I certainly don’t intend to turn this into a “how to save money on transportation” blog, but there’s a lot of interest and information out there right now due to increased gasoline costs. Suze Orman has a list of ten ways to drive down your car costs. These are all methods of reducing your auto insurance costs, and they include:

  • Boost your deductible — a higher deductible produces lower costs.
  • Get less mileage out of your policy — be sure that your insurance policy accurately reflects the number of miles you drive.
  • Home in on a discout — carry car insurance and homeowners insurance through the same company.
  • Couple up on your policy — be sure that you and your partner carry a combined policy.
  • Get defensive — defensive driving courses often reduce premiums.
  • Put your degree to work — some insurers offer discounts for advanced degrees or for specific professions.
  • Play group — some professional associations and other groups are able to obtain group discounts.
  • Slow down — an unblemished record can bring discount as much as twenty percent!
  • Give yourself credit — your credit record can actually effect your insurance premiums!
  • Make the grade — when you add your children to your policy, their grades play a role in your rates.

Though I’m not a high-risk driver, I admit that I’ve never shopped around for insurance. My family has used the same small-town insurance agent for thirty years. I’m 37, drive a 2000 Ford Focus, and pay $50/month in auto insurance, and have no idea whether this is a lot or a little. I’ll have to do some research in the coming weeks.