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For other money saving tips on cars, mortgages, loans or debt you could visit Think Money.com.

I recently bought a used car from a garage near me. It was being sold at £5699, but I managed to get it for £4600 – with added extras…so how did I do it?

1.Know the car you are looking to buy

If you do your research before you put in an offer, you are more likely to get a better deal. If you look in to how much a car of that age, make, model and mileage would cost you, then you will know if the salesperson is offering you the best deal.

Research is the key thing here. If you go into the garage knowing nothing at all, the salesperson will take advantage of you. I made sure I did a lot of research about the car I wanted, and when the salesperson tried to quote a ridiculous price, I told them the car wasn’t worth that and told them what I knew… they soon changed their tone!

2. Don’t be aggressive

If you’re negotiating a deal with a salesperson, don’t be aggressive. You should aim to build a rapport with them, speak in a friendly manner and be a little cheeky. Remember, it is their job to sell a car, so try and make it a little difficult for them – tell them they need to offer you a better deal to tempt you.

I made sure I built a rapport up with the salesperson before I even started talking about the car. The salesperson felt more comfortable around me, and that meant it was easier to talk the price down.

3.Knock the price down and ask for freebies

This is the juicy part of the deal, and the one you will need the most confidence for. The salesperson will be trying to make as much money out of you as possible, so don’t tell them your maximum price straight away – because they won’t go any lower.

The car I wanted was priced at £5699, so I first offered them £5000. This was initially rejected, but after a little more pushing I told the salesperson I wasn’t paying over this figure, and they hesitantly agreed. They then tried to sell warranties, car care deals and servicing plans. I showed initial interest in all of these, telling the salesperson I would only take out one of them if the car was reduced further.

Having done my research, I knew the car was worth around £4500, so I wanted to pay around this figure. I offered him £4500 and said if he agreed, I would take out the servicing plan – providing he threw in a tank of petrol and six-months road tax. He threw out a counter offer of £4600 so I accepted. We shook hands on it and the deal was done. I had a car for £4600 with a tank of petrol and six-months road tax… and I had a servicing plan for £150 – overall cost of £4750, which compared to £5699 with no servicing plan is pretty good!