10 Ways to Lower Auto Insurance Premiums

 

As I mentioned in my post "10 Tips For Saving Around the House", the first 3 months of the year are the most expensive in our household.  One of the reasons is that most of our annual insurance premiums are due.  In an effort to decrease the cost (as it rises every year, like it or not!), I began doing some research to see how our family could lower the premiums.

If you haven't shopped around in a while, here's what you should know!



1.  Pay Annually - When you sign up for an auto insurance policy, you most likely will have the option to pay annually, quarterly or monthly. With most insurers, if you pay on any other schedule than "annual", you will be paying an additional fee for that luxury.  If at all possible, pay annually!

2. Collision - When choosing your coverage, consider whether or not collision is worth it. Collision insurance is NOT mandated by law as liability insurance is. Collision insurance is what will pay if YOUR car is damaged or needs to be replaced.  Hopefully, chances are good that you won't get into an accident. But if you do, you need to ask yourself whether or not you need collision, or if your car just isn't worth repairing or replacing with the cost of the policy itself.  In general, people say that if your car is worth $2500 or less, you would be better off putting that policy money into a savings account to accrue interest in order to save for another car. But, you have to make the call.

3. Low Mileage? If you are someone who only drives to the grocery store and back once a week, or if you have someone in your home who does most of the driving for you, let your agent know.  Many insurance companies have discounts for drivers who seldom drive.  They usually call them "low mileage discounts."

 4. Necessity - When deciding on how much coverage you need, make sure you are adequately covered, but don't go overboard.  Remember, companies love to sell you anything you will buy.  You need to remember
what you can actually AFFORD and what is actually NECESSARY.

5. DD Course - OK, this is something I have pondered for a while and just haven't gotten around to. Yup, the Defensive Driving Course. According to the New York Safety Council, you will get a MANDATORY 10% rate in your auto insurance premium in NY. WHAT? That is huge. I need to do this. Right now, it is only $24.95 for the online course...Hmmm.....

6. Combine - Check to see if your insurance company gives a discount for combined insurance. Many times companies offer auto AND home insurance. The company WANTS to have a bunch of policies out there, that is how they make money. So, they are more inclined to give out discounts for them.

7.  Deductible - The deductible is the amount out-of-pocket you will pay once an accident occurs.  For instance, if you back into your garage and damage your vehicle, if your deductible is $200, then you will pay that $200 first and the insurance will cover the rest.   If you INCREASE your deductible, then your premium will decrease.  I would suggest that you increase it to whatever you think you could feasibly pay if an accident were to occur.  That will guarantee your lowest premiums.  When you have decided on that amount, deposit that amount into an account so that you will have it in case of an accident. 

8.  Minimal Damage - If you have an "accident" such as backing into a pole, etc. and the damage to your vehicle is minimal, contemplate making a claim before doing so.  Each time you file a claim, your insurance company may raise your premium, or even cancel your policy if they think you are an "unsafe" driver.  If you can pay out-of-pocket for the damage, I would consider doing so.

9. Multiple Cars - This, to me, is a no-brainer. However, in doing my research, I have found that people in the same household often have different insurance companies for different vehicles. WHAT? OK, know that you will DEFINITELY save money by switching them all to one company. Whew. Scary!

10.  Update - If you have an auto policy and something has changed, such as your mileage to/from work has decreased or you have a young driver with a clean record for a few years now, update that information with your agent. You may just end up decreasing your policy. It is worth the extra effort to do this every time you encounter a change if it is going to save you money!


Do you have any other suggestions when shopping for auto insurance?  I'd love to know...I'm gonna go make some phone calls!

While you are here, check out my other Money-Saving posts!

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10 Tips to Savings Around the House!

 

For this post, I was inspired by the fact that I think our family spends more money in the first 3 months of the year than any other time of the year! Our health insurance, of course, has skyrocketed this year and our coverage has diminished greatly. Of course, I had another surgery, so the $6,000 deductible has already been met. Ugh. Then there's our home and auto insurance...they are all due in March. We have our property taxes and our expenses to open our ice cream business in April...oh, joy!

I think no matter what the financial situation may be, people are always looking for new ways to save money. So, I thought I would gather up some tips that are simple, yet easy to forget. They may not pertain to everyone, but you should be able to find a few that are helpful, I hope!

