When it comes down to it, cars just get us from one spot to another. Pretty simple, right?

Of course, simple doesn’t quite define the process of looking for, choosing, and then buying a car. This is where things get complicated. But don’t worry. We’re here to help!

Lucas paid cash for his very first car, but when it died, he thought he was done driving older cars. Instead of saving up to pay cash or buying something in his price range, he turned to financing. “When that first car died, I decided I wanted something newer,” he explained. “So I took out a loan and bought what I wanted.”

He didn’t love his purchase for long. Even though he bought a used car, he still brought home a used car loan. And it sang to the tune of $390 a month. Ouch!

When Joanna made the trip from New Zealand to Colorado, she didn’t expect to make the United States her home. “I came over to stay with a lady on a ranch who needed someone to help train horses,” she explained. It sounded like fun, so she hopped on a plane and came over.

Less than a week after she arrived, she met Mark, the man who would soon become her husband.