Our reliable Buick was fast approaching the 200,000KM mark. How many more kilometers would be able to get out of it?As winter approaches, we wondered whether our car would make it through the winter months. We live in the country, and our Buick has no 4 wheel drive. Since we get a lot of snow here, would we be able to get out if we had to?Regardless of how well we maintained it, would our 1998 Buick soon start costing us major expenses in repair work?We bought the Buick new, maintained it diligently. Although it was working well, all of the questions above played on our mind as we approached our second winter in snow-bound New Brunswick.In the past, we always purchased new vehicles. Previously, we knew when we purchased a vehicle new we would get the warranty. We would know how it was maintained. However, now living on a limited income, the cost of a new vehicle was out of the question.So, we started our search.We checked out auto auctions, but were concerned about how many previous owners drove the vehicle and the maintenance, if any, that was done on the vehicle. After deciding that auto auctions was not the route for us, we checked out special clearance sales. However, much to our dismay we found out that the vehicles were brought in from other dealers with no previous history of ownership or maintenance.With the amount we were willing to spend being limited, the vehicles within our price range had as many or more kilometers as our Buick. Certainly, not what we wanted.Then, just by good fortune, we stopped at one dealer and he had a vehicle that had just come off lease. The previous owner leases new vehicles every 4 years. The vehicle, a 2001, had only 56,000 kilometers on it; it had 4-wheel drive and was within our price range. The dealer had all the maintenance records, so we knew it had been taken care of.Our search was over, and we ended up saving a lot of money by buying an older vehicle but a new vehicle for us. And, in addition we had a vehicle that was well looked after and well maintained. Works for us!!So next time you are in a market for a new vehicle, you may want to consider an older vehicle that has been leased, where the dealer has the maintenance records, and it has only been driven by one owner. Look around; those types of vehicles are out there!! You could end up saving yourself a lot of money.In other words, being frugal - getting more with less money! Catherine Pulsifer is one of the editors of Stress Relief by a Simple Life where you will find stories, thoughts, poems and inspirational quotes on simplicity, frugal living, free craft projects, stress and more.Note to publishers - please use the text "Stress Relief by a Simple Life" when linking to http://www.stresslesscountry.com
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Keyword : car,vehicle,maintain,expense,repair,new,auctions,frugal,lease,older,saving,money
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