Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Stepwise Approach To Get Cheap Car Insurance

Have you heard of cheap car insurance?

A number of car owners have not yet tried cheap car insurance and they are missing a lot of benefits. A car owner, in one way or another, will be encountering troubles with the high cost of regular auto insurance premiums. This is where the greatest advantage of cheap auto insurance comes in.

So, how do you take hold of cheap car insurance? Well, the steps are simple but will require some thinking and patience. Here are some the most important tips on how you can get cheap car insurance.

First, take pains in comparing policies offered by several auto insurance companies.
Though the essential features of auto insurance companies are more almost the same, there would still be some discrepancies and differences. And in these differences the crucial factor lies in terms of how you could find cheap car insurance.

Some auto insurance companies will offer comprehensive or limited coverage while some other companies will have policies that depend on how many persons will be using the car or for what purpose the car will be utilized under normal circumstances. Generally, a car used to take children to and from the school and one used to and from the office will be taken into consideration.

Second, look for companies that give due consideration to anti-theft devices installed in your car. There are insurance companies that will be willing to give you cheap car insurance if your car has these devices installed. In connection, there are insurance companies that also take into account the nature of the neighborhood where you live in. This is usually in line with the crime rate of the location. The higher the crime rate the higher the premium.

Third, try considering offers made by independent car insurance agents but make sure that they have authority and sufficient credibility to deal with these matters.

Every State generally has its own set of rules in relation to car insurance policies. There are quite a number of States that make auto insurance mandatory. That is definitely not a problem among rich citizens but for middle class citizens it is important to look for cheap car insurance in terms of coverage, premiums and reliability.

Fourth, discover possibilities of accessing relevant data regarding various auto insurance companies. You may have access from these companies’ official websites or offices. While visiting their branch offices is feasible, doing it is generally not practical because that will consume lots of time and effort. In this regard, surfing the Internet is more advantageous.

Finally, please make some notes about your findings. This will help you remember offers and rates more conveniently and accurately when you are ready to make your decision.

As a conclusion, getting cheap car insurance is really a matter of being procedural and patient. It does not really mean that you have to buy policy from established and big companies, although that is usually advised. The more important consideration is whether or not the company will be able to pay you and answer for the expenses when the time comes.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

7 Tips on Saving Fuel

Oil price is soaring and it certainly looks like it will not be staying at a constant price for long. I remembered last year around June, the price per litre of Shell 98 was around $1.70 SGD and just recently when I was refilling fuel. It costs about $2.12 SGD per litre; an increase of almost $0.40 SGD per litre. Not to mention that the price is still rising. There are a few alternatives that we can do.

1. To stop driving - for those who have been driving, you will be saying it’s crazy! Cars are just like your legs; they carries you around places. However, what we can do is to try walking, cycling or hopping on a bus for short trips.

2. To change to hybrid car - this is one viable option where you can adopt and yet some were saying that it takes much more fuel to produce a hybrid car.

3. To change the way we drive - this is possibly the immediate option that we can adopt. By changing your driving habits you can improve fuel economy and there are many tips which you can use to start saving dollars and not pennies. Changing your habits and you’ll see a substantial savings at the pump — without the need for a new car.

Let us look at ways on how we can change our driving habits as well as tips on how we can save fuel. These tips not only help you to save fuel, but also help you to contribute your bit towards saving our planet.

Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated

Keeping the tires at the right pressure not only increase your safety while driving, it also promotes fuel efficiency. The PSI number at the side of your tires shows the maximum pressure of the tire and is not the proper inflation level for your car. Your vehicle manufacturer will list the recommended tire pressure in your owner’s manual or a sticker on the doorjamb of the driver-side door. You will notice that if your tires are underinflated, you will experience the extra drag on your car and this translates to more fuel usage.

Follow the Recommended Maintenance

It is important to follow your car manufacturer’s servicing recommendations. A vehicle that is well maintained means it will operate with greater efficiency. This not only improves your overall vehicle performance, but it will improve your fuel economy as well. Proper maintenance also means using the right octane gas and the recommended grade of motor oil. A fuel with a higher and inappropriate octane rating does not translate to more power. Using the recommended types for your vehicle will give you optimum fuel economy — and can translate to more saving for you.

Avoid carrying excess weight

Heavier vehicles require more energy to move, so carrying around excess weight will also affect your mileage. Keeping your boot or back seat clear of unnecessary items can reduce weight to your vehicle and increase fuel efficiency.

Drive smoothly

Aggressive driving can use as much as a third more fuel, so avoid accelerating or braking too hard and keep steering smoothly. The fewer heavy brakings and flooring of the accelerator, the more fuel you save. It is important to plan your trip and to avoid the rush when driving. Always give yourself extra time to get to your destination and drive in a “steady and smooth” manner. This not only gets you safely to your destination, it also helps you to save fuel.

Use the Highest Gear Possible

Changing to a higher gear to match the speed of the car is the way to go. Lowest gear yields greatest power but translates to an increase in fuel consumption. To improve your fuel economy, drive in the highest gear possible when you are cruising at a steady speed, such as on the highway.

Use Cruise Control

Using cruise control can improve your gas mileage by helping you maintain a steady speed, but only if you are driving on mostly flat roads. However, if you are in hilly terrain, you should turn off cruise. It will try to keep you up to the speed you’ve set and will use a lot of extra gas downshifting to lower gears to accomplish this.

Avoid excess idling

When a car is idling, it is using fuel. Turning the engine off during idle periods can help you avoid burning excess fuel. If you are waiting for your kid outside the school or waiting to pick up someone, it is more efficient to turn the engine off while you wait and then restart the car. You will save fuel.

With these tips, you will not only drastically improve your fuel efficiency and saving money but also doing your bit for our planet.