When you have exercised forced scarcity and been disciplined with your finances, there often comes a point in your life where you go from being a “tight wad,” as we say here at The Money Guy Show, to being able to spend a bit more freely. When that shift happens from super saver to abundance, buying a new car might be on your wish list.
In this week’s episode of The Money Guy Show, we walk you through all the tips and tricks of buying a new car. Tune in so you can learn how to avoid the common car buying mistakes that wind up costing consumers thousands of dollars. Instead, find out how you can successfully buy a new car and feel good that you got the best price possible.
As with most simple and smart money moves we tout on this show, making the time and effort to research what you need to know upfront can set you up for financial success.
Here’s what we cover in this week’s episode:
- Car buying basics: simple and common variables of car buying
- How to be a disciplined consumer, and protect yourself from being taken advantage of
- How you can avoid buying a car in person, and steer clear of salesperson reindeer games and emotional decision-making
- How to become an educated consumer
- What car dealerships wish consumers knew when buying cars
- The most important aspects to research in a car buying transaction from MSRP, trade-in values, invoice cost, discounts, financing, and extended warranties
- Resources you can use to conduct thorough research
- What financial figure is more important than the monthly payments
- How to approach the most dangerous moment in the car buying process: the test drive!
- How to strategically map out which dealerships you will consider buying from
- At what stages in the car buying process you make phone contact and physical contact with a dealership
- Ways to successfully negotiate the total transaction of buying a new car, not just the price
- Who should be involved when you’re ready to negotiate
- The seemingly minor details you don’t want to leave out of your negotiation
- Extended warranties: a few considerations for consumers to think about
Resources mentioned on the show:
For researching the price of a new car:
For researching what you should pay for a new car and the trade in value for your existing vehicle:
- CarsDirect
- TRUEcar
- Edmunds
- Kelly Blue Book
- CarMax (offers free appraisal of your vehicle)
- Ask friends and family who have the car what features they love and which ones are more hype than value.
Enjoy the Show?
Where You Can Watch and Listen:
Subscribe on these platforms or wherever you listen to podcasts! Turn on notifications to keep up with our new content, including:
- Episodes of The Money Guy Show every Friday
- Episodes of Making a Millionaire every other Monday
- Mini-shows every Wednesday
- Ask Money Guy Livestreams every Tuesday
- Tons of other fun content!
Free Resources
Free Resources
Financial Order of Operations®: Maximize Your Army of Dollar Bills!
Here are the 9 steps you’ve been waiting for Building wealth is simple when you know what to do and the order in which to...
Free Resources
Wealth Multiplier By Age
If you want to set yourself up for future success, find out how much you need to save every month to become a millionaire.
Free Resources
Car Buying Checklist
Here’s how you can buy a dependable car that won’t break the bank. Our free checklist walks you through the 20/3/8 rule and strategies to...
Articles
Articles
How Do You Invest Across Different Account Types?
Learn how to optimize your investments across different account types, including Roth, taxable, and 401(k) accounts, with tailored strategies for each. Discover how to maximize...
Articles
What Is Considered Critical Mass During Wealth Building?
We discuss when to diversify your investments and recognize critical mass in your portfolio. Learn strategies for maximizing your savings rate and achieving financial success...
Articles
Is a High Yield Savings Account Still the Best Place to Keep an Emergency Fund?
Jay has a 6 month emergency fund in a high-yield savings account. With interest rates likely to drop this year, Jay wants to know our...
Financial FAQs
Courses & Tools
How about more sense and more money?
Check for blindspots and shift into the financial fast-lane. Join a community of like minded Financial Mutants as we accelerate our wealth building process and have fun while doing it.
Free Resources
Financial Order of Operations®: Maximize Your Army of Dollar Bills!
Here are the 9 steps you’ve been waiting for Building wealth is simple when you know what to do and the order in which to...
Free Resources
Wealth Multiplier By Age
If you want to set yourself up for future success, find out how much you need to save every month to become a millionaire.
Free Resources
Car Buying Checklist
Here’s how you can buy a dependable car that won’t break the bank. Our free checklist walks you through the 20/3/8 rule and strategies to...
Recent Episodes
It's like finding some change in the couch cushions.
Watch or listen every week to learn and apply financial strategies to grow your wealth and live your best life.
Episodes
Are You Doing Better Than the Average American?
How do you stack up against other serious money optimizers in 2026? In this episode, we reveal median financial asset benchmarks by age and share...
Episodes
Was His $120,000 College Degree a Huge Mistake?
$120,000 in debt. A closet full of untouched sneakers. And a plan to be financially free by 50. In this new episode, meet the 28-year-old...
Episodes
How to Retire at $1M, $2M, $3M, and $5M
Wondering if your retirement savings are enough? In this insightful episode, we walk through four portfolio benchmarks - from $1M to $5M - and the...