So, you are looking for a new car again. Not a a new-new car, but a car that is new to you, but still a used car. You know sort of what you want, but you know you can't have it all, because you are on a budget.

I was there recently. I was low on cash, and with low cash comes low expectations. Or so it should anyway. So I was thinking: How low can I go? So I started searching. Well, it turns out, you can go pretty low. There are working cars out there for $100.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you should find the cheapest used car you ever saw and buy it without checking anything. You might want to consider safety, especially if you have kids riding with you. Also, a lot of these used cars may run today, but not so much next year, or even next month.

I have the luxury of knowing an auto mechanic. I invited him over, and we had a look through some of these auction cars that I found. Well, a lot of them were no good. They needed repairs that were simply not worth it even if you could do the work yourself. But I was amazed to find that a lot of these old cars are quite durable. Yes, most of them needed some fixing up, but the repairs were only minor things, and some of the flaws, you can even live with.

"Well", you might say. "I don't know an auto mechanic". I'd say you probably know someone who knows something about used cars. Most of us do. Borrow them for a minute, and have a look through what's available. You might save hundreds of dollars on it.

I like to start out at the pre-sorted auction sites, like http://usedcarsbyowner.theamericancarstore.com, where you will find items presorted on buyout price and with the option to choose local listings. You might say that you like to check out the local used car dealer first, but guess what? He is probably listing his used cars on here anyway. Most dealers do these days. Plus you get the extra choice of buying your used car by owner (from a private seller), which can often be cheaper anyway. You also have the subpages http://carsunder500dollars.theamericancarstore.com and http://carsunder1000dollars.theamericancarstore.com, which I particularly like. These are presorted, and will only display the lowest priced cars available, while they still let you display only your local offers.

You may or may not find a better site. That one is merely an example of where to start. These sites seem to be all over the place, allthough some of them seem to be constantly under construction. Give it some time, and give it some thought. Also, check Kelly Blue Book and NADA Yellow Book. They provide the price you should expect to pay for certain models of a car and also based on their mileage. You will find that prices will fluctuate a lot from what they provide, but it gives a very useful estimate. Links for the both of them are provided in the link list further down.

Also, know this: If you decide to buy from a dealer, you'd better be a good negotiator. They will do anything to sell you a car for the highest price possible, and they will make you feel stupid to even think that you could get it cheaper. They will make you think you did a great deal and laugh and brag about it with their friends later. I have friends who have worked for years in the industry, and they all say that it's like that. Almost anywhere you go. So unless you have done your homework, and then some, there is money to be saved by buying from a private person rather than a dealership.

If you're into classic cars and you want to buy one, being a "classic car trader" is going to help you get the best leg up so that you get the best deal possible. Here are some things to know when it comes to being a classic car trader.

Before you start

Before you start, determine, of course, what kind of car you want. Using the make, model and year, use the Kelley blue book to determine what the market value of the car is, depending on its condition. This will give you a base figure to work with when it comes to deciding what you should pay for a car.

Next, decide what you are going to use the car for. If you're going to use the car every day just for transportation, you probably don't need one in mint condition, and you'll be able to pay less. In addition, if part of the reason you're buying the car is so that you can work on it and bring it back to its original condition and restore it, that's another reason you won't need a perfect car. If you simply collect cars or you just want one that's in mint condition and you don't have any intention of trying to fix it up yourself, then you'll pay significantly more for a "good" to "mint condition" car.

Know what the problem areas are going to be

Just about every make, model and year of car has specific problems particular to it. In other words, there's just about no car model out there that gets away scot-free. So research the car model you want and make sure you know what problems you should be expecting. This will help you determine not just how expensive a car is going to be to buy, but how expensive it will be to keep. Again, this isn't necessarily going to be something you're particularly worried about if you want the car for itself as a showpiece and not for daily use, but it's still something you should know. It also may affect how much you pay for the car.

Classic car trader clubs

There are lots of clubs available based upon specific classic cars for people who have owned the type of vehicle you want. Joining one of these clubs (many of which exist online now) will help you know what you can buy and what you should stay away from.

Once you find the car you think you want

Remember that just as with any type of car purchase, previous owners can "pretty up" cars so that they look much better than they really are. Have a car appraiser look at the car before you buy. They'll probably be able to tell you whether or not the car's been in an accident, whether the engine is in good shape, whether the transmission is shot, and so on. If any of these things are true, this will lessen the value of the vehicle and therefore the price you pay. And of course, you may not want the vehicle at all once you find these things out.

Pull a used vehicle history report

You should be able to pull a used vehicle history report using the car's vehicle identification number to determine whether or not anything is wrong with it other than what you have been told. It will also tell you whether or not the car has been stolen (which happens sometimes) and how many people have owned it previously.

Knowing your way around the classic car trader environment will help you get the perfect classic car you want, based upon what you want to use it for. You shouldn't have to pay more for the car you want than it's worth; armed with a few simple facts, you won't have to.

Campers are great to have. They offer you a place to stay when you go camping or go on holiday. You can stay in your camper instead of booking your family into a hotel which can be expensive, or finding other sleeping arrangements which can be troublesome. There are the old fashioned tents, but lets face it, not everyone is keen about sleeping in the bush with nothing but material surrounding them. A camper provides you with almost an entire home, anywhere you go. You can tow it behind your car if you are going away on vacation or even just for a getaway weekend.

Campers can be rather pricey because of their convenience and features, but if that is a problem for you and you have a budget to consider, there are always used campers for sale that can be just as good as a new one. As long as everything inside still works and it is in good condition then there should be nothing stopping you from buying it. Campers are possibly the best investment for families who like to spend time away from home sometimes. It doesn’t have to be often, but for those times when you feel like just going away, you don’t still want to phone around for affordable camper hires, as that is going to spoil your holiday spirit!

There are many different used campers that can be purchased and they do not have to be falling apart for them to be going at a good price. There are reasonable prices that others are selling their campers for. They might be selling because they don’t use the camper anymore. Maybe the family has outgrown it, or they may have bought themselves a new one. Campers are not cheap when they are bought brand new, and that is why many people are unable to afford them. What you can do is buy a used camper while you save up for a new one. Or, get a used one and one day if you can afford a new one then you can buy it, but it will not be top priority because you at least have one to use.

Used campers come in many different shapes and sizes, so you will have to research and find the one that suits your family. The most important factor you will have to look at is the size. If you have a large family, a small camper is going to be no good, unless it is only you and your partner that like to go away for some time. Many couples do this when they have older children who can already look after themselves. Then it is nice for the parents to get away and spend some time alone together.

You are sure to find a used camper that is both affordable and convenient for your family. You don’t have to spend thousands if you don’t have it. As long as you can spend enough to get a used camper you have nothing to worry about. Your decision to get a camper is the best decision you could have made!