| What with escalating interest rates and the cost of | | | | family really worth eating your cereal with a fork to |
| living becoming just that bit more expensive, we all | | | | save money on milk? Cheaper cars also tend to |
| need to do what we can to reduce our costs.Below | | | | attract less attention, which with crime on the rise, |
| is a handy set of tips designed to help you reduce | | | | seems like a pretty good idea. |
| your insurance premium, as well as lowering your | | | | 4) Combine your policies. |
| cost of living: | | | | Generally by combining all of your policies under one |
| 1) Request higher excesses. | | | | carrier, you will receive a tidy little discount. If this |
| Your Excess is the balance owed after the insurance | | | | does not work, I recommend doing the same thing |
| has paid for damages. By requesting a higher excess, | | | | anyway, but with a different provider. |
| you can significantly lower your monthly premium. | | | | 5) Ask and you shall receive |
| Obviously in the event of an actual accident you may | | | | One of my friends was recently told that his |
| be up the proverbial creek without a paddle, | | | | insurance premium was going up approximately R100 |
| however, depending on how much you save on a | | | | p/m. His immediate response was to start |
| monthly basis, it could well balance out. | | | | investigating other insurance companies. After |
| 2) Lose the coverage you don't need. | | | | receiving several quotes, he phoned his carrier and |
| By dropping the collision or comprehensive coverage | | | | told them he was moving. They called him back an |
| on your old jalopy, you will save a great deal of | | | | hour later to inform him that his premium would now |
| money. Realistically, the car has already devalued to | | | | be R50 CHEAPER per month. While it might not seem |
| the extent that your payout is pocket change | | | | like it, insurance companies do occasionally try to |
| anyway. Said coverage is probably going to be a | | | | keep their clients happy. |
| waste of money in the long run, because any claims | | | | While these may seem like trifling, useless tips, you'd |
| made won't exceed the deductible amount and the | | | | be amazed at the difference they can make. Even |
| actual cost of your insurance. | | | | something as simple as lift clubs can make a |
| 3) Buy the cheapest car you can find. | | | | significant difference to your monthly budget. When |
| Now while this may seem like stating the obvious, | | | | it comes to saving money, you want to start small, |
| you would be amazed at the amount of people in | | | | realistically you're not going to save R10 000 a |
| South Africa driving cars that they cannot afford. | | | | month, but by making small changes, you can go a |
| Think about it, is the admiration of your friends and | | | | long way towards saving a useful amount of money. |