It's important when buying a car that you approach it with your head and not your heart. Make sure you look for a car that meets your needs but doesn't leave you out of pocket. The best way to work out if you can afford a car is to think of its cost per month using the following points:

	Divide the price of the car by the number of months you will be paying for it (if you're taking out a loan or finance)
	The cost of insurance per month if required
	The cost of your usual fuel usage per month
	The cost of essential maintenance per month (such as servicing and replacement tyres)
	The cost of repairs (if required) some vehicle parts are much more expensive for one manufacturer that another

If you're taking out car finance, make sure you do the following to get lower payments:

	Look around at multiple finance providers – you could get more money and pay less for it
	If buying from a dealer, negotiate with them to try and get a better deal on finance (and also try and negotiate more money off the car's asking price)

If you currently have a car to sell or part exchange, the value of your current car could also have a big affect on your budget. Make sure that you know the value of your current car before starting any negotiations, and remember you normally get more money for your car when selling privately than when part exchanging it with a dealer.

If once adding up all thes factors the car is more expensive than you can afford, try searching for the same model with a smaller engine or different trim specifications.