There are not many better things in life than taking possession of your new car and heading out onto the open road. The problem with this dream is that not only do you need to save up money to get the car, you also need to pay for the car insurance too.
There are hundreds of companies out there ready to offer you great deals. And lots of comparison websites make finding the right policy relatively easy for you. Things are set in your favour in this respect, but there are still always little hacks that will allow you to save even more.
Follow the five easy to action hacks below and you should soon be flying down that great big open road with an even bigger smile on your face, happy in the knowledge that you’ve got the best possible deal on your car insurance.
1. Use the Right Job Title
This might sound like a funny one, but car insurance companies are really specific on this aspect of your application. Some of the criteria they look at don’t seem to make any sense. Music teachers pay more than teachers, for example, but if you were a music teacher, there is absolutely no reason why you couldn’t put your job title down as simply a teacher.
Retirees and housewives or husbands should also be very wary when it comes to defining your occupation. Never say that you are unemployed, or it could end up costing you around $300 more than if you were to state that you’re retired or a stay-at-home parent.
2. Bump Up Your Excess
The idea of getting hit for a high excess if you have an accident might seem unappealing, but how many accidents have you had in your life?
The fact is that most of us are safe drivers and highly unlikely to have an accident that is our fault. If you take up a policy with the possibility of a higher excess in the case of you being at fault, your premium price will dramatically fall.
3. Use/Get a Garage
You know that large room at the side of your house that is full of junk that you’re never going to use again? Yes, it’s called your garage, and its primary purpose is to keep your car safe at night.
A lot of people don’t pay attention to this fact because it can be a bit of a hassle to put the car back there every night. This may be true, but if it saves you hundreds of dollars on your car insurance, it’s going to be worth it, right?
Look on the bright side; you can save money on your car and make more money when you throw all that rubbish out of the garage in a yard sale.
4. Know Your Car
Young drivers often fall in love with a certain car and fail to see how getting car insurance for it is just not going to work out well for you. A beautiful suped-up sports car might look awesome on the road, but it’s going to leave you bankrupt.
You also need to do a lot of background checks on your vehicle. If you are buying second-hand, make sure there is no outstanding debt on the car you’re looking to buy. Also be wary of cars that have a salvage or rebuilt title as they may end up costing you more to insure even though they are cheaper to buy initially.
5. Add a More Experienced Driver
It’s against the law to list someone as the main driver of your vehicle and for them not to be, but there is nothing illegal about adding an additional, more experienced driver to your car insurance policy as a named driver.
This person should normally be an older family member with their own, clean driving license and a decent, no-claims history on their own car insurance. A little trick like this probably isn’t going to save you hundreds, but it all adds up.
