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You are here: Home / Manage Money / Can I afford to lease a car?

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Can I afford to lease a car?

by Ricky Willis · updated 12 March 2019

Are you looking to get a new car and are weighing up your different options?

While purchasing a car on finance used to be your only real option, as few of us can afford to purchase a car outright, there is another option that is becoming incredibly popular in recent years and that is car leasing.

Many people automatically rule out car leasing because they think they cannot afford it. However, this is not the case at all, and looking for car leasing deals can actually save you money.

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Make sure you carry on reading to find out more about car leasing and the financial costs involved.

How much does leasing a car cost?

car

There is no one set answer to this question, as it all depends on the car you choose and the type of deal that you manage to get.

However, when you are looking to lease a car, it should be roughly the retail price minus the estimated residual value, divided by the months on contract plus the admin fees.

This will give you a rough guide as to what monthly payments can be.

There are almost always car leasing deals available if you want to lower the price; you just have to know where to look.

What affects the car leasing price?

There are multiple factors that will determine the cost per month for a leased car.

The first is the type of vehicle that you can lease.

The second is the length of the contract that you take out, as this can be anywhere between one and five years.

With car leasing, you also need to take mileage into consideration, as this affects how much your car is really worth at the end of your contract.

You will also need to make an initial payment, which can affect how much you pay monthly, and your credit score can also play a part.

What are the car leasing criteria?

driving a car

While there are no set criteria for leasing a car, you will need to consider a few things as this is a finance option.

The first is your credit score, and this is the most important thing, as they need to know that you can make payments.

Your age also plays a role because young people probably have no credit rating yet, and they will also consider your income.

Making a car leasing budget

Before you decide on a car leasing option, make sure you have created a budget that you can afford and manage.

This should include how much you are willing to spend on a car per month, how many miles you want to do, how much insurance is going to cost you for that car and also where you will have enough money left over to cover the costs of any maintenance that the car will require.

So, if you are thinking about leasing a car, hopefully, this article has shown you that this is definitely an option available to you and that you can do it in an affordable way.

Ricky Willis

About Ricky Willis

Ricky Willis is the founder of Skint Dad. Drawing on his own experiences, he shares practical ways to save money, cut household costs and earn extra cash to help families make their money go further.

Ricky and Naomi Willis

Ricky and Naomi Willis, founders and editors of the Skint Dad website.

We know how heavy money pressure can feel, so we share simple, practical help to make everyday money feel more manageable.

Read more about us.

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