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You’ve finally made the decision to buy a new car. Congratulations!

So why aren’t you more excited?

If the thought of buying a new car makes you feel slightly nauseous and dead inside, you are not alone. Most people view the car-buying process as just something to get through, rather than a joyous occasion. Whether it’s the haggling, or the hidden fees, or the hours of your life you’ll never get back, buying a car can leave you stressed out, overwhelmed and feeling like you’ve just been had but you’re not sure how. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are several time and money-saving ideas to help you get the best discount possible on your next new car:

1. Know the type of vehicle you want before you arrive at the dealer. You’re always welcome to meander the lot, but if you want to streamline the process, do some research before you arrive. Chances are you’ve had your eye on a certain car, truck or SUV for some time. Check out the reviews to see what previous buyers are saying. If you don’t have a specific make or model in mind, ask yourself what you want or need from your new vehicle. Do you want dependability? Do you need a workhorse? Don’t be afraid to ask trusted friends and colleagues for recommendations.

Once you’ve decided on a make and model, research the level of trim and extras. Being crystal clear on what you want and what you don’t will speed things up at the dealership, and help you avoid having to dodge and parry during the contract phase.

2. Test drive the vehicle you want. Yes, your time is precious but test-driving and buying the same day can suck the fun out of the entire process. Consider reserving a day to test drive vehicles that interest you. Let the sales person know you’re there to do recon only, but that you plan to purchase in the near future. Hopefully they’ll get the message and refrain from aggressive sales tactics so you can enjoy your drive. If you really want to get a feel for a specific make and model, consider going through a rental agency and renting the same vehicle to see how it handles and whether it meets your lifestyle needs.

3. Know when to purchase a new car. Hint: the deepest discounts are usually in November and December. You can’t always choose when you purchase a new car, but if you can, waiting until November or December may really pay off. To understand why, you need to understand two things: sales quotas and new inventory.

Sales quotas = bonuses = incentive to close deals. Salesmen and car dealers have monthly, quarterly and yearly sales incentives. November and December are not only the last two months of the last quarter, but they round out the fiscal year. Dealers are, therefore, extra incentivized in these two months to hit both their 4^th quarter and annual sales goals and may be ready to strike some big deals. If you’re unable to purchase your new car in November or December, keep in mind that salesmen always have monthly goals. Delaying your purchase until the end of the month when salesmen are struggling to meet their monthly quota may help you net a better deal.

Incoming new models. While new car models can come out at any time, they typically roll into dealerships in the Fall.  Once the new models are in, dealers do what they can to move the previous year’s models as quickly as possible.

What does this all have to do with you, the buyer? You can leverage this knowledge to negotiate for bigger discounts.

One thing to keep in mind, while November and December may be great for savings, the extent of the discount will depend heavily on supply and demand. Sure, dealers are still looking to move inventory before the end of the year, but if the demand for a specific vehicle is high, they may not be so quick to throw in the kitchen sink until closer to the end of the fiscal year.

4. Know the fair market price of the vehicle you want. Ready to purchase? Knowing the fair market price of your vehicle before you buy will give you a baseline for your negotiations with the dealership. You can find this information online at sites like Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book  and National Automobile Dealers Association. Keep in mind that a vehicle’s fair market price can fluctuate depending on vehicle popularity (current supply and demand), time of year, region, and how much others in the area are paying for the same vehicle. Fair market price typically falls somewhere between the MSRP (sticker price) and the dealer invoice price, although there are occasional outliers. Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book provide all three numbers as part of their valuation. Bring a copy to the dealership to help set the tone for reasonable negotiations.

5. It’s time to comparison shop. It’s never been easier to shop around for the best discounts on new cars. Long gone are the days of driving from dealer to dealer, scouring the lot for the vehicle you want. Most car dealers now have websites to showcase their inventory and incentives. You can also visit manufacturers’ websites for vehicle information and current incentives and rebates.

