I've noticed the same thing. Took one myself a couple years ago—honestly, it wasn't a huge discount, barely noticeable month-to-month. But over a year or two, it does add up a bit. Maybe it depends more on the insurer than the course itself? Curious if anyone's tried switching insurers after completing a course...did you see a bigger difference in price then?
Honestly, I think the whole "take a course, save money" thing is a bit overhyped. Sure, insurers love to advertise it, but from what I've seen, it's mostly marketing fluff. Discounts are usually pretty minimal—like you said, barely noticeable month-to-month. If you're really looking to save cash, shopping around every year or two makes way more sense. Insurers bank on people being lazy and sticking around...switching companies regularly is where the real savings are at. Just my two cents from seeing how the sausage gets made behind the scenes...
Yeah, switching around seems smart, but as a first-timer, the idea of constantly shopping sounds exhausting tbh. I'd probably try the course anyway—minimal savings still beats no savings when you're broke, right? Plus, can't hurt to brush up on driving skills...
I felt the same way about shopping around at first... seemed like a huge hassle. But honestly, once I got started, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I set aside one afternoon, made a spreadsheet comparing quotes (yeah, nerdy, but it helped), and ended up saving like $120 a year. The defensive driving course was decent too—boring in parts, sure, but I actually learned a couple useful things that made me feel more confident behind the wheel.
Did you find the defensive driving course worth the time overall? I've been debating it... boring I can handle, but did it actually change how you drive day-to-day? Saving money's great, but safety matters more to me.
