Buying Your First New Car

Anaya Armstrong

November 8, 2020

So I got a new car! Yay! It was much harder than I expected. There were many things I didn’t know I would have to know. So I figured that I would give some advice on the things that I didn’t know so that anyone who is thinking about buying his or her first car could get some insight.

The Dealership

Finding the place to buy the car was a lot harder than I originally expected. I was pretty much under the impression that I could go to a dealership and they would have exactly what I wanted in the exact color and with all the features I wanted. Wrong! Dealerships are a lot more complicated than that. They are really like a Target. You know how you can get a bathing suit from any Target during the summer, but if you want a specific print, it may not be at your Target? That’s basically what a car dealership is. You can get a car from any of them, but the more specific you get, the more you’re going to have to go to a specific place.

Picking out a Car

OK, so this is supposed to be the fun part, and it is for the most part. The thing that really gets complicated is when it gets down to the packages and the specific look. As I said in the earlier paragraph, the more specific you are about the model and make of the car, the more it affects the whole process. One thing you should know is that you should plan ahead on what type of car you will need for the foreseeable future. If you are a mom who will be planning on having more kids , then you need to consider the number of seats in the car. That was not my situation.

Insurance

When I was getting my car, I was not aware of all the things that went into getting the proper insurance. I decided to go with my mom’s insurance company. Luckily since I used the same company, they had my information, however I still had to provide them with additional things, for example my transcripts. I also had to get them the completion certificate for the driver’s training that I had taken years ago; I had to call the driving academy and get a copy. I also has to get all the information about the car, like the VIN number, make, model, and mileage.

Be Flexible

This is more personal advice — try to stay open in your car purchase. Try not to get your heart set on one particular car, because more than likely that will change. When I was buying my car, I had found a car that I really liked and was happy with. I made a plan and communicated with the dealership and we worked on the things we needed for me to buy this car. Upon returning to dealership to complete the purchase, another couple had come in and really liked the car and ended up buying it! I was really upset because I had my heart set on that specific car. My mom was really supportive and helpful. She helped me find the right car, and that obviously wasn’t it. We went back and talked to the right people and eventually found the right car for me. So remember that, when you get your first car, things will work out however they are supposed to — trust the process.

Anaya Armstrong

Anaya Armstrong is a graduate from South Aiken High School. She is 18 years old and has been an Aiken resident for six years. She is the eldest of four sisters and is the daughter of Ladonna Armstrong. She will be attending the University of South Carolina, Aiken in the fall where she will pursue a business degree. She is the Marketing Assistant at Bella Magazine and the Bella Buzz Coordinator.

Anaya Armstrong

In the know

What It’s Like …On The Road Singin’ For Her Supper: Solo Singer/Songwriter Josephine Johnson

As the live music landscape continues to shift, it’s nice to know these places in Aiken are doing great things to keep music alive and keep patrons safely entertained. Solo Singer/Songwriter Josephine Johnson Did you always know what you wanted to be when you grew up? I did. As a toddler I sang Jackie Wilson songs into my mom’s wooden mixing spoons. A couple years later I sang along with Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” until the cassette tape snapped. In high school I did musicals and played guitar. My whole life I’ve always known I am a musician. I didn’t know, however, the twists and turns it would

Beer, Bella: The Adventure Begins

Nostalgia is a powerful thing. Sights and smells and tastes can literally snap you back to a point in time — memory instant replay, no matter how much you might have suppressed it or thought it had faded away. Sometimes it is faint, like the aroma of peaches as you walk through a peach orchard that remind you of the smell of peach cobbler coming from your grandmother’s oven. Or the flavor of strawberry in a clear beverage unexpectedly reminding you of how delightful strawberry jello was in your childhood. One of the most classic examples, and a perfect visual to the experience, is in the Disney movie Ratatouille, when

NOLA Cocktails | Lux Libations

It’s difficult to think about the month of February without summoning romantic memories or without perhaps considering the awkwardly introspective question, “Are we serious enough to go out on a date for Valentine’s Day?” Thankfully, I’ve been happily paired up for over a decade and am past the over-the-top Valentine’s Days and early relationship oddities. Not that we aren’t romantic — we just choose to wait until Valentine’s to show it. Or at least that is what we tell ourselves. Regardless, the holiday I tend to think of when February rolls around is Mardi Gras! Yes, I know sometimes it arrives in March, but not this year. This year it

Jalapeño and Ham Grits

From the Kitchen of… Fuse Aiken: Jalapeño and Ham Grits An Interview and recipe with Chris Najmola Ingredients 1 cup stone-ground yellow grits, Anson Mills preferred 1 cup heavy whipping cream 3 cups water (pro move: use chicken stock instead) 1 jalapeño 3 oz Benton’s Country Ham, sliced thin 1 tbsp salt black pepper to taste Tools: 2 gallon stock pot wooden spoon whisk tasting spoons Gather all your ingredients and tools before you begin. Hold the jalapeño at the stem. Cut the bottom half of the jalapeño off for mild flavor. Cut higher up and closer to the stem for increasing heat. Slice the desired area of jalapeño as