- I’m with you on the peace of mind thing. I drive a ton for work and honestly, my luck’s not great—if there’s a pothole or a rogue shopping cart, I’ll find it.
- Higher premiums sting a bit, but I’d rather budget for that than get blindsided by a $1k+ deductible after some random mishap.
- Tried the high-deductible route once because “I’m careful.” Cue: rear-ended at a stoplight two weeks later. Not my best financial decision.
- If you barely drive or your car lives in a garage, maybe rolling the dice makes sense. But if you’re out there every day, stuff just happens... and it’s usually when you least expect it.
- For me, it’s less about the math and more about not stressing every time I hear a weird noise on the highway. Maybe that’s just me being paranoid, but hey, it works.
I get the peace of mind angle, but isn’t there a point where you’re just paying way more over time for “what ifs” that might never happen? I mean, if you’re a safe driver and haven’t had claims in years, is the extra monthly cost really worth it? I’d rather keep my cash and just deal with the rare big bill if it comes up. Maybe I’m just more risk-tolerant, but those premiums add up fast.
I’d rather keep my cash and just deal with the rare big bill if it comes up.
I totally get where you’re coming from. I used to think the same way—like, why pay extra every month for something that might never happen? But then, last year, my friend (who’s also a pretty careful driver) got rear-ended at a stoplight. Out of nowhere. The other driver’s insurance was a nightmare to deal with, and she ended up having to pay a chunk out of pocket just to get her car back on the road. She had a higher deductible to keep her premiums low, but man, that bill stung.
I guess it’s kind of like rolling the dice. If you’re cool with the risk, it can work out. But I know for me, as a new-ish driver, the idea of suddenly needing to cough up a ton of cash freaks me out more than paying a bit extra each month. Maybe I’m just not brave enough yet... or maybe I’ve just seen too many “oops” moments in the high school parking lot.
Honestly, I get wanting to save cash, but I keep thinking—what if you get hit and the other person bails or their insurance flakes? My cousin had that happen and it was a nightmare. Do you guys actually set aside money for emergencies, or just hope for the best?
Honestly, I see this all the time—people think they’ll just “deal with it” if something goes wrong, but when it actually happens, it’s a whole different story. I always recommend folks figure out exactly how much they could cover out of pocket if the worst happened. Have you ever actually calculated what you’d need to have set aside to cover your deductible, or do you just pick a number that feels safe?
