Picking a deductible really does feel like betting against yourself. I mean,
if you’re not out there racking up claims, but it’s always that one time you sneeze and back into a mailbox... Murphy’s Law, right? I’ve seen people save a ton with higher deductibles, but only if they’re cool with the risk. Coffee stains, though—sadly, not covered.“a higher deductible can actually make sense”
Yeah, it’s wild how it feels like you’re daring fate every time you pick a higher deductible. I went with a $1,000 one last year thinking I’d never need it—then a rogue shopping cart nailed my bumper. Ended up paying almost the whole repair myself. Still, over a few years, the savings do add up if you’re lucky... but man, that first claim stings.
- Been there—had a $500 deductible for years, then bumped it up to $1,000 thinking I’d save a few bucks. Next thing you know, a tree branch took out my side mirror. Ended up paying almost the whole thing out of pocket.
- For older cars, sometimes the repair cost isn’t even much more than the deductible, especially if you can do some work yourself.
- Curious—has anyone actually run the numbers over, say, five years? I always wonder if the premium savings really outweigh the risk in the long run...
Picking a deductible really does feel like betting against yourself. I bumped mine up to $1,000 too, thinking, “How often do I really need this?” Then, of course, I got rear-ended in a parking lot. The repair was $1,200, so I basically paid the whole thing anyway.
Curious—has anyone actually run the numbers over, say, five years? I always wonder if the premium savings really outweigh the risk in the long run...
I tried to do the math once, but honestly, it’s tough to predict. My premium dropped maybe $10 a month when I raised my deductible, so over five years that’s $600 saved... but one accident wipes that out fast. If you’re lucky and nothing happens, you come out ahead, but it’s a total coin flip. For older cars, I almost feel like skipping comprehensive/collision altogether makes more sense if you can stomach the risk.
It’s like insurance companies know exactly how to make us second-guess every choice.
Totally get what you mean—it really does feel like a gamble every year. I did the same math and realized if I go five years accident-free, sure, I save a few hundred bucks. But one fender bender and it’s all wiped out, just like you said. For my old Subaru, I dropped collision last year since the payout wouldn’t be much anyway. It’s weird how insurance always feels like you’re hedging your bets, but the house (aka the company) usually wins...
