We all know how much of a pain it can be when the time comes around to pay our monthly car insurance bill, but there are actually a lot of things you can do to decrease the amount you spend. Obviously, this is somewhat more difficult for younger drivers, as insurance costs are overly inflated due to lack of experience and a high risk of accidents. Even so, for the rest of us, with a little research and some handy tips from someone in the know, cutting down on the direct debit is simple. With that in mind, get yourself a cup of tea and spend the next few minutes reading through all the points I’ve made below. Hopefully then you’ll be in the best position to spend your money on something a little more worthwhile.

Pay The Yearly Amount Up Front

In most instances, opting to pay your entire insurance costs upfront can help you to save a lot of cash. You see, when you fill in your details on most price comparison sites, the quotes you receive are based on you doing this anyway, which is why you always end up paying a little more when you select an insurer and get in touch. I recently did this for my son in law, and he managed to save no less than £200 over the course of the year.

Get Your Specifications Right

If you don’t enter the correct details about your car, you could end up paying more for insurance that you’re supposed to, and this is why you need to get your logbook out whenever applying for quotes. When I did this for my Mazda, I checked the MX-5 spec and was shocked to discover that I’d been getting the engine size wrong for years. So, I had actually paid at least £50 more annually that was required. Obviously, I was gutted to find this out, so try not to make the same mistake.

Consider Your Usage

As part of most insurance quotes, you will be asked to let the company know how many miles you drive each year, and this will play a role in determining the price you receive. While you don’t want to underestimate as your insurance could become invalid, you also don’t want to overestimate too much in case the company uses this information to come to the conclusion that you spend more time in the car than you really do.

Shop Around

Even the most reputable price comparison sites usually only deal with providers under the same umbrella company, and this means the quotes you receive aren’t quite as competitive as they’re made out to be. So, don’t simply opt for the first offer you’re given, as there could be a far more suitable provider only a few clicks away.

Right guys, now you know what to do when it becomes time to get your car insured again, I hope you’ll pay attention to all the points I’ve just made. At the end of the day, it’s your own bank balance that will suffer if you fail to take heed.

Image credit:  FotoSleuth