We recently put on the First Annual King Auto Corner Yard Sale – and boy, was it a huge success! The event lasted from 8 am to 2pm, and we had an unbelievable turnout.

It was free to participate, so anyone who wanted a booth, table, or tent could have one – and they could sell anything that they wanted to sell. We’re still blown away by the response… we had an awesome time, and we can’t wait to do it again next year!

Check out some of the pictures from the event:

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The Chevrolet Sonic has been in the news quite a lot lately. It’s the only sub-compact car that’s built in the US and it’s got an incredible 40 mpg rating. But the best news we’ve seen about the Sonic is how it was used in the new OK Go video.

If you haven’t seen any videos by OK Go, you’re missing out. They first went viral with their incredibly choreographed treadmill video for Here It Goes Again, then they had another hit with their insane Rube Goldberg video for This Too Shall Pass.

For their new video, General Motors gave the band a Chevrolet Sonic to use both as a musical instrument and to play musical instruments. The car was rigged with microphones, cameras, and hydraulic appendages – and the entire project took four months to complete. The actual video shoot took place over four full days of shooting. If you watched the Super Bowl, you might have seen a piece of the finished video in Chevy’s ad blitz.

But enough talking about the video – words can’t do it justice. You just have to see it.

If you are looking to buy a new car but are overwhelmed at the number of options, or if it is your first vehicle purchase, it definitely helps to know what is available to you. In order to walk away with a good deal in hand, you need to arm yourself with knowledge before walking anywhere near a dealership. There are many ways to get great deals on vehicles and save money, so read on to learn what they are!

1. Reduce Costs

Vehicles can be quite costly, but if you know the right things to look for, you can end up with the most value for your buck. This means knowing the market in your area and what your model of vehicle typically goes for, then shooting for under that amount. You may not always be able to score a major deal, but you never have to pay full sticker price, and fortunately, there are some simple things to help you avoid paying out that large amount.

The first step to take to truly save money on a vehicle purchase is to look outside of dealerships. What is available online for in area? Is anyone selling a used vehicle in good condition that you can take advantage of? If you manage to find one, you stand to possibly save thousands of dollars on the model that you were intending on buying, by simply circumventing the commercial markets. Once you have determined a fair price, based on the market around you, you are confident in your ability to negotiate with a sales person, and you have thoroughly exhausted the non-commercial market, it may be time to check out what the dealerships have to offer. Feel free to use competition between dealerships to your advantage, in order to get a better deal. This has worked in the past for many people and can work for you also, if only you apply it properly.

2. Be Prepared

Make sure that you know things like the trade-in value of the vehicle, as well as having your finances in order to make the process go smoothly. The most powerful thing that you can have other than financial stability is knowledge. If you go in well-educated and know exactly what you are looking for, you can cut through all the fluff that you may or may not get fed by the sales people. Very seldom do customers walk into a dealership already sharp and ready to make a confident purchase. This is why so many people end up paying for overpriced vehicles with a short life-span. Taking all these things into consideration on your next purchase will help you avoid these pitfalls and help you walk away with more money in hand. Buying a car does not have to be an incredibly expensive process every time, but it requires that you put in the elbow grease to find the best deal.

Rachel Vickers likes to read, travel & visit Homeownersinsurance.org