Winter is just around the corner and many aren’t looking forward to waiting in the cold for one of NIU’s buses. It would be nice to have your own car, but such a purchase is out of our college student budget range.

But not according to Kyle Busch.

Busch is the author of “Drive the Best for the Price,” a book directing destitute college students through the process of finding an affordable car.

“I have 25 years of experience buying used vehicles,” Busch said. “I bought my first car when I was 15 back in 1975, a 1968 Beetle.”

The book offers several tips on buying used vehicles, including a dozen questions to ask the seller, how to inspect a car inside and out and what to look for when test driving a car. “Drive the Best for the Price” allows its reader to identify various vehicles that coincide with his or her income.

The book also gives tips on how to negotiate with dealerships, as well as independent owners. Busch said that one tip is to keep your options open; let the seller know that they aren’t your last resort.

However, some students are skeptical of Busch’s ability to find cars cheap enough for their air tight budgets.

“I don’t think there’s a such thing as a cheap car for a college student,” said Juanita Dale, a junior elementary education major. “We are already struggling to pay for our education, how can we possibly add on another expense?”

Busch believes that following his guidelines anyone with a reasonable amount of financial stability can find a suitable car.

“There was a student here at Gannon University (located in Northwestern Pennsylvania) and he bought a 1991 Pontiac Sunbird for $200,” Busch said. “It had 130,000 miles but it still ran descent. And after spending about $100 on parts, he had a car for under $500 to get to his internship at G.E.”

Paying for basic car maintenance and necessities can also put a strain on our wallets.

Arthur Kutman, a sophomore business administration major, said, “I can get a car right now, but I still couldn’t afford it because of high gas prices and insurance rates.”

There is no getting around it; saving money is imperative when trying to buy a car, Busch said.

“You have to save up first before you can buy a car,” Douglas Rich, a sophomore OMIS major, said. “How you gonna afford a car with $20 in the bank. You also have to have a job to keep up the maintenance. What’s the use of having a car if you can’t put gas in it?”

“I don’t see a way to pay for school and a car” Dale said. “I guess I have to read the book.”