Everyone needs car insurance if they actually want to drive their cars, and car insurance can cost a pretty penny. There are many ways to get a cheaper premium, but a lot of those involve things that are hard to change.

For example, where you live can affect your rates and your assigned sex at birth can as well. Being young and married can lower your premium. However, most young adults are not going to get married just to have cheaper car insurance. So, here are some ways to save money on your car insurance that are actually practical and feasible for just about anyone.

Shop around 

This is ideal if you’re getting insured for the first time or if you’re thinking about switching to a different insurer. According to NerdWallet, shopping around and getting quotes from as many different insurance companies as possible is one of the easiest ways to get a cheaper premium.

That’s because different insurers in different states will likely give you a different quote. NerdWallet also advises you to not ignore the more local insurance companies as they can have plans that can compete with the larger companies too. 

Bundles and discounts

There are many discounts and bundles that drivers can take advantage of for a lower premium. Getting married is one such discount but again, it’s not the most feasible option for most drivers. However, other discounts that anyone can take advantage of include discounts for taking a defensive driving course, paying your bills on time, or going paperless and receiving your insurance documents online.

You can also get discounts if you meet certain requirements such as being a good student, having a graduate degree, or if you have a clean driving record. 

Like many other businesses, bundles are also a great way to save when it comes to car insurance. This does depend on the insurance company that you choose though, but that’s all the more reason why you should do your research and shop around first.

Depending on the company, you can get bundles like a car and home insurance bundle or you can bundle the insurance for multiple cars together for some great savings.

Drive less

This method works because if you drive less, then it’s less likely that you’ll get into an accident. Thus, your insurance company won’t have to pay up as often. Obviously though, if you stop driving all-together, you won’t need car insurance and so you’ll get some big savings from that.

However, driving is necessary for many Americans so that’s not a feasible way forward. Fortunately, depending on where you live, you can still save a lot of money from driving less. 

A study by InsuranceQuotes showed that, on average, drivers who reduce their driving to less than 5,000 miles a year can save about 7.0% to 9.1% on their car insurance depending on how many miles they usually drive.

Again, it varies on a state by state basis and it also varies based on how many miles you usually drive. For example, if you’re a Californian who usually drives 20,000 miles annually and you cut that down to 5,000, you can save about 29.4% on your car insurance. If you’re in North Carolina though, you’re out of luck since they’re the only state where the average premium doesn’t change at all if you drive less. 

Pay a higher deductible 

Having a higher deductible may sound unappealing, but it’s actually an easy way to save money overall. Most drivers will not get into many accidents and so, they won’t have to pay their deductible often.

As a result, the savings from your cheaper premium will add up every day that you don’t get into an accident. Eventually, the savings from having a higher deductible will surpass the price of that deductible, meaning you’ll be saving more money in the long run.