I remember when my sister and brother-in-law decided to lease a new Ford Fusion Hybrid in 2015.

As strictly a used-car owner, I envied how shiny and clean it was.

It was quiet, complete with the latest technology and great on gas.

A truck drives down a dirt road in a cornfield.

The only downside, in my opinion, was its lease price of $390 a month.

Four years earlier, Id only paid $10 morefor an entire car.

Thats right, I bought a car for 400 bucks.

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Probably not as good as youd like.

It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.

But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?

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Ask one of these companies to help…

But if youre careful, you might score a serious deal like I did.

When we got the notice about the deal, I honestly didnt give it much thought.

It was my baby.

It was dependable and got me where I needed to go.

I had never given a car auction a serious thought.

I chose a fairly low bid of $300 on the Cavalier, thinking Id never win.

I upped my bid by $100 and was geeked to find out Id actually won the thing.

Now, I consider myself pretty darn lucky.

Not only was the initial cost low, but the car turned out to be a gem.

It was immobile when I purchased it, but all it needed was a new battery and spark plugs.

The mileage was low, and it had air conditioning the AC on my Lexus had stopped working.

The Cavalier lasted a good three years before it was totaled in a hit-and-run accident.

Had I not been rear-ended, I would have gotten more years out of it.

Could You Try Buying at a Car Auction?

She recommends seeing how the vehicle runs in advance of placing a bid.

If they allow you to test-drive, definitely take advantage of that, Gerjes said.

Thats the first thing I tell people.

Checking the value of the car beforehand is another essential task, Gerjes said.

Here are a few pieces of advice from my personal experience of buying a car at auction.

Dont ask me about the difference between a catalytic converter and a carburetor.

Im not going to know my transmission is going bad by how my cars running.

I also had family members I could call on should a problem arise.

Some car auctions also offer limited-time guarantees on certain aspects of the cars condition.

Generally, cars sold at auction are there for a reason.

Dont forget to consider towing costs if you cant drive the vehicle off the lot.

I bought my car with the mindset that it might not last very long.

This is probably going to be my No.

1 rule the next time Im part of any blind auction.

I could have saved $99 or $99.99 if theyd allow me to bid $300.01.

Nicole Dow is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

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