Car Shopping: Taking the headache out of the car shopping & approval process with DriveTime

This post is sponsored by Drive time but my story is my own

Very few people enjoy the car shopping process. It's a long and daunting process and sometimes, it is disheartening. The process of picking out a car and taking it for a test drive is a blast. Finding the PERFECT match is such a joy but then... if you aren't paying cash, here comes the fun process of financing. It can be a headache and exhausting.

When Em was injured in 2004, I had to stop working. I was now unemployed and trying to stay above water living on a tiny income. My credit became trashed because I couldn't pay even the minimum payments. It was paying that $25 Visa payment or buying my child diapers or putting gas in my beat up car to get her to critical doctor's appointments. I returned to working full time after she had her last surgery- a full cranioplasty. I was still driving my beater car with 200,000 miles on it. I knew that the clock was ticking with my car but I had to get to work and get around and my credit was shot.

In 2012, I was rear-ended and my car was smashed. It still worked but it was no longer reliable or safe for me to drive my special needs child in. It was now or never- I had to buy a car. I needed something safe, reliable and inexpensive. Also, something I could get approved for. This was a major headache. I went to the car dealer fully prepared- tax returns, last four paycheck stubs, insurance, identification, utility bills and down payment. I knew what I wanted, what I could afford and it was like fighting against the current to get the vehicle I wanted (I wanted a specific economy car and they were pushing vehicles that I knew I couldn't afford). It took me ALL day to get somebody to approve me. It was a huge hassle trying to get a semi-decent payment that I could afford at the time with my less-than perfect credit. Thankfully, I have repaired it all through years of hard work but my goodness, it was so stressful and embarrassing.

DriveTime is unique. Their specialty is helping people with credit issues purchase a quality vehicle. They have worked hard over the last decade to ensure that they are selling buyers a reliable vehicle that will last for many years.

Their approval process truly takes the headache out of the process. First off, their sales staff doesn't force sales to make a living. They're not going to push you into a $30,000 car when they know you can only afford the $9,000 car. The dealership staff is mostly college educated and they have a strong knowledge of the DriveTime's proprietary financing technology.

The process is rather simple- you can apply online and know your down payment PRIOR to heading to the dealership. This allows the buyer AND staff to have a better idea of what you're working with. If I had known about this when I was shopping almost five years ago, I wouldn't have spent the entire day arguing WHY I didn't want the $30,000 car and WHY I couldn't afford the payments on top of maintaining full coverage insurance.

Once you're notified of the approval- start shopping online within your budget. Walk in prepared and drive out with a car. No embarrassment. No headaches.

Ready to learn more? Watch the video on the approval process here.