Use online car-buying search engines. Save time and money by comparing prices online from multiple dealers at once. Afraid of missing out on a great deal? Not sure what type of vehicle you want? Online car search sites like New Car Saver and All Auto’s Listed can help narrow your search and point you to the best deals in your area. Type in the desired make and model, price range, or even the preferred monthly payment. These online platforms will show you all the vehicles in their network of dealerships that meet your criteria.

6. Leverage your quotes to spur competition. The key is not only to find the best prices, but to use quotes from multiple dealers to leverage the best deal for you. This is where third-party pricing sites like New Car Saver can really save you time and money. With a few simple keystrokes, you can get a free, no-obligation list of the best incentives and deals in your area, with links to the right dealers.

E-mail these deals to local salesmen at competing dealers and ask each send to you their best offer. Because your query is addressed to all, it should foster competition and, hopefully, result in some great savings.

7. Incentives for college graduates and members of the military. Many car makers provide special incentives for recent college graduates and members of the armed forces. Do research before you buy to harness your purchasing power.

8. Loyalty bonuses and conquest bonuses. Some automakers offer special rebates that can be applied to the price of a new vehicle or kept as cash. As the name suggests, loyalty bonuses reward buyers who are loyal to a manufacturer and can prove that the previous vehicle they owned was the same make as the one they’re buying. Conquest bonuses reward buyers who were lured from a competitor and can show ownership of the competitor vehicle. Certain financing guidelines or requirements may apply.

9. Get pre-approved for financing before you buy. Unless you’re paying cash or have impeccable credit, the most time-consuming part of buying a car is the financing. Hopefully, it’s because the finance department is doing their thing, making calls and crunching numbers to get you the lowest finance rate possible for your credit situation.

 Savvy shoppers, though, get pre-approved for an auto loan before stepping foot into the dealership. Besides saving time, pre-approval can give you bargaining power against competing finance companies. And unlike a hard-credit inquiry from an auto dealer, the pre-approval process is considered a soft-credit inquiry and doesn’t negatively impact your credit score.

10. Keep your trade-in close to your vest until you have an offer. Many new car buyers make the mistake of telling a salesperson up front if they plan to trade in a vehicle. This is not their fault. Salesmen always ask so they can use the trade-in value to sweeten an offer without too much effort. If you decide against a trade-in, the salesperson will be forced to negotiate using other means. Herein lies the strategy. When you think you’ve received the lowest offer, then ask to trade in your vehicle. By then, the dealer will have made an offer, and the credit from your trade-in will have much more of an impact. Tip: Make sure you know the re-sale value of your trade-in so you can tell if you’re getting a fair credit.

11. Dealer holdbacks. When a dealer purchases a vehicle from a manufacturer, the manufacturer holds back a certain percentage (which varies by automaker). This amount is refunded back to the dealer when the vehicle is sold. Automakers issue holdback refunds quarterly. According to Consumer Reports, a typical holdback is about 2 or 3 percent of the MSRP or the invoice price. Multiply this amount by the number of new cars on a lot and it’s easy to see why dealers push to move these cars as quickly as possible.

What does this mean for you? While dealers are not keen on bargaining away their holdbacks, they may be persuaded to cut their losses and discount a vehicle that’s been on the lot for a bit in order to release the holdback before it gets eaten up by finance charges.

12. Have an “Out-the-Door” price. An out-the-door price is simply the total inclusive price you tell the seller you want to pay, including tax, title, registration, extras, and any other miscellaneous fees. An out-the-door price should help gird you against the onslaught of add-ons when finalizing your contract. It will also help you stay within your financial comfort zone. If the total purchase price is nickel-and-diming out of control, be prepared to walk out the door.

So what’s the takeaway here?

Shopping for a new car doesn’t have to be painful. You have more control over the process than you think. Follow these simple tools and tips and you’ll be on the road in no time enjoying your new ride.