I hear you on the city driving part—my commute’s a circus most days, and I’ve seen enough fender benders to know it’s not “if” but “when.” But I still stick with a higher deductible just because my car’s older and honestly, I’d rather save the cash each month. Curious though—has anyone actually had to use their insurance for a small accident? Did the lower deductible really make a big difference, or did the premium hikes after kind of cancel it out?
I get the logic behind a higher deductible, especially if your car’s not worth a ton. But honestly, after my spouse had a minor scrape last year, we realized the lower deductible saved us a lot of hassle. The premium did go up a bit, but not enough to offset what we would’ve paid out of pocket. I guess it depends on how often you think you’ll actually need to use it... For us, the peace of mind was worth the extra monthly cost.
That’s a good point about peace of mind. I’ve seen folks regret going with a high deductible when an unexpected claim pops up. Out of curiosity, did you look at how much your premium would drop if you bumped the deductible up just a little, like $500 instead of $250? Sometimes the savings aren’t as big as people expect.
TRIED THE $500 DEDUCTIBLE—SPOILER: IT WASN’T WORTH IT FOR ME
You know, I’ve run the numbers for folks more times than I can count, and honestly, sometimes the premium drop from $250 to $500 is like... enough for a fancy coffee or two each month. Not exactly life-changing. The real kicker is when you think you’re saving big, but then a rogue shopping cart attacks your car and suddenly you’re out an extra $250. My rule of thumb: if the savings aren’t at least enough to make you do a little happy dance, maybe stick with the lower deductible. Peace of mind is underrated—until you need it.
DOES YOUR EMERGENCY FUND CHANGE YOUR DEDUCTIBLE CHOICE?
That’s a good point about the premium difference sometimes being barely noticeable. I’ve seen people get excited about “saving” with a higher deductible, but then they don’t really have the cash on hand if something happens. Makes me wonder—do most folks actually factor in their emergency fund when picking a deductible? Like, if you’ve got a solid cushion, maybe the $500 or even $1,000 deductible isn’t so scary. But if coming up with that extra $250 would be a stretch, is it really worth the risk just for a couple bucks off your monthly bill?
I’ve had clients who swear by the lowest deductible possible just for peace of mind, even if it costs more over time. Others are all about rolling the dice because they “never file claims.” Curious how much people actually weigh their savings account versus just looking at the premium difference...
