Bad credit affects a lot of big purchases like your home, cars, and anything else under the sun.  Bad credit even affects the little things like a credit card purchase.  While bad credit can put a damper on your life, there are things you can do even when you have bad credit.

Today, we’re going to look at how you can deal with bad credit when you’re looking to purchase a new or used car.  Since it takes a little bit of money to buy a new car, not everyone has that much money on hand to buy the car in cash.  Here are some steps you can take in order to get the car you want even when you have bad credit:

Check your credit score first.  Before you go out and buy your car, you’re going to want to check out your credit score.  Place like FreeCreditReport will allow you to check out your credit score.  If your score falls below a 600, you’re going to have to probably find a “specialized” loan that you can be approved of at a dealership.

Find a dealership.  Since most major dealerships usually don’t deal with people with bad credit, you’re either going to have to find a loan outside of the dealership that does deal with bad credit or you’re going to have to work with a small car sales lot that deals with people with bad credit.  If you do decide to take this route, make sure that you check out all of the terms and conditions.   Sometimes, car sales lots love to take advantage of those in need.  This means you might find outrageous rates like 30%.  Try and stay away from people like this.  Don’t buy a car because you need it, do your shopping!

Try buying in cash.  If you find that you’re having trouble getting the car you want, you may want to resort to just saving up money or borrowing from someone that trusts you.  Remember, if you borrow from a friend of family member, be a good person and pay them back plus some more.  Buying in cash is probably the way to go because you shouldn’t be spending a lot for a car if you have bad credit.  A $3,000 car will do just fine.  As long as it gets you places, it shouldn’t matter.

Just borrow.  If you don’t have a car right now, see if you can borrow a car from your mom or dad, friends, etc.  Be courteious and explain your situation.  Once you save up enough money from your job, go out and buy one.  In the meantime, just use their car for work purposes only and make sure you pay for the gas you use!  Saving up for a car really isn’t that hard.  Just work hard and set the money aside in a savings account.

Bad credit affects us all and yes, we do need a car to get places but if you can’t afford one or you can’t find a loan, do everything in your own power to buy one.  If you have to borrow, use the bus while you wait or anything else.  Be desperate!  A new or used car will come your way if you work hard enough.