Most motorists know that they can save money on auto insurance if they maintain a good driving record or bundle their insurance policies. But they often overlook the other ways they can save money.

For example, some insurers will give discounts to engaged couples or to farmers. You can also get discounts if you’re a part of specialty groups. There are many reasons why insurers offer non-traditional discounts to motorists. It’s up to you to learn what’s available with your provider and take advantage of them – if you want to save money.

The size and availability of car insurance discounts vary by company, location, and motorist, so research is important. Apart from discounts here are some others ways to slam the brakes on rising car insurance costs.

Prune your coverage on older cars

When the insurance is costing a lot more than the value of the vehicle itself, you should consider removing the comprehensive and collision insurance. Look up the estimated value of your vehicle online and reduce the coverage if necessary.

Ask for discounts

Insurers offer discounts to motorists because it helps them compete in the very competitive market of auto insurance. Installing security features on your vehicle reduces the insurer’s risk, so they’ll be more receptive to your request for a discount. As long as you have anti-lock brakes and a car alarm installed, you should qualify for a discount. You’ll also get a discount for taking a defensive driving course and for being a loyal customer. These are all discounts that the company won’t advertise, so be a smart consumer and ask for them.

Dig up competing quotes

Getting quotes from competing companies may be a lot of work, but the payoff is one that your pocket will welcome. Get your hands on a car insurance buying guide for your area, so you’ll have an idea of what your rates should be. Visit a few comparison sites to get the top 5-7 best quotes. To be absolutely certain you’re getting the best rate, you can then call up independent agents to see if they can beat the rates already provided.

Remember, you should compare apples to apples, so ensure that you’re not sacrificing coverage when you choose the lowest price.

Drive less

You can cut the cost of your auto insurance if you drive less. Driving less reduces your risk of having a car accident. That reduced risk makes the insurance company more inclined to lower your rate. What’s more, some companies offer pay-as-you-go plans to drivers based on the number of miles they drive. It’s something you should consider if it’s available in your area.

You can reduce your driving by taking the bus, carpooling, and walking whenever you can.

Cutting your car insurance costs requires some persistence, luck, and smart shopping. Check your insurer’s website to see what discounts are available, and call them up when the details are not clear. Most of all, you have to be willing to shop around and change your provider if you want to save money.

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written by: Gillian Kearney

Gillian Kearney is a personal finance consultant. She enjoys sharing her insights through blogging. Visit the Monkey to learn more.

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Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The typical family plans their vacation by…

1. Deciding where they want to go.
2. Searching for the best deals.

Maybe it’s time to reverse that thinking, maybe it’s time to find a deal first and a destination second.

When it comes to searching for deals, the traditional travel sites are a good starting point, but try a few of these unconventional money saving travel deals like Groupon Getaways, discounted gift cards and cash back for travel!

Groupon’s Travel Deals – The destinations are always changing, but the deals are always amazing…just remember to read the fine print! You can always find the latest deals on the right side of this page, and here are a few of this week’s best!
 

Groupon: From $79 a Night at Beach Hotel on Atlantic City Boardwalk
 

Eight-Day London and Paris Vacation with airfare and sightseeing, 41% off!
 

Palm Beach Resort & Beach Club – Palm Beach, FL, 40% off
 

All-Inclusive Royal Solaris Cancun, 4- or 5-Night Stay for Two in a Deluxe Ocean-View Room. Starting at $799 Total, $399.50 Per Person
 
The Great Weekend Sale- save up to 70% off weekend hotel stays from Hotwire.com! Offer valid now through May 31st

Save 5% at Hotels.com with code HOTELSFORLESS ! Book by 5/24, Travel by 9/30

Book 2 nights, get up to 30% off plus over $400* in endless entertainment in Los Angeles on Expedia! – Expires 5/31/13.

Find your water world in the Bahamas! FLIGHT + 4 NIGHTS FROM $550 on Expedia! – Expires 5/31/13.

