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If youre in the market to lease a brand new car, youre probably dreading the day-long negotiations, the feeling of uncertainty and dealing with smooth-talking salespeople. For the last month, my husband and I have been experiencing all of those stressful scenarios. With my husbands current lease ending in five months, we wanted to shop for prices earlier rather than later. Last time, we made the mistake of waiting until the lease was over and then felt rushed into deciding on a new car. Since my husband knew which specific car model he wanted, our focus was entirely on price.

To make sure youre comfortable with the price you end up paying for your leased car, try these five steps that worked for us:

Timing. You often hear people talking about the best time of year to get a car. The truth is that you can get an amazing deal all throughout the year with a few tips. If youre currently in a lease situation, make sure you start looking for a car soon because you will have more insight into pricing and wont feel rushed. If you walk into the dealership a few days before the end of the month, the salespeople and manager will be more flexible in giving you a great deal to meet their monthly goals. For example, we were offered $369 plus tax at the beginning of the month but got $349 plus tax at the end of the month for the exact same car.

Shop around. Sounds like a given, right? Youd be surprised how many people walk into a dealership and get so wrapped around those dealers fingers that they end up walking out with a new car at the first place they go to. Try to follow the three dealership rule. Make sure you go to at least three dealerships and work out the pricing so that you can compare. Being a good consumer is all about researching and comparing prices. Why pay more if you dont have too?

Scan your offers. Make sure you walk into a dealership with a fully-charged phone. Almost all dealers will come to you with a price sheet which outlines the price and your monthly payments, including taxes, along with the model and make of car. When you get some alone time, take a picture of it or use a scanning app on your phone to capture it. This can be your biggest bargaining tool when you go to other dealerships because once they see the numbers they will try to beat it.

Walk out. If youre not happy with the deal the dealership offers you, dont waste your time. Just stand up and walk out. When the dealership knows that you are not happy with the deal, they will either try to get the manager for a final attempt or a, "Sorry, we couldnt help you" exchange. Once you make the decision to walk out, be prepared for multiple follow-ups by the dealership. Since they know you already want the car, its an easier sell to work with you on your pricing rather trying to convince Joe-Shmoe whos just shopping around with five different makes in mind. They will try to negotiate via phone and email to get you the best price possible.

Try smaller leasing companies. After taking steps one though four, if you still dont have the right price for the car of your dreams, give a smaller leasing company a try. Theyre not a dealership. They work for you. They will do the haggling for you, kind of like real estate agents for the automotive industry. You tell them the make and model and price you would like to get for the car and off they go. Once they have a good price, they will come back to you and you just have to say "yes" or "no!"

Following these tips will help ensure you take out a lease that you feel good about, and that youre driving a car that you love.

Susan Yoo-Lee is the editor of Savings.com personal finance blog and founder of Mommas in the House blog.

Hyundai is expanding a recall we reported on a few weeks back regarding some 2009 to 2012 Genesis Sedans. In our earlier post we mentioned some 40,000 units were affected, but that only 27,500 were covered under the original, voluntary recall.

Now, the recall has grown, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with Hyundai asking the owners of 43,500 affected vehicles to report in for service. The issue relates to brake fluid that doesnt prevent corrosion of the hydraulic electronic control unit, a problem that has led to 23 complains, a documented crash for one owner and another owner losing control of their vehicle.

Owners of the affected sedans are being notified by Hyundai and asked to report to dealers to have the brake fluid replaced. Naturally, the work will be done free of charge. Take a look below for the official NHTSA bulletin.

Graduating from college and entering the "real world" can inflict total chaos on your life: Suddenly, you have to figure out how to feed yourself without the assistance of a 24-hour dining hall. Your closest friends, who used to be just a dorm room away, are now scattered across the country. Your parents are less willing to send checks upon request. On top of that, you have to start paying rent, find and keep a job and somehow convince yourself to start saving money for retirement, which is about four decades away.

Its overwhelming, but not insurmountable. These seven mistakes and their solutions are designed to help college graduates bypass common hiccups and take control of their financial lives:

1. Taking on too much debt -- or not enough. Too much debt can weigh down recent grads, forcing them to spend more money on interest and fees than on fun activities and other goals. Avoiding loans altogether, however, can hurt college grads. Sometimes, student loans for graduate school or a mortgage are good investments. Being responsible for credit accounts also allows 20-somethings to build their credit history, which is required if they want to take out a mortgage, auto loan or other type of loan in the future.