I also have a video about this on youtube at Saving Money Around the House.  Check it out if you have a second, it has some other tips on there as well! Or, you can check it out below. Wow. I was younger. A lot younger! :)

1. Are you paying for a checking or savings account? Oh, my! Before I began couponing, I had NO idea that banks even did this. I have never had to pay for an account...ever! I can't even fathom someone else charging me to keep my money for me? Um, there's not a lot of defense for this...get one that earns money, or is free at least! Also, purchase your checks online at a discount...my bank charges crazy money for ordering checks. Thank goodness they don't rope me in anymore!

2. Cut out the clutter! I have to be honest, clutter drives me insane! My husband is not a pack-rat really, but he does like to keep things that he thinks we will need...like original boxes for our cell phones....I think we had 5 or 6 before he threw the ones away for the phones we had already trashed.  Anyhow, clutter can definitely add stress to your life.  AND, some people relieve stress by what??? SHOPPING! Ugh. You can see how the cycle would continue.

But, an even better advantage to getting rid of the clutter in your home is that you can sell some of it on ebay or craigslist! Make some money while you are at it. We have countless unopened toys and clothing our kids never used. I generally give away the used, but you can make a pretty penny selling unused items, try it out!

Also, when you are making a large purchase such as a TV, car, appliance, etc...wait 30 days after you decide to purchase and make sure you are still in love with the one you are purchasing. Actually, this rule can go for many items. Well, if you are in a grocery or clothing store, you could probably knock it down to 10 minutes or so if you are unsure about an item!

DIY Carpet Freshener with Antibacterial Qualities

Oh my goodness, I would give anything for smell-o-vision right now! My house smells AMAZING!

Let me catch you up on the last 24 hours to see what inspired this post!

So yesterday, my mother-in-law who is taking such good care of me and the three kiddos while hubby is at work (and now out-of-town) came down with a HORRIBLE cold/sinus thing and was so sick all day. Then after my son's nap, he woke up with the croupy cough! UGH! My 3 month-old baby girl has a thick, nasty nose now...so it is time to disinfect EVERYTHING!

I had already written a post about cleaning with rubbing alcohol and we went to town with that! But then I noticed my baby on the floor playing. She was on the fluffy, germ-catching rug putting toys in her mouth and smiling. Eeeew.  I needed to do something about that.



I am pretty lucky because my brother-in-law is a chiropractor and has an endless supply of natural ingredients and essential oils. Here is what we did to make a carpet freshener/cleaner that would help combat bacteria and help with the congestion that many in the house are experiencing!

Here is what we did , it is so simple!

Top 10 Tips & Tricks to Save on Food - (But Coupons Rock!)

 

Ok, so many people watched my episode and have asked me for advice on saving money on food. However, the majority of people *think* they don't have time to coupon. OK, we will just go with that even though I think that excuse is not always valid. But, I have compiled some tips just the same to help those who want to start saving money! You're welcome! ;)



Here are my Top 10 tips:

Save Money! Flavor Your Own Coffee!

Recently, I have noticed that my body is reacting MUCH more to the caffeine in my morning cup 'o joe than it used to! I have the extreme jitters when I drink it and have trouble cutting a straight line in my fabric...bummer! SO, I have had to cut down on the caffeine and use decaf, which I was NOT excited about!

I am a lover of flavored coffee AND flavored coffee creamer! I mix hazelnut coffee with coconut creamer, toffee with irish creme...whatever floats my boat for the day! BUT, the flavored decaf versions are very limited :( So, I researched how to make my own! And, I found that I can be pretty creative!

You can try these at home with your favorite flavors!

Using Extracts:

First, grind your coffee beans and put them into the coffee maker in your filter. Take your favorite extract...I used vanilla...and start with just a capful for about 2-4 cups worth. You can always add more with the next brew if it is not strong enough for you!  They make all sorts of extracts...vanilla, almond, coconut...the possibilities are endless!

Mexican Coffee:

This time, sprinkle some cinnamon onto the grounds before you brew. This will definitely depend on your taste...I like ALOT of flavoring!

Mocha Coffee:

Brew your coffee as usual.  Before pouring a cup, add about 1/4 packet of hot cocoa mix to the bottom of the cup. Mix in just a bit of coffee to get the dissolving to begin. (It will look a bit like mud.) Then, top the rest off with your coffee and creamer if desired! MMMmmm!

Toffee Coffee:

Before you dump your coffee grounds into the filter, add some brown sugar into it. The sugar will be somewhat "caramely" (if that's a word) and it will taste like toffee! Again, experiment for the desired taste! :)

NOTE: Some people grind their flavorings right into the grounds in their grinder. I chose not to because the flavor will STAY in the grinder and I don't want to buy another one! :)


Have a coffee flavoring idea? Let me know! :)