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You just finished filing your taxes and sent them off with the joy in your heart of looking forward to your tax refund. Getting that check in the mail is important to you. It’s your money. So you are now wondering to yourself of all the things you could potentially buy with this? We’ll tell you why buying a car with your tax refund might be a bad idea. more There is one thing that we all can agree on. Buying new things, especially a new car, can be really exciting. Sitting in that fresh car smell and driving it out of the lot might be a daydream for a lot of us, but spending our tax return money on a fancy new car is most likely not a great idea. Before you buy a car there is always a financing process. Unless you have the money to drop on a car without taking out any loans, buying a car requires a down payment and loan payments afterwards. The big difference between buying a car at any other time of the year, and buying one with this refund in your pocket, is that you might fool yourself into buying a more expensive car because you can afford the down payment. This is the big mistake. Sure, buying a car with your tax refund can be a great idea, but spending more than you can afford to make payments for is a definite no-no. Look at how much you make each month, and figure out how much you can spend on a car and pay off each month accordingly. You don’t want to end up in a situation where your tax refund is gone and you can’t make your loan payments. The best method of buying a car is pretending that you don’t have the extra cash from the refund and then purchasing a car just based off how much you make in a normal month. Then use the refund for a down payment once you’ve chosen a sensible vehicle. Here at Palmen Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Racine, we want to get you into the perfect car for you. We are here to help you finance and choose the car that fits your budget and needs. Contact us if you have any questions, or schedule a test-drive here.

Are you tired of driving around the same piece of gas-guzzling junk that you’ve been driving for years now? If you are wondering how to save for a new car? These are a few ways you can start preparing your budget for the purchase of a newer vehicle. more We all know that saving money means spending less than we are earning. But much like losing weight, it sounds simple and fast, but really can be a struggle when you try to put it into practice. 1: Think about your car payment If you are thinking about a car loan, then you have to consider how much you can pay monthly. You’ll want to leave a little space for unexpected repairs or maintenance (oil changes or new tires). If you want to skip the loan and save up enough to cover the whole car, then your planned monthly payment would be zero. 2: Figure out how much you can put down If you’ll have a monthly car payment, you should take some time to calculate what you’ll need to put down. Many calculators are available online. This is a good way to figure out what kind of car you can afford. 3: When do you need (or want) the car? The sooner you need the car, the faster you’ll need to save up. More time will make things less stressful. However, if you need the car next week, you might just have to consider a cheaper option to make ends meet. 4: Save up! Having the savings taken directly out of your paycheck and into your savings account is a great way to avoid skipping on your goal each month. If you don’t have direct deposit, have somewhere where you are keeping the money saved up to avoid spending the money you meant to put towards the car. The most important thing is to do this first before spending anything. Otherwise you’ll probably blow it. 5: Don’t make life horrible You have to make the saving process better than a punishment. If you let it create negativity and frustration, you are much less likely to succeed. It’s like a diet. For your safety and the safety of others, try and keep yourself out of trouble and try to be realistic with the goals you set for yourself. If you are in the market for a car, check out our inventory of new and used vehicles at Palmen Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Racine.

Certified Pre Owned Jeep Racine Step into a good-as-new Certified Pre Owned Today! When it comes to buying a used car, shoppers might fall into a couple of different camps depending on your needs and budget: Either you're going for something super affordable that's got higher mileage, or you want a more recent model that's just had that initial depreciation knocked off and is still covered under a warranty and ready for the long haul. If you're in the latter group, you should be considering something from our vast selection of Certified Pre Owned Jeep in Racine, or one of our certified pre owned Chrysler, Dodge, or Ram vehicles. Today we'll tell you what the Chrysler Group Certified Pre Owned Vehicle program entails and why it might be your perfect solution to the "new or used" debate. more Certified Pre Owned means you save! Here at Palmen Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Racine, southeast Wisconsin's largest Chrysler Certified Pre Owned dealer, we offer a great shopping experience with over forty certified pre owned vehicles in stock. So whether you're looking for a rugged SUV, hefty pickup, or performance sedan, we've got something for you at a great price with quality assurance at the forefront. How do we assure that quality? Every certified pre owned vehicle here comes with a 7-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, as well as  three month/3,000 mile maximum care coverage. We also provide a detailed Carfax Vehicle History Report! In addition, we offer towing/roadside assistance and car rental allowances in the event that an issue arises and your pre-owned vehicle needs some TLC in our service center. Drive away in your CPOV today!   We make every effort to certify only the best vehicles so that our Certified Pre Owned customers can shop with confidence and benefit from great savings and peace of mind. Please let us know if you'd like to test drive any of our current pre-owned vehicles or if you have any questions at all about the program!

How To Wash and Wax Your Car It is great to know that we have many ways of taking care of your vehicle. It is not a matter of the season or where in the country you are; what matters is how well preserved you keep your car. Here at Palmen Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Racine, we want to make sure that you have all the necessary information to keep up the great appearance of your car by learning How To Wash and Wax Your Car. more Let's keep things clear Let’s be honest, everybody loves that feeling of pride when you see your car after being detailed with care and perfection. If you don’t want to take your vehicle to the service center, we can tell you a few tips in order to do it yourself. In order to start the process right, we recommend you to park your car in a cool, shady place. If the water you're using to wash the car contains a lot of minerals, like some do, will most likely l leave spots on the paint's finish when it evaporates. Nothing like a shiny star That happens more quickly in hot sunlight. For best results, you should clean your car’s surface when the car is just warm enough. Check out our inventory of models to see which one you'd like to own and clean for yourself. Now, be sure to have a good amount of microfiber towels on hand for washing and drying the car, and for applying and removing car wax and related car-care products when taking care of your vehicle. Why? Because these microfiber towels are gentler on a car’s paint than cotton towels or chamois. Remember that little tips here and there can prolong the well-being of your vehicle. And stay posted to our Palmen Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Racine blog for more tips on how to take care of your vehicle during summer or any other season.

Used Cars for Sale Racine WI These tips will make used car shopping a breeze! We all want the best deal on a used car, but how can we make sure we get it? It would be nice to think it's as easy as shopping for a low price, finding it, and driving off into the sunset... But we know better than that. There are hassles and hazards and traps galore out there, and today we're here to save you from some of them with these helpful tips for shopping for a used car. And if you happen to be looking for used cars for sale in Racine WI... we might just know a place! more Be realistic about what you can afford. 1. Know your budget. Take an honest look at your monthly budget and determine what's a reasonable amount to take out of that for a car payment. Remember, additional costs like insurance, fuel, and maintenance will be factored in as well so it's smart to make sure you're budgeting for those expenses as well. Have a high end and a low end of your budget, say, $250-$400, and realistically you'll want to shoot for something toward the middle of that range. 2. Be familiar with the class of vehicles you're looking at. Let's say you want a family crossover like the Jeep Cherokee. Reading up on other crossover will give you an idea of what features you can expect and open you up to the possibility of better deals if you're willing to expand your horizons to a similar model. And you're off! 3. Once you've got a few models in your sights, do a lot of homework using online resources like Kelley Blue Book to find out the vehicle's worth. Knowledge really is power. 4. Got a trade? Know its value. You can value your trade right from our website using Black Book. That way, we're all on the same page on what you should expect for it. If you want a great deal on a used car here in Racine, please give us a call! Our friendly and knowledgeable sales people want to help set you up with the used car that's just right for your needs and budget. Any questions? Call us!