I Saved $350 a Year on My Car Insurance With a 30-Minute Phone Call

I always try to trim expenses on things I feel neutral or negative about — bills, insurance premiums, and other necessities fall under this camp. That way, I can have a little leeway to put toward things I enjoy — my hobbies, eating out with friends and family, and toward my short- and long-term goals, like tucking money aside for an emergency fund.

But with tariffs raising the cost of nearly everything, that’s not always easy. I live in California, where tariffs are expected to raise car insurance rates by at least 9% or $230 annually to $2,807. I’ve been trying to save as much as I can on my car costs since 2024.

Last year, before my policy was renewed, I hopped on a call with my auto insurance company, Progressive Auto Insurance, in hopes that I could bring down my premium.

After chatting with an insurance specialist for about half an hour, I ended up scooping up a handful of discounts, which netted me $350 a year in savings.

I was eligible for more discounts than I thought

I thought I had already snagged all the discounts I possibly could with my auto insurance. I know, for example, that one discount Progressive doesn’t offer is a low annual mileage discount.

After talking to the rep over the phone, I learned I was eligible for a good driver discount. I was also able to shave off some savings through a vehicle tracking system.

I was able to save about $350 a year, which is about $30 a month. I also paid for a full six months for additional savings.

I decided not to lower my coverage

When talking to the insurance rep, another option was to lower my coverage amounts. The minimum coverage in California is $30,000 for injury or death for one person, $60,000 for injury or death for more than one person, and $15,000 for property damage.

While I could have also lowered my coverage, I would only save about $45 during six months, $90 a year, or $9 a month. After mulling it over, I figured it wouldn’t be worth it; I felt safer with my current coverage amounts.

While I’m open to lowering my coverage limits, it would have to be at a significant discount. Otherwise, I feel that I should keep the higher coverage.

I wasn’t able to bundle my auto and renters insurance

I also looked into bundling my auto and renters insurance through Progressive. Through Progressive Home’s Underwriting Team, I provided basic information about where I lived.

They also asked me to submit photos of my cabin, which is nestled against the San Gabriel Mountains. Unfortunately, after receiving the photos, I was denied coverage because of the shrubbery and trees surrounding my place.