Before buying a car, shop around for car insurance quotes. Premiums vary by type of car, age, price, repair cost, safety record and likelihood of theft. And that’s not accounting for your driving record or location. Saving money on car insurance isn’t always as easy as a 15 minute phone call, but it can be. Choose a car that fits your all-around budget, not just monthly payments and gas mileage.

Always shop around. You can do this while sitting in front of a computer with your pajamas on or you can do it over the phone or in person. The internet has made it very easy to compare car insurance rates. First check out the big companies like Geico, Progressive or All State, and then start hitting up your local insurance agencies. Local insurance agents have more incentive to match or beat their competition because of how easy it is to shop around.

Raise your deductible. The higher your deductible is, the lower your premium will be.

Don’t make a claim unless it’s much higher than your deductible. Assuming your deductible is $500, if you make a claim for $750 worth of damage, you’re paying $500 out of pocket and only getting reimbursed for $250. That claim is likely to increase your premiums by more than that the following year, especially if you are prone to accidents.

Only include coverage that you need. If your car is only worth $10,000, don’t insure it for $25,000. If your car is fairly old and you can afford to replace it out of pocket, don’t get full coverage insurance.

Combine insurance policies. If you have multiple items insured together on one policy, almost every company will give you a significant discount on your rates.

Once you find a good company, stick with them. Most car insurance companies will lower your premiums for every year you’ve been with them. If you haven’t made any claims or had any accidents, your premiums will continue to go down.

Take care of your car. Stay on top of maintenance and always get regular oil changes.

Stay on top of your credit score. Insurance companies evaluate your risk based not only on your driving record, but on your credit report and credit score. If you have a good credit score your car insurance rates will be lower.

Drive safely and avoid risky behavior. Accidents, speeding tickets and moving citations can cause your car insurance rates to skyrocket.