Save $25 on a B&B Getaway Gift Card

Earn Cash Back - Have you ever thought about earning Cash Back for your travel? Through Ebates.com, you can earn cash back on your travel through sites like Expedia, Priceline and Travelocity as well as cash back from popular hotels and airlines. Example: Orbitz up to 5.25% cash back, Expedia 5% cash back, Travelocity 5%, Holiday Inn 4.5% cash back, Comfort Inn 3.5% cash back, Dollar Rent-a-Car 3.5% cash back, Sea World 2.5% cash back, Southwest Airlines Vacations 2% cash back! How does it work? Let’s use Holiday Inn as an example. The first step is to go to Ebates.com. Next, in the search box on the top, right side enter Holiday Inn. A page will come up that shows you how much cash back you’ll earn as well as any special promotions or coupon codes that are currently available. Finally, click the “shop now” button, and you’ll be taken directly to the Holiday Inn site. Whatever you end up spending with Holiday Inn, you’ll earn 4.5% of that back from Ebates. Quarterly, Ebates mails you a BIG FAT CHECK for all your cash back! If you’d like to learn more about earning cash back for travel, I recently wrote an in-depth article for Family Travels on a Budget .

Remember, deal first…destination second!

Stop dreaming, start traveling!

“The average family has several thousand dollars worth of stuff lying around,” according to Cari Cucksey (HGTV’s Cash & Cari).

Are you average?
 

Do you have $3000 worth of unwanted stuff lying around?

I’ll bet your first reaction is, no way!

So, please take a moment and walk through your house, peek in your closets, the attic, the basement and the garage. Make a list of all your unwanted items.

I’ll wait.

Now it’s time to learn how to use Craigslist and make some money! Couldn’t we all use an extra $3000?

How to Use Craigslist

1. Go to craigslist.org
2. Choose your location…country, state, city.
3. Click on “post to classifieds” in the upper, left corner. You do not need an account to do this.
4. The next question you’ll answer is “what type of posting is this,” and since you’re selling stuff, click “for sale.”
5. Choose the category that best describes your item…you have lots of choices! For example, if you’re selling the trumpet that your son doesn’t play anymore, choose “musical instruments, by owner.”
6. Now it’s time to create your listing, and let’s pretend we’re selling that trumpet.
7. Here’s the information you’ll need to create your listing along with tips for selling on Craigslist…

 
•Posting Title – Trumpet

•Price – Do some research and see what other people are selling similar items for and price your item accordingly.

•Specific Location – If you live in a large metro area, you might be prompted to enter a more specific location. I live in West Palm Beach, but my
Craiglist postings show up as South Florida which is a really large area! Shoppers may not want to drive 2 hours to buy my trumpet, so it’s
helpful to let them know what part of town you’re in.

•Reply to – Enter your email address and choose “anonymize”. The anonymize feature allows you to receive emails from prospective buyers without
your email address being revealed.

•Description – Include as many details as possible like dimensions, condition, original price paid.

•Show on Maps – When selling items on Craigslist, try to meet the buyer at a public location like the Target parking lot, bring the item and only
take cash. If your item is large, it is easier to have potential buyers come to your home, so you may want to choose “show on maps” to make it easy
for them to find you.

•OK for others to contact you about other services, products or commercial interests – I do not suggest checking this box unless you want to receive
a lot of solicitation emails from moving companies, delivery services, etc.

•Add Images – You can upload photos and add up to 8 images…photos will help sell your item, so take the time to add photos.

•Review and Confirm Your Ad – This is your chance to preview your ad and make any changes.

•Publish – You’ll receive an email with a link that you must click to publish your ad.

•Manage Your Listing – Save the email that you received to publish your ad because this is the same link you’ll use to manage your listing. When you click on the link, you’ll have a few choices.

-Edit Posting: Use this if you need to change any details or the price of your item. I suggest lowering the price if you don’t have any
inquiries after a week.
-Delete Posting: If your item sells, take the time to delete the posting, so you don’t continue to receive emails about it. Craigslist
postings remain active for 30 days unless you delete them.
-Renew Posting: You can renew your posting every 48 hours which simply means it will move to the top of the search results. This is very,
very important!

