If now is the time for you to buy a car, you might be in luck. Although car shopping isn't all that fun, there are plenty of deals to go around as car manufacturers and used car dealers are trying find ways to move cars off the lots.

But one concern that always creeps up (especially for young women) is not getting ripped off. One way to help avoid getting scammed is by doing your research. There's never been a better time to find information on the internet about new and used cars. You can get a very good idea of how much a car is worth if you're willing to spend the time on research.

There are a few key points to consider when trying to make a deal on a car:

This post is part of a series about real-life signs we're in a recession.

It has been fun for the past year, since my son was born, driving around in a 1999 Ford Taurus with three kids crammed into the back seat. But the plan has long been to buy a minivan.

The only one my eight-year-old daughter, who loves our Taurus almost as much as my husband, would consent to is the new Dodge Grand Caravan, for 2008. That's because it is the one with the seats that spin and face backwards and the little pop-in table for in-van picnicking.

Am I a sucker for swivel and go seating? Yes! I thought we had an easy decision and I even joined Costco (more on that decision) to take advantage of their no-haggle car buying program. I had my special incentives and zero percent financing deals all lined up when I went to the nearest participating dealer, ready to buy.

Only problem: I thought I could buy a car for about $22,000. But when I got done talking to the salesman, he had me convinced I needed a model that cost $36,000. With my cheap financing deal, that was still $1,000 a month.