[See: 7 Tips to Help Millennials Save for Retirement .]

The solution: Build your credit history slowly and steadily by opening up accounts in your own name and paying them off on time.

2. Becoming victim to rapid lifestyle inflation. Youre a recent college grad, so that means you probably need a new car, new apartment, new sofa and a new ... Wait a minute. Not only do you not need all those things, you probably wont appreciate them much, either. A little theory called the "hedonic treadmill" explains why. We adapt all too quickly to improvements in our lifestyle. That 60-inch television you drooled over at Best Buy will soon start blending in with the rest of your furniture, along with your top-of-the-line coffee maker and pillow-top mattress.

The solution: Instead of using your first paycheck to make your new digs look like a sitcom set, spread out your purchases over time. Maybe you need a bed right away, but that embroidered duvet cover from Pottery Barn can wait.

3. Falling into bad money habits. Biweekly $20 happy hours, daily $15 lunches and nightly take-out are just a few of the bad habits that eat into new grads bank accounts. While the occasional lapse isnt a problem, repeatedly wasting money on a weekly basis for years will cost you, big time.

The solution: Learn to cook by enlisting the help of friends, family members or your favorite celebrity chef (via the Food Network). Cooking your meals can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year and turn your home into a popular destination for friends. Its a skill that lasts a lifetime.

[See: How to Manage Money in Your 20s .]

4. Waiting to save and invest. Sure, you dont feel like you have "extra" money yet, and youre still getting used to seeing your name on a paycheck. But that makes it the perfect time to start saving at least one-quarter of your income for future goals, including retirement. The first priority is to establish an emergency savings account with at least three months worth of expenses that can get you through any unexpected bumps, from unemployment to a car accident. Then, start saving for retirement. If your employer offers any type of 401(k) matching program, take advantage of it -- passing it up is like saying "no" to a pay increase. Then open an after-tax savings account for your other goals, from traveling to homeownership.

The solution: If saving any money seems daunting, start by funneling a modest 2 percent of your income into a high-yield savings account or money market fund. Then, slowly raise that percentage. Once you have your three-month emergency fund stored away, consider investing a portion of your longer-term savings in low-fee index funds and other, more aggressive investment vehicles.

5. Failing to negotiate for a higher salary. Even in this economy, employers expect some haggling over salary and benefits. In fact, doing so is a sign of professionalism that shows you, a recent college grad, understands how the working world works. A simple request after expressing enthusiasm and appreciation for the job offer can eventually lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars more in lifetime earnings. Linda Babcock, an economics professor at Carnegie Mellon University, calculates that not negotiating your first job offer can result in a loss of up to $1.5 million in lifetime earnings.

The solution: Practice your job offer conversation before receiving any potential offers so youre ready to land a better deal, and research your field ahead of time so you know what to expect. If the salary really is fixed, consider focusing on other benefits, which can be worth as much as a third of the salary but are often overlooked by job seekers. What are the health care benefits? Retirement account perks? Vacation days? Work-at-home flexibility? Decide whats important to you, and get ready for some professional haggling; it usually just takes one round of back-and-forth.

[See: 10 Ways to Upgrade Your Finances in 2014 .]

6. Thinking youre done studying. Sure, you have your degree, but unless you attended one of the few schools that teach personal finance, you probably know relatively little about how to build wealth. That makes the post-graduation period the ideal time to take matters into your own hands.

The solution: Look for ways to learn more about smart personal finance strategies. This doesnt have to be boring. Dozens of blogs, websites and books make learning about money fun, and many local community colleges and universities offer personal finance courses for local professionals. You might also want to consider forming a money club with friends, in which you meet up once a month to talk about your money questions, goals and research.

7. Getting buried in paperwork. Theres no avoiding the fact that being an adult comes with some secretarial duties. Suddenly, you have pay stubs, health insurance forms, tax documents and credit card statements to keep organized. Its easy to let them build up until you just want to shred the pile and toss it in the trash.

The solution: Take advantage of modern technology by going paperless whenever possible. Online accounts are easier to manage (and as a bonus, better for the environment). New websites such as shoeboxed.com keep your receipts organized online, which is especially helpful at tax time. Mint.com makes it easy to track your spending and establish a budget.

The bottom line: Add "getting on top of your finances" to the list of things to do after graduation day -- and try to make it at least as fun as cleaning out your dorm room.

• Finance
• Personal Budgeting