 
Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to publish an ad in about 5 minutes!

Now, sit back, relax and check those emails…a potential buyer might be waiting in your inbox!

P.S. – Don’t forget to check your spam folder daily…many of my potential buyers have ended up in spam.

Still not convinced that Craigslist is the way to go? Here are a few items that I’ve recently sold on Craigslist…

• Bed Linens – $60
• Mirror – $40
• Small Chest – $80
• Upholstered Chair – $100
• Hurricane Shutters – $200
• Terra Cotta Pots – $25

 
What’s in your closet, attic, basement and garage?

Please leave a comment to share any tips you have for selling on Craigslist.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cooper Tires for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Is your car begging for new tires, but your wallet is begging for mercy?

Have you been putting off buying new tires because you're waiting for a good deal?

Are you hoping to get another month or two out of your balding tires?

Have you taken a good look at your tires lately?  Will they pass your state safety inspection?

I have good news for your car and good news for your wallet, and it's just in time for vacation season!  The Cooper Tire Spring Savings Event is going on now through June 30th, and you'll receive an $80 Visa prepaid card when you purchase a new set of four qualifying Cooper Tires from a participating dealer in the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico. 

Cooper Tire Spring Savings Event eligible products:

• CS4 Touring
• Discoverer CTS
• Cooper Zeon RS3-S and RS3-A
• Discoverer H/T
• Discoverer HTP (available only at select U.S. retailers)
• Discoverer LSX and LSX Plus (available only at select U.S. retailers)

Your car will enjoy the new tires, and your family can enjoy the $80 Visa prepaid card on your summer vacation! 

Here's to saving money and safe travels this summer! 

ShopPerk makes smart shopping easy. Every day. For everyone. The ShopPerk mobile app makes it easy to find deals in your area on the items you need to buy, no coupons necessary. Be one of the first to use the ShopPerk app!

Grow up. Go to school. Move out. That’s how things should go for many students and parents, but the recent recession put a wrench in that plan for many of people.  More young adults lived in their parents home in 2011 compared to 2005, according to Census.gov. Nearly 59 percent of men age 18 to 24 lived with their parents in 2011, up from 53 percent in 2009.

As the economy gains momentum, more recent graduates and young people are in a position to move out. That’s an exciting and terrifying proposition to many accustomed to home cooking, family support and other comforts of home. There are some hard and fast rules for living on your own for the first time: #1, don’t drink the last of your roommate’s beer. Rule #2, pay your bills. We’re here to help with the latter. Try these practical tips to save money and keep out of your parent’s place for good.

flickr image by ibm4381

All You Need is Internet

Cable is a significant monthly bill, but the Internet is making it less necessary. Online streaming movies, TV shows and sporting events provide cable shows without the monthly bill. Video stores continue to close and DVD sales continue to slide, according to www.internetserviceproviders.com, largely due to the fact that streaming services have made them obsolete. If you don’t mind repetitive ads and a few seconds of buffering, avoid cable and catch up on your favorite shows online. You’ll be off to a fast savings start.

Get Rid of Your Landline

It may go without saying, but land line telephones are going the way of the Dodo bird. Chop this unnecessary expense off your budget if you’re still taking calls at home. Cell phones are more convenient, more capable and more 21st century.

Start Using Coupons

We know, coupons are for old ladies. Keep track of your grocery store purchases for a month. We think you could learn a thing or two from grandma. Coupons can be found online and in your local paper (ask your parents which day). A free meal here and $2 there goes a long way over the course of a year. Try it for two weeks, even if you’ve never pictured yourself as a coupon junkie. Small habits could buy you that new car in a couple of years.

Bike to Work

We don’t all have the luxury of biking to work. If you live close to your employer, think long and hard about hopping on a two-wheeler. You’ll save money on gas, parking and insurance. Along with these wallet boosters, you’ll also get exercise and decrease your carbon footprint. It’s tough to find a reason to say no if you live anywhere near work. Whether you’re eco-friendly, savings-conscious or exercise-driven, biking to work will benefit your life.

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