Cutting my car insurance bill in half—didn’t think it was possible here
Honestly, I’m right there with you on the “betting against yourself” thing. I drive this 2010 Civic that’s already got a bunch of scratches and a dent from when my friend tried to parallel park for me (long story). I looked at what I was paying for full coverage and thought, “Am I really gonna get that much back if something happens?” Like, the car’s barely worth more than the deductible at this point.
I dropped to liability only last year. My parents freaked out a bit, but it’s not like I’m driving a brand new Tesla or anything. The savings were kind of wild—I mean, it’s not like I’m rolling in cash as a student, so every dollar helps. But then, yeah, you hear about someone getting their car totaled by hail or some random deer incident and it makes you wonder if you’re just tempting fate.
Still, I figure if my car gets wrecked, it’s not like insurance is gonna buy me a new one anyway. They’ll probably just cut me a check for a few grand and call it a day. At least this way I’m not paying out the nose every month for coverage I might never use. Maybe I’ll regret it if something crazy happens, but for now, I’d rather keep the money in my pocket.
It’s a bit of a gamble, but isn’t that kind of the whole deal with insurance anyway? You just gotta pick what makes sense for you. If my car was newer or worth more, maybe I’d think different... but right now, liability feels like enough.
Still, I figure if my car gets wrecked, it’s not like insurance is gonna buy me a new one anyway. They’ll probably just cut me a check for a few grand and call it a day. At least this way I’m not paying out the nose every month for coverage I might never use.
- Been there, done that. My last car was a 2008 Corolla with more “character marks” than actual paint. I did the math and realized I was paying almost 20% of the car’s value every year just for full coverage. Didn’t make sense, especially since I’m the type who triple-checks intersections and parks at the far end of the lot to avoid door dings.
- Liability only is a solid move for older cars, but I get twitchy about the “random deer incident” thing. I’ve had a couple close calls on late-night road trips—one time a raccoon actually bounced off my bumper and just kept running. Not sure who was more surprised, me or the raccoon.
- The “betting against yourself” vibe is real. Insurance always feels like you’re paying for something you hope never happens. But yeah, if the payout is barely more than the deductible, it’s hard to justify.
- One thing I do: keep a little “car emergency” fund stashed away. Not a ton, but enough that if something wild happens, I’m not totally stranded. Makes me feel a bit better about rolling the dice with liability only.
- Parents always worry, but honestly, if you’re not driving a car that’s worth a ton, it’s just not worth the extra monthly hit. If you upgrade to something newer, you can always bump coverage back up.
- Only thing I’d add—if you’re road-tripping a lot or parking outside in hail country, maybe check what comprehensive would actually cost. Sometimes it’s not as much as you’d think, and it covers the weird stuff like theft or weather. But for a scratched-up Civic? I’d probably do the same as you.
- At the end of the day, it’s all about what helps you sleep at night (and doesn’t empty your wallet).