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Budget Car Insurance

A vehicle will be the second most expensive thing you buy behind a house – and that’s just the purchase. Making sure you can find a good but budget car insurance can really help with expenses later down the line.

While buying a new car is exciting, the excitement soon wears off when the expenses start rolling in. The reality is that they’re a depreciating asset that can eat into your budget very quickly. From fuel and maintenance to registration and insurance, the list of expenses never seems to end.

If you’re wanting to tighten your belt a bit and reduce your vehicle expenses, there are some fairly simple things that you can do.

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Check out these budget saving tips:

Cheaper Car Insurance

Vehicle insurance can eat up a large portion your monthly budget. Even if you have a decent driving history, the traditional vehicle insurance model means that you’re most likely paying for other driver’s mistakes. It also means that you need a long-term driving history in order for you to be identified as a safe driver, rather than your recent driving behaviour being considered. If you are rewarded for good driving, no-claims bonuses generally take long periods of time to come into effect and are initially quite modest.

How to Reduce Your Insurance Premium

If you’re keen to save on your car insurance then you may need to look for those budget car insurance companies that are thinking outside the box and completely disrupting the market. There are new players in the game that are using technology to turn the traditional insurance model on its head.

UbiCar is a usage based, personalised, budget car insurance that focuses solely on your driving behaviour. It utilises innovative technology to measure your driving habits, uses that real-time data to give you a driver score and then rewards your safe driving with lower premiums. You also get feedback based on your driving behaviour, with tips and hints to improve your habits to make you a safer driver.

You don’t need a long driving history, you don’t pay for the bad driving habits of others, and you don’t need to wait for minimal no-claims bonuses. All you need to do is be a better driver right now to get a lower premium. Budget car insurance never looked this good – find out more on our quote information page.

Why UbiCar Suits Customers on a Budget

Simply put, you have the power to lower your premiums by improving your driving habits. You have the ability to get comprehensive insurance for your vehicle at an affordable price, which is a win not only for your monthly budget, but your financial future too. It provides drivers with greater coverage, meaning less risk for drivers who won’t be left with huge repair bills or without a vehicle at all. A complete budget car insurance offering at an affordable price.

Fuel

Steering away from finding cheaper car insurance – fuel is one of those necessities that can quickly put a dent in your budget. It’s never a steady cost that you can budget for, rather one that largely depends on the fluctuation on the global oil price, how much you drive, how fuel efficient your vehicle is, and how good (or bad) your driving habits are.

Improve Your Driving Habits

The way you drive can have a direct effect on how much (or how little) fuel you use – plus bear in mind that if you drive with UbiCar, safer drivers benefit from cheaper car insurance!

Slow down: On top of saving you money by avoiding speeding fines and decreasing your chance of having an accident, driving slower will help you save on fuel. Fuel consumption significantly increases over around 90 km/h. Your car uses up to 25% more fuel when driving at 110 km/h than it would when driving at 90 km/h. Using cruise control while on a highway helps to maintain your speed, which will save fuel.

Don’t drive like a hoon. Driving aggressively is the quickest way to burn fuel and increasing your chance of having an accident. Rapid acceleration and slamming on the brakes are fuel guzzling driving habits that aren’t safe either. More revs mean more petrol use. Driving at a reasonable distance from the car in front avoids unnecessary acceleration and frequent repetitive braking that wastes fuel and increases your chance of having a fender bender. It gives you more time to anticipate what the car in front of you is doing and to travel with the flow of traffic.

Stop idling. Warming up your car before you set off simply wastes fuel and isn’t necessary; start your car when you’re ready to head off and drive slowly 30 seconds after starting it. Once you’re on the road, minimise wasting fuel in idling by stopping the engine if you’re held up for a prolonged period of time.

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Set Your Vehicle Up for Success

Minimise aerodynamic drag. Either avoid using cargo carriers on the roof of your car or don’t leave them on when they’re not in use. They can reduce your vehicle’s fuel economy by as much as 20%.

Travel light. The more weight you carry when you drive, the more fuel your vehicle uses. Remove heavy items like tools and sports equipment to lighten the load.

Use the proper oil. Using something other than the manufacturer’s recommended grade will lower your fuel efficiency because of increased friction in the engine. The right oil can prevent the metal surfaces in the engine from grinding together.

Ensure tyres are properly inflated. Inflate your tyres to the highest pressure recommended by the manufacture, and make sure your wheels are properly aligned. Looking after your tyres doesn’t only reduce your fuel consumption, but it also extends their life and improves handling and safety.

Shop Around

There are a host of apps that are available to help you save on fuel. They help you find the cheapest fuel prices in your area.

Maintenance & Repairs

Keeping your vehicle in top to shape not only ensures that it’s safe, it could help you down the track if you intend to sell it. Make sure that you follow the car’s manual when it comes to servicing and don’t over or under maintain it. Over maintaining is a good way for repair shops to make a quick buck, but it’s really not necessary and the costs can add up quickly.

Under maintaining your vehicle comes with its own risks and potential budget blowouts. It can lead to greater expenses down the track and can even void the manufacturer’s warranty. It can also become a safety issue if any manufacturer alerts aren’t picked up because it hasn’t been serviced when it should’ve been.

Having comprehensive cover means that you’re not only insured for unplanned repairs that come up, but also those extras that you haven’t considered. It’s not only the obvious costs of an accident that can dent your budget, it’s also the additional things that drivers don’t think about until they happen. Things like paying an excess on a windscreen or window repair or replacement, or being provided a hire car while your vehicle is getting repaired after an accident can be expensive. If you don’t have the right cover, you could be hit with a large bill that you just can’t afford.

Worried about what you’re not covered for? For comprehensive budget car insurance Try UbiCar now.