Small Steps to Savings: Car Insurance

So - Did you know that there is probably money right under your nose that you didn't realize was there? I know, I know.... you're thinking OK - nothing is that easy... Well in my case, it was, and since everything seems to be harder for me these days, I am betting that there's something there for you, too. 

I'm going to keep this post short, because you have some work to do for this. It does take some time, but stay with me here. Let's start small. 

Do you drive a car? Are you a good driver? If you're not, this may not apply to you, but yesterday, I found a way to save $30 on my car insurance per month. It's not huge, but it's a dinner or lunch or 4 Venti Almond Milk lattes from Starbucks, but who's counting? Insurance is easy to handle these days and of course, most of the large companies have Apps. Once you are in your app, you can go to the "edit coverages" section and simulate different ways to save or change those coverage options.  This is all about what is important to you. For example, I don't really drive my car that much and it is always parked in a secure structure, so comprehensive coverage isn't necessary for me (take $80 off of my 6 month premium, please). Next, I looked at Collision coverage. Since I don't drive that much, I changed from a $500 deductible to a $2500 deductible. This is a gamble, my friends, but it's saving me $200 on my 6 month premium, so I am good with that. 

Every state has a list of non-negotiable coverage options that you need, so you do have to pay for those and I have to state that everyone's situation is different. If you are driving every single day in a highly congested urban area, your chances of an accident are greater than if you were living in a small rural town in North Dakota (hence, the rate differences). This is just something to considering if you are trying to penny pinch like me :). All in all, just make sure you have coverage that you absolutely need and anything beyond that may just be money out of your pocket. 

Let's add $30 to my monthly total - we're already at $310 saved




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The more I learn, the less I know

 Hey y'all,  So I've been thinking: Is there a correct way to live your financial life? Is there a right way to do things? Truly? I have been told and sometimes taught my entire life that I need to save as much as I possibly can because "you never know what will happen", "It's best to have a nest egg", "Save up for those unexpected life events" etc. I guess for me, though, those principles never really stuck. Money has always had a way of burning a hole in my pocket. I have some suspicions as to why that is and I'm usually led to believe that it is my laundry list of psychological issues and perceived shortcomings.  If I don't have money, though, what can I have? In our society, I can't possibly have things like security, confidence or financial literacy. I think the worst part of this belief system that what one has in the bank supersedes any other issues one may have is that in my life, I've been led to believe that because I ...
Read more

The Emotional Purchase

 It's no surprise that every now and then, things in life can get a little bit shaky (let alone apocalyptic). Sometimes, to get through ups and downs, people cope in different ways. Some choose venting, eating, gambling, doing drugs, drinking, taking prescribed medication ( or perhaps not prescribed), exercising (sigh) or....you guessed it! Shopping!!! Without any shadow of a doubt, I am 100% sure that this particular coping mechanism is exactly what got me into the financial mess I am in now. I have really only opened up about it to a few people and it was not easy. After losing my dad to addiction - a very serious one at that - It's apparent to me that different addictions receive different opinions from society. If companies are making money and people can justify that something is necessary to attain some sort of status - think overspending on a nice car or buying that "perfect outfit" for an event to "fit in" - then whatever that is is suddenly OK. But ...
Read more

Paid in CASH

 Woah. This financial journey has been wild. I still falter regularly and have a long way to go (like a realllllly long way), but I will say two things:  1. I have so much more energy I can devote to thinking about things OTHER than my financial ruin. It's honestly created such a serene and healthy space to examine other areas of me which may have contributed to the financial pitfalls.  2. I had to get new jeans yesterday, and instead of ordering online and reaching for the "pay in 4", I went to the store, found a perfect pair and paid with my debit card- my equivalent of cash.  There is nothing better than knowing that in a month, I won't see this expense on my credit card bill. There are still a lot of others on there, but I know that this is one baby step that I can really feel proud of.  It sounds so basic, but to me, it's everything. 
Read more