If you have decided that you must have a now, either because your old caris about to give up the ghost or maybe because it's time for you to buy yourfirst car, whatever the reason, the truth is that now is a good time to buy anda bad time to sell. If you are planning on selling your old car then factor inthe possibility that you won't quite get back what you expect on the vehicle.

The best thing to do is to wait for thisChristmas ?silly season? to end and to then research available cars and theirprices for a month or two. The economy may change at any moment and youwouldn't want to find yourself with a car you can't actually afford a fewmonths down the line.

It's also important to consider the costs ofthe vital extras, such as ,maintenance and all the little hidden costs which go along with owning a car.Many people buy a shiny new car and realise too late that they did not factorin the extra costs of fuel and services, and are then forced to give up theirvehicles.

Make sure you avoid this mistake by beinghonest about your budget, and allowing for changes in prices. You may find acheaper deal, but then the price of fuel may rise again...there are manyvariables which must be considered.

A good idea is to take a long hard look atyour budget and then save as much as possible towards the vehicle. Look for agood car at a low price and pay off as much as possible on it, which will meanyou have less long term debt for 2009.