Buying a car can be a harrowing process, especially if you’re not sure what all your options are when it comes to keeping money in your pocket. Fortunately there are those with both good and bad experiences to share that can tip you off as to what to look for when it comes to saving money on your car purchase.

As with any other purchase, keep in mind that timing is everything. If you can wait till at least Labor Day, if not later, to buy your car if you’re shopping for a new model. The reason for the wait is that car dealers will offer generous discounts and incentives to move out existing stock to make room for new cars that will be coming in. This is a good opportunity to get the drop on a new car without paying a new car price.

Don’t be afraid to haggle with the salesperson. If you really want a car and the salesman really wants to make a sale, there is room for give and take. It’s not like when you walk into a major grocery store and the set price is the set price. However, if you can get someone at a car dealership to give you a quoted price make sure that you get it in writing, whether it’s in the form of an official estimate or over the Internet in an email. Once it’s been written down you should, by all rights, be able to get the car quoted for the price quoted.

Shop around. Whether you use your legs or the Internet, see what cars are available and at what prices. Tell one dealership what another dealership is offering, and use that as a bargaining chip to try and get a better deal if you want to.