Tightening The Belt

With the downturn in the economy, I figured it was time to look at our finances and see if there was any way to trim some fat from the bills we currently pay. After combing through all of the necessary costs associated with living a normal life, I concentrated on our insurance policies.

Yes, they are necessary too, but with the market as competitive as it is, it always seems like you can get a better deal, if you are just willing to look for it. I switched our homeowners policy last year and I am currently still getting the best deal I could find, so that's cool.

Truth be told, I haven't been too happy with my auto insurance. It turns out the company I switched to a couple years ago offered me a low price to start and then subsequently raised my rates at each renewal period. I work from home, I drive less than 10,000 miles per year, and I haven't had an accident since a crazy woman in a station wagon smashed into me in a parking garage more than 15 years ago.

Since I was reviewing our finances and because they have been unwilling to reduce my rates at all, I figured that getting new auto insurance quotes would be a good idea. It turns out, the company I switched from before (because they too didn't want to work with me) now has a lower rate than my current policy. The difference isn't that much, so now I just have to decide if it's worth the hassle of switching again. I do, however, recommend taking a look at your existing policies. The first time I switched my auto insurance, I saved over $400 per year.