Buying boats and personal water craft (PWC) does not mean that you have to break the bank in doing so. Just because there are countless stories about people buying boats and then rushing to try and get out of the deal less than a year latter does not mean you have to be one of those statistics. If you want to get the most of your boat buying experience and save a huge amount of money in the process, pay close attention to these boat buying tips on a budget.

1. Shopping Online Auctions – One of the places that boat owners will go when they are eager to unload their boat is online auctions. This is where they can list the boat for a fee, and if it sells they pay a closing fee to the auction site. Many sellers will list the boats auction style, meaning it starts the bidding at a dollar, and when the time runs out, top bidder wins the boat. Looking for auctions that end in the middle of the night could be a great chance to win an auction for a fraction of the retail price.

2. Buying Used – A new boat is going to set you back a pretty penny, then you have to incorporate all the added expenses to get the boat in the water like safety gear, fishing gear, and upgrades to the motors or stereo system. When you buy a used boat locally, you not only are getting a boat in great condition, many of the accessories and even the trailer are included in the sale price. A good negotiator can score a very good quality boat for much less than any other selling avenue along with looking in local boat listings.

3. Joining Boat Discussion Groups – Facebook has transformed the way that buyers and sellers connect these days. One of the advantages here is that you join the free local discussion group, you speak to people in the boating world, you see deals on boats from people who have a reputation in the community, and no shady deals will happen because basically the entire town is reading your posts. If you run into any concerns, most of the time people in the group will share past experiences or give you advice for getting the best possible deal.

Buying a boat on a budget can be easy if you know where to look and how to negotiate. Never spend full price when you have so many avenues where deals are being made each day.