The golden rule to car buying is to never spend more than 35% of your gross annual income on a car.
Depending on your annual income, the amount you should save for a car will vary. It could take you years, but saving effectively has some serious benefits. Most retailers would suggest spending 10% to 50% of your gross income. But a good rule of thumb is 10% for used cars and 20% for new.
In general, experts recommend spending 10%–15% of your income on transportation, including car payment, insurance, and fuel. For example, if your take-home pay is $4,000 per month, then you should spend $400 to $600 on transportation. To be sure, that range is simply for guidance.
As a good rule of thumb, you should spend no more than 20% of your annual take-home pay on a used car. For example, if you make $50,000 per year (after taxes), then you should plan to spend $10,000 or less on a used car. Additionally, as we always recommend, you should save up enough money to pay cash for your car.
What is the 50-20-30 rule? The 50-20-30 rule is a money management technique that divides your paycheck into three categories: 50% for the essentials, 20% for savings and 30% for everything else.
With no other bills, you can afford a $40k car with a yearly income of $12,000. But if you do have other bills ( ie wife and children and a mortgage and student loans) then consider your bills and decide if you can afford a new car. In my opinion it would be insane to spend more than 10% of your wealth on a car.
Rather than looking at monthly transportation costs, Dave recommends buying cars that cost no more than 50% of your annual income. So if you make $50,000 a year, you should not spend more than $25,000 for a car(s).
So, theoretically, if your salary is $50,000 you could afford a car payment of $430 or less. With a $100,000 salary, you could afford a mortgage payment of no more than $2,500. For those with a salary near $30,000 your home, car, and debt combine should be no more than $1,250 per month.
Ergo, buying a car is a waste of money. While it is true that once a car is registered for the first time, it becomes a used car and is worth less money, very few people buy a new car and immediately sell it. If you keep a car for a number of years, the depreciation will even out with time.
Whether you're paying cash, leasing, or financing a car, your upper spending limit really shouldn't be a penny more than 35% of your gross annual income. That means if you make $36,000 a year, the car price shouldn't exceed $12,600. Make $60,000, and the car price should fall below $21,000.
Patrice Banks, auto mechanic and founder of Girls Auto Clinic, recommends car owners save about $100 per month if their vehicle has over 100,000 miles on it. All of your monthly car related expenses combined — loan payment, insurance, gas, maintenance — shouldn't exceed 10% to 15% of your take-home income.
When it's time to buy a car, you'll probably want to know: “How much car can I afford?” Financial experts answer this question by using a simple rule of thumb: Car buyers should spend no more than 10% of their take-home pay on a car loan payment and no more than 20% for total car expenses, which also includes things ...
The reason: New cars depreciate as soon as buyers drive them off the lot. When you buy a used car, paying in cash also brings more savings on the offer price most times. That is, except pick-up trucks, which retain their value.
One simple rule you could apply to your car purchase is spend no more than 30% of your annual income on the vehicle of your choosing. This allows your budget to be flexible enough to cover the additional costs of maintenance, insurance and other expenses.
In general, lenders look for borrowers in the prime range or better, so you will need a score of 661 or higher to qualify for most conventional car loans.
First unveiled at the NAMPO agricultural show in 2017, the Bajaj Qute has set social media alight more recently with stories, memes, jokes and videos about this compact little 'car'. The story goes that you can buy it for only R5 000, that it will only cost you R150 per month and that you can insure it for only R1. 20.
A $30,000 car, roughly $600 a month.
“A typical down payment is usually between 10% and 20% of the total price. On a $12,000 car loan, that would be between $1,200 and $2,400. When it comes to the down payment, the more you put down, the better off you will be in the long run because this reduces the amount you will pay for the car in the end.
A $500 car payment is about average right now. The concept of “too much” is going to depend on your income and living expenses, your insurance expense, and other budget factors.
Cut Unnecessary Expenses From Your Budget
“To save $5000 in six months, one must have a budget or it likely won't work,” said Christine Sager of Sager Financial Coaching. “Divide $5,000 by six months and that equals $833/month that must be removed from the budget or earned in extra income.
The frugal rule: 10% of income
For many people, I think that will be between 10–15% of your income. So if you earn $25,000 a year, that's going to be a high-mileage used car for $2,500–$3,000. If you earn $80,000, that's a used car for around $10,000 or $12,000.