[bharman]

Be careful when raising deductibles on your insurance. You have to do a cost/benefit analysis to determine whether raising your deductible is really the best option. Sometimes it doesn't save you that much money.

For instance, if you have a car that's only worth $2,000, and you have a $1,000 deductible, you'd only get $1,000 if your car got totaled (if you have collision coverage). Having a $500 deductible probably wouldn't cost much more per term, and you'd get $1,500.

Also, advise often says to drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles. This is a pretty inexpensive coverage and covers you if your car gets stolen or damaged by anthing other than another car. The less your car is worth, the less the coverage will cost. Just check with your agent or company to see what the difference is. Sometimes pinching pennies costs more in the long run.

My husband and I drive older cars (94 Explorer with 330,000 miles and a 97 Contour with 145,000 miles), and we have full coverage on both. I thought about dropping comp and collision, but it just wasn't worth it. I'd rather be on the safe side than save a few bucks. You just have to do what's right for you.