator. Focus your shopping on used cars that are no more expensive than the maximum amount that made your monthly payments work well. For even better results, check our used cars under $15,000 and look for economy cars that have excellent gas mileage of 30 MPG or better on the highway.

For personalized help, talk to the experts in our finance center

Our finance specialists are good with the numbers but they’re also good at listening. They can help you get the affordable loan or lease you need to stay within your budget guidelines. Whether you live in Breese or Aviston IL, visit us any time to get some coaching on how to find a budget-friendly vehicle at K&J Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Carlyle IL .

Tags: finance, Financing
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