<prompt> Human: I know the ideal answer: I can afford what I can afford to pay out of pocket. Which is what Im trying really hard to wait for. But its looking more and more like Im going to need to replace my car sooner rather than later. Ive read the majority of what I can find around here regarding cars, but a lot of the posts are personsituation -specific and the Auto FAQ is oddly sparse!, so Im hoping for a more broad, general discussion on how to price out a car. Everyone says not to focus so much on the monthly payment, because the terms of your financing offer can adjust your monthly payment. So how do you know if you can afford the full amount? Ive calculated 15-20 of my income Ive read several different opinions on what percentage you should aim for. And that percentage, plus the APR Ive been offered through my bank comes out to a monthly payment I can afford. Ive also got my current vehicle that Id like to trade in. Do I account for that amount when pricing out what I can afford? Like, I think I can afford X, my current car is worth Y, so I can actually afford Z? Or do I stick with X, and consider the trade in value a discount? What other fees do dealerships try to tack on? Which of those fees are bullshit that I can flat out say no to? Which can I negotiate on? Which are set in stone? Can I pretty much walk into a dealership and say, Ive got X to spend, show me what youve got? If I have a financing offer from my bank, whats the best way to get the dealership to offer me a competing offer? Should I not tell them the terms of my existing offer up front? Or tell them what Ive already been offered and ask if they can beat that? Im, unfortunately, the exact demographic that car salesmen seem to view as targets mid-20s, female, first time buying a car on my own, know nothing about cars, so Id like to be as prepared as possible before I even step foot into a dealership. Thankfully, I am fully prepared to walk, if need be. This isnt a super urgent, I need a car TODAY situation. So if they cant or wont give me what I want, Im not in situation where I have to take whatever they offer me. ETA: Lots of SUPER helpful advice! Ive got a lot of research to do, but I feel exponentially more confident about walking into a dealership now than I did when I first posted, and Im sure Ill feel even better once Ive looked further into some of the resources you guys have provided. THANK YOU!!  <response>: Ive bought and sold quite a number of cars in my life, im no dealer, but you should definitely NOT walk into a dealer and say Ive got X to spend. I can give you advice about the best ways to find good deals, althought you didnt really specify what you were looking for.Generally, the best time to buy a EDIT NEW car, is in December. The dealers are cycling out the models for that year and getting in the new model year cars; resulting in large rebates off of the price of an old model. I got a 3k rebate on a civic this way in December 2014. Buying in the spring, you wont necessarily see that kind of thing to that degree; although a new-car dealer will always have something.I recommend avoiding negotiations based-on payment. The dealers will likely ask you what youre looking for here and try to negotiate the sale based on what you can afford monthly. BE CAREFUL with this. You can get to the desired payment in a lot of undesireable ways that can result in long terms and high interest causing you to pay much more than youre ready to pay. They will make any car affordable from a payment perspective. Instead, focus on I need a deal compared to what X dealer offered me and stay focused on the big number, the price of the vehicle before its financed and before trading it in.Lastly, I will always recommend selling your vehicle private party. Even buying something new and trading in your vehicle will result in you getting substantially less than market value on your vehicle. Usually the dealer will give you somewhere between 50-75 of current market value. CRAIGSLIST.Id be happy to take a look at a more specific situation and give you more focused recommendations if you want to give some details on exactly what youre looking for and what your goal is.I suggest starting to compare several dealers. If youve decided you want to go with a used car, PLAN for maintenance in your monthly budget. New cars come with warranties that cover you for the most part, used cars very rarely do.J 