Ep 506: The Smart Woman’s Guide to Cars: Buying, Leasing, and Not Getting Ripped Off

HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Jean Chatzky Her Money

Investing, Business

4.8 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Car buying can be one of the biggest — and most stressful — financial decisions we make. And too often, the auto industry feels like it was built to leave women out of the conversation. That ends today. In this episode, Jean Chatzky sits down with Chaya M. Milchtein, automotive educator, author of Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership, and all-around badass when it comes to helping women and LGBTQ+ folks feel confident in car buying, maintenance, and ownership. We also dive into: Why EVs aren't for everyone, and what to know before you commit How to figure out the true cost of car ownership The #1 negotiating mistake people make (and how to avoid it) How women can reclaim power in auto spaces that weren’t built for us What to do if you're buying a car for your kid, and peace of mind is your top priority 📚 Get Chaya’s book: Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Think about cheese.
0:02.0	Make your thoughts cheesier.
0:04.2	Now add 100% chicken breast fillet, Chipoplae sauce and amadea cheese melt.
0:08.3	And it's giving the new cheesy chicken stack at McDonald's.
0:12.4	Did we mention it's cheesy?
0:13.9	Cheese.
0:15.8	Availments with the 4th of Jan, 2026 from 11 a.m.
0:18.1	Plus and participation may vary.
0:19.2	Subjects availability.
0:22.2	There are so many vehicles and options and safety features and so many different details about
0:28.5	purchasing a vehicle that this can just make you feel like you're at this endless buffet,
0:33.9	except everything's very expensive, and you have to choose between one or the other, right?
0:40.3	What I like to tell people is sit down and make a list for yourself.
0:43.3	What do you need out of your car?
0:45.3	What do you love about the car you currently drive?
0:47.3	What do you hate about it?
0:49.3	What do you want from your next vehicle?
0:51.3	And what are you absolutely not willing to put up with?
1:02.4	Hey everyone, welcome to Hermione. I'm Gene Chatsky. Have you ever felt overwhelmed in a car dealership? Confused about maintenance, maybe pressured into making a purchase you weren't quite sure about.
1:10.6	Yeah, I am right there with you
1:12.1	even though women make the majority of car buying decisions in the US and we do
1:17.3	many of us still feel left out of the conversation when it comes to owning
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 18 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jean Chatzky Her Money, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Jean Chatzky Her Money and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.