Yeah, I hear you. With a beater like a 2004 Corolla, full coverage can feel like throwing money into a black hole. Here’s how I see it:
- If your car’s worth less than your annual premium, that’s a red flag right there.
- I’ve had a couple old rides where I just rolled the dice with liability only. Never missed the extra coverage, but I did keep a “rainy day” fund just in case.
- Peace of mind is great, but not if it costs more than your car’s worth over time.
- Only exception: if you literally can’t function without a car and have zero backup plan... then maybe it’s worth the extra dough.
Insurance companies sure aren’t in the business of losing money, right?
I get where you’re coming from, but I had a weird wake-up call a couple years back. My old Civic got rear-ended—other driver’s fault, but their insurance barely covered my medical bills, let alone the car. That’s when I realized California’s minimums are kinda low if anything serious happens.
- Liability only is tempting on a cheap car, but if you hit someone and they have big medical costs, those minimums run out fast.
- I used to think “my car’s not worth much, why bother?” but it’s not just about your car—it’s what you could owe someone else.
- After that accident, I bumped up my liability limits. Didn’t cost a ton more, but gave me way more peace of mind.
- Still skipped collision on my beater, though. Just couldn’t justify it.
Guess it depends how much risk you’re cool with. But yeah, insurance companies definitely know how to make a buck...
Yeah, I hear you on the minimums being kinda sketchy. I used to just roll with the bare minimum too, mostly because my car’s not worth much and I figured, why pay more? But then my buddy got into a fender bender and the other guy’s medical bills were way higher than what insurance covered. He ended up having to pay out of pocket, which was a nightmare.
I still don’t love giving more money to insurance companies, but I did bump up my liability after that. It’s not even that much more expensive, honestly. I still skip collision on my old Corolla—if it gets totaled, I’ll just move on. But yeah, the peace of mind knowing I won’t get totally wrecked financially if something big happens is worth it.
It’s wild how you don’t really think about this stuff until something goes wrong. California’s minimums feel like they’re stuck in the 90s or something... doesn’t really match up with how expensive everything is now.
Yeah, the minimums are kinda a joke now. Like you said,
It’s wild how fast costs add up after even a minor accident. I bumped my liability too after seeing a friend get hit with bills he couldn’t cover. Not fun. Honestly, paying a bit more up front beats getting wiped out later.California’s minimums feel like they’re stuck in the 90s or something... doesn’t really match up with how expensive everything is now.
Totally agree—those minimums barely cover anything these days. I used to think I was being overly cautious by carrying extra coverage, but after my neighbor got rear-ended and the other driver’s insurance maxed out way before the bills stopped coming, it really hit home. It’s wild how one fender bender can spiral into thousands out of pocket. Honestly, I’d rather pay a little more each month than gamble with my savings. The peace of mind is worth it.
