Yeah, I get where you’re coming from. I wrestle with this every time my insurance bill shows up. Here’s how I see it:
- If your van’s only worth a couple grand, paying hundreds every year for comp and collision starts to feel like throwing money away. But then, like you said, all it takes is one storm or a runaway shopping cart and suddenly you’re stuck with a repair bill that’s way more than what you saved.
- Weather’s getting weirder. I used to think “freak” hailstorms were just rare, but now it’s like every year there’s some new record-breaking storm. Not just hail, either—wind, floods, you name it.
- I dropped full coverage on my last car when it hit about 12 years old. Two months later, some kid sideswiped it in a parking lot and took off. I ate the cost. Not the end of the world, but it stung.
- Peace of mind isn’t nothing. If you’re the type who’s gonna stress every time a thunderstorm rolls in, it’s probably worth the extra cash just to not worry about it. If you’re more of a gambler, maybe not.
- One thing I’d watch: some insurance companies hike your rates if you drop and then want to add coverage back later. Not always, but it happens.
I don’t think it’s paranoia. Stuff happens more than people want to admit. For me, if the car’s still reliable and you’d be annoyed or stuck if it got totaled, I’d keep the coverage a bit longer. Once you’re ready to walk away from it with no regrets, then maybe it’s time to roll those dice. Just my two cents.
