When you’re fighting your finances and coming up with the money for a down payment seems impossible, it’s time to take a step back and really look at where your money goes each month and where you might find a bit of extra. This list should get you started, but don’t stop here. Once you start thinking the right way, places to save and ways to raise funds have a way of revealing themselves to you:

1. Trim your vices and hobbies

You don’t have to give up on your vices and hobbies, but if you’re fighting to come up with a down payment, this is absolutely your first stop to coming up with the funds. A pack-a-day smoker can spend hundreds each month on cigarettes. A drinker can spend as much or more, depending on their preferences. After vices, give your hobbies a critical eye, too. You have the internet, you can find something worthwhile to do with your spare time for a few weeks or months. You know the places where you’re spending money completely unnecessary; cut them by however much you can tolerate.

2. Talk to your financial institutions

Sometimes, you might be surprised by the sort of loans you qualify for, especially if you’re working with a smaller institution such as a credit union. Even if your credit has a few black eyes, you might be able to qualify for at least a little help with your down payment.

3. Call the dealerships

Many dealerships can and will work with you to help you secure a down payment; just learn to read the fine print and understand what you’re agreeing to. You don’t want to sell your soul for a down payment (or, more realistically, put yourself in a state of permanent debt because of an absurd interest rate). Scrupulous and unscrupulous dealerships exist in roughly equal numbers, so you need to do your homework and pay attention. Wheel City Auto will work with you. We will determine a budget and we will never suggest a vehicle doesn’t make sense for you financially.

4. Trade what you’ve got

Even a junker that can barely move can be worth something, under the right circumstances. Maybe you get lucky and catch a government program, maybe you sell it to a junkyard for scrap. Find what money you can derive from your existing vehicle as you seek to trade up; it might surprise you.

5. Realign your expectations

It’s possible that you’re aiming too high with your down payment goals, if none of this is getting you even a fraction of the way to what you need. Saving what you can, knowing your options, and waiting for used car sales to pop up near you might be your best bet.