CARTRUVO USED-CAR PURCHASE COST WORKSHEET: $25,000 BUDGET Prepared November 8, 2026 Guide: https://cartruvo.com/blog/best-used-cars-under-25000 Copy the candidate section for each actual VIN. Use dated written quotes. Mark unknown amounts UNRESOLVED, not zero. Count each cost only once. This planning worksheet is not a valuation, tax calculation or repair quote. YOUR BUDGET Cash available for purchase/preparation: _________________________________ Minimum cash you choose to retain as reserve: ___________________________ Maximum ready-to-use spending (cash minus reserve): _____________________ What must this budget include? __________________________________________ Date and decision deadline: _____________________________________________ CANDIDATE Year / make / model / trim / engine: _____________________________________ Transmission / drivetrain / hybrid or gasoline: _________________________ VIN / mileage: _________________________________________________________ Seller / listing / date: ________________________________________________ Price reference / type / condition / mileage / date: _____________________ Do not enter a dealer-purchase reference as a private-party appraisal. Driving position / passenger / luggage fit checked: _____________________ Title/lien status and transfer questions: _______________________________ A. SELLER'S ITEMIZED WRITTEN PURCHASE QUOTE Vehicle price: _________________________________________________________ Tax in this quote: _____________________________________________________ Title / registration included here: _____________________________________ Dealer charges included here: __________________________________________ Chosen optional products included here: _________________________________ Other included items (describe): ________________________________________ Written complete purchase total A: ______________________________________ Quote date/expiry and discount eligibility conditions: __________________ Does the total reconcile with the itemized lines? _______________________ Which products can be declined and what changes in the written total? ________________________________________________________________________ Tax/transfer basis confirmed with applicable state agency, if needed: ________________________________________________________________________ No trade-in, down payment or financing assumption should hide the full purchase price. Keep those funding items separate below. B. COSTS PAID ELSEWHERE, NOT ALREADY INCLUDED IN A Title / registration / tax not in A (verify, do not estimate as national): _ Independent inspection: ________________________________________________ Delivery / travel / other agreed costs not in A: ________________________ Total separately paid costs B: __________________________________________ Check every line against A to prevent double counting. C. CONFIRMED WORK DUE NOW Shop / inspection date / exact scope and exclusions: _____________________ Item / reason / quote / tax / evidence: 1. _____________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________ Scheduled maintenance versus condition-based repair distinguished? ______ Total quoted work due now C: ____________________________________________ Unresolved diagnosis / cost / person responsible / next step: ________________________________________________________________________ An unknown cost is not zero. Resolve it before treating the total as final. D. READY-TO-USE COST AND CASH RETAINED Ready-to-use cost D = A + B + C: _________________________________________ Cash left after purchase = available cash minus D: _______________________ Chosen reserve from budget section: _____________________________________ Headroom = cash left minus chosen reserve: ______________________________ If headroom is negative, the plan exceeds this allocation. The reserve is retained money, not a bill already spent. E. RUNNING COSTS (SEPARATE FROM D) Actual VIN/household annual insurance quote / date / coverage: ___________ Annual miles assumed: __________ Exact EPA configuration / record: ______ Combined MPG or consistent driving assumption: __________________________ Fuel price assumption / source / date: __________________________________ Annual fuel estimate = annual miles divided by MPG, times fuel price: ____ Future maintenance allowance / evidence / uncertainty: __________________ Other recurring costs included / period: ________________________________ Total for stated period and included categories: ________________________ Do not treat EPA MPG or a planning allowance as a guaranteed future bill. Provide private driver/address details directly through insurer channels. F. IF FINANCING (SEPARATE FUNDING COMPARISON) Down payment / amount financed: _________________________________________ APR / number of payments / payment amount: ______________________________ Finance charge / total of payments / other lender charges: ______________ Trade-in allowance / separate loan payoff, if any: _______________________ Reconcile terms with the actual contract. Do not count full price and loan principal payments twice. A monthly payment is not the complete cost. RECORDS AND DECISION Maintenance invoices reconciled to exact model/engine and use: __________ Hybrid battery test method/results/limits, if relevant: __________________ Recalls: current VIN lookup / date / manufacturer remedy instructions: ___ Collision/flood/airbag/windshield/calibration/modification questions: _____ ________________________________________________________________________ Compare candidate A/B/C by D, cash retained, running costs and fit: ________________________________________________________________________ Conditions that must be resolved before committing: _____________________ FICTIONAL WORKED EXAMPLE, NOT A QUOTE Available cash $25,000; written total A $23,000 includes tax/registration and dealer charges; inspection B $200; confirmed work C $900. Ready-to-use D $24,100. Cash retained $900. Chosen reserve $900. Headroom $0. Do not add the included tax/registration again. Unresolved costs still require investigation and could change the result.