Needing a car, but having to manage on a limited budget has meant that how to find cheaper car insurance has been a priority for me. Also while looking deeper, what I did find was that many drivers are not getting the benefits of cheaper car insurance at all, and at least one in three car drivers are paying way over the odds for their car insurance, and seem quite happy to do so.

Another surprise was that almost 50% of drivers don't even bother to get more than three insurance quotes for their car, and at least one in four of car drivers automatically renew their insurance cover instantly with the same insurance provider. They never even bother to look into or even consider the opportunity to save hundreds of pounds by searching for cheaper car insurance and switching.

With tighter regulations every year, the pressure is always on the insurance companies to increase their premiums but still stay competitive. So by being shrewd and shopping around I have been able to use this to my advantage and find a cheaper car insurance quote every year.

Just by following the simple rules below, I guarantee you will be able to reduce your premium and find yourself cheaper car insurance.

Rule1. You must shop around for the best deals. On average you can save upto £115 when renewing your car insurance policy, but you have to get at least SEVEN different insurance quotes to be able to find and compare the best deals, don't be like most people and think that three quotes will be enough.

It's very important to make sure when your shopping around to find cheaper car insurance, that you are comparing like for like cover. Although some insurance policies may look cheaper, you could find that you won't have the same level of insurance cover when you come to make a claim.
A good place to start and find cheaper car insurance, is to search the insurance comparison sites available online, don't make the same mistake as everyone else, and just search two or three search them all! If you a mature driver or a women its always worth checking out one of the specialist sites as well, for cheaper car insurance that may be available to certain age groups.

Rule 2. Make sure that you only name regular drivers on the policy. You can always add other drivers when they really need to drive the car.

Rule 3. I always try to protect my no-claims bonus. This can increase my insurance premium by a few pounds, but can be justified against the potential loss of say a 60% no claims discount on a premium of several hundred pounds.

Be careful though as a protected no-claims bonus can vary widely between insurers, and remember that an accident caused by another driver will not normally affect a protected no-claims bonus, one caused by you the insured can.

Rule 4. Increase your voluntary excess. If you agree to pay more towards the cost of any accident repairs it will reduce the cost of your premium, and If the accident is not your fault you won't have to pay the excess anyway.

Rule 5. Make sure you car has, or consider having fitted an approved alarm, immobiliser or tracking device as this will usually guarantee a cheaper car insurance quote with discounts of around 5%.

Rule 6. Consider a mileage restriction, the less miles you drive the car, the greater the saving. For example, a reduction in annual mileage of 5,000 miles could save a typical 35-year-old female driver about £50 a year in premiums and by cutting out 10,000 miles a year could save you more than £100.

Don't try to be clever and lie, just make sure your honest about your annual mileage, as a large inaccuracy will jeopardise any claim. Adjust your cover for what you useyour car for.If you don't need to use your car to drive to work or for business don't and you can get an even cheaper rate.

Rule 7. Avoid adding young or inexperienced drivers to your policy, it's actually false economy in two ways, 1. your insurance premium will always be calculated on the youngest driver and 2. he or she will not gain any a no-claims bonus for the future.

Rule 8. If you are considering changing you car, check with your insurer if the model your after will have a significant effect on the price of your premium. Anything sporty can attract a higher premium, whereas a slightly different model or smaller engine can make a huge difference in your favour. and It will also save you on petrol and maybe a speeding ticket too!

Rule 9. Keep your car in the garage if you have one, and not use it to store junk, clear it out and use it for your car. Besides the benefits of not having to scrape off ice and snow in winter, keeping your car on the road is looked upon as a higher risk, so keeping it in the garage will always lower your premium.

Rule 10. Change your driving style, driving just a bit slower and more thoughtfully has also saved me a lot on fuel costs. If your a younger driver take the Pass Plus scheme, this saved my nephew almost 50% on his car insurance. Consider taking an advanced drivers' course as this can also procure discounts of up to 35% - from some of the major insurers.