"Buying a used car is like paying to own someone else's problem!" Well, you couldn't prove it by me. I never owned a car until a year ago and my "new" car was bought and paid for in about six months. When I began the search for a car, I never gave new cars a second thought. You can do just what I did: get a good car deal, forget the huge monthly car payments and save yourself tons of money! The answer to the used car blues is what I have found to be the answer to most other challenges in life: have a purpose, be persistent, do your homework and be patient!

My daughter and I had survived our "no car, can't travel" woes by using public transportation and taxi for eight years. I knew of all the costs associated with owning a car: monthly car payments, maintenance, gas and insurance (I'm still in shock about the Virginia property tax, where you pay just to own a car each year!). I had always been skeptical of owning a car when my budget could not comfortably accommodate it. I was determined not to be the victim of the Repo-man!

Yet when I got a new job that was pretty well paying and my daughter was to attend a school out of our neighborhood, the situation dictated that we needed a car. I still didn't want to part with upwards of $200.00 a month car payment that would be needed to own a modest motorcar. Likewise, I was determined not to forego some of the "luxuries" we had gotten used to with my salary increase, like eating out on weekends and shopping! However, as a single mother with one child, I definitely needed a dependable automobile for accomplishing day-to-day tasks: taking her to school, shopping and emergencies. Armed with this information, I set out to bag myself that most elusive of species: the dependable used car!

I prevailed and you can too! However, the secret to doing it is no secret at all and here I'll share with you the methods to the "magic", or just what happens when you put your heart, soul and mind to it:

• Write Down What You Want and Why!

  This may seem pretty simple and it is! Yet it is the most important step. As with anything, have a purpose for what you want to achieve and a plan for achieving it, buying a used car is no different. I had decided that I wanted to be able to get my daughter to and from school without her having to catch the bus on cold mornings (I take the bus to work -- traffic, UUGH!). I also was T-I-R-E-D of waiting for taxi's that seldom showed up on time after I spent hours shopping. If your motive is just to show off your new little red corvette to your friends, you'll have to pay more for it (in more ways than one). Which brings me to ...

• Decide What You Want to Spend!

  Write this down too! I didn't want to spend over $1,500.00. This is exactly what I got. Do you want to pay cash or make payments? Private sellers are easier to work with than institutions. The person I bought my car from allowed me to make monthly payments, with a modest down payment. You also may want a bargain, but be reasonable. You really do get what you pay for. Expecting to get a great car for $600.00 probably does happen, but even I haven't seen it.

• Decide That You Want a "Problem Free" Car!

  When I made a list of attributes that I wanted my car to have, this was very important. I didn't want a car that I had to pay through the nose to maintain. This would defeat the purpose of buying a used car. So far, I have had to replace 2 tires and an alternator, which cost me about $300 -- not bad for a year's worth of maintenance on a used car.

• Check the Newspaper, Credit Unions, Military Bases, Friends and Co-Workers!

  I highly recommend these avenues as ways to locate a good used car. I talked to all my friends and co-workers to let them know I was in the market for a used car and I got several leads. I also checked my credit union and went to nearby military bases to look at their "lemon lots" -- lots where soldiers who were soon leaving the area advertised their cars for sale. I finally got my car from a co-worker who was planning to sell his car. I had gotten a ride from him earlier that year and was impressed with the shape the car was in. Little did I know I would one day be its new owner!

• Write Down What You Want and Why!

  This may seem pretty simple and it is! Yet it is the most important step. As with anything, have a purpose for what you want to achieve and a plan for achieving it, buying a used car is no different. I had decided that I wanted to be able to get my daughter to and from school without her having to catch the bus on cold mornings (I take the bus to work -- traffic, UUGH!). I also was T-I-R-E-D of waiting for taxi's that seldom showed up on time after I spent hours shopping. If your motive is just to show off your new little red corvette to your friends, you'll have to pay more for it (in more ways than one). Which brings me to ...

• Decide What You Want to Spend!

  Write this down too! I didn't want to spend over $1,500.00. This is exactly what I got. Do you want to pay cash or make payments? Private sellers are easier to work with than institutions. The person I bought my car from allowed me to make monthly payments, with a modest down payment. You also may want a bargain, but be reasonable. You really do get what you pay for. Expecting to get a great car for $600.00 probably does happen, but even I haven't seen it.

• Decide That You Want a "Problem Free" Car!

  When I made a list of attributes that I wanted my car to have, this was very important. I didn't want a car that I had to pay through the nose to maintain. This would defeat the purpose of buying a used car. So far, I have had to replace 2 tires and an alternator, which cost me about $300 -- not bad for a year's worth of maintenance on a used car.

• Check the Newspaper, Credit Unions, Military Bases, Friends and Co-Workers!

  I highly recommend these avenues as ways to locate a good used car. I talked to all my friends and co-workers to let them know I was in the market for a used car and I got several leads. I also checked my credit union and went to nearby military bases to look at their "lemon lots" -- lots where soldiers who were soon leaving the area advertised their cars for sale. I finally got my car from a co-worker who was planning to sell his car. I had gotten a ride from him earlier that year and was impressed with the shape the car was in. Little did I know I would one day be its new owner!

• Decide to Be Diligent In Maintaining Your Car!

  This requires being proactive in taking care of your car. The best advice I got about my car came from its previous owner. "Change the oil faithfully," he said. I have and the car purrs like a contented cat. In addition, I ask questions of the mechanic in order to know more about my car. I can tell when the tires or brakes are worn, for example. I now know what an alternator is and what it does -- pretty good for a "new" car owner.

• Decide What You Can Do Without!

  To tell the truth, I never thought much about the make or style of my future car. I am partial to small cars, e.g. Hondas and Toyotas (even more so to BMWs), but I didn't specify the make of car in my plan. I concentrated on safety and dependability. I got a 1986 Pontiac 6000 SE. My car could use a new paint job, but it doesn't require one. Decide what things are most important in your quest for used-car perfection -- realizing that while you can achieve most things, it is necessary to let the rest go!

• Pray!

  To the thinking woman, this goes without saying. Whether you believe in a "higher power" or not, what is it going to hurt? In little or no time, you too will own a great automobile. I do this anyway and with everything. Besides, aren't your safety, comfort and convenience worth a little extra insurance? Be patient that all your research and diligence will pay off because like all worthwhile endeavors, it will. I am living proof that it can happen. I also pray that you'll be as happy with your new "used" car as I am with mine. Now if I could just work out a way to take care of that darned property tax!