Antrim Guardian - Features - Want to Save Money on Your Insurance? Consider a Motorcycle!

Features

Want to Save Money on Your Insurance? Consider a Motorcycle!

Friday, 11 March 2011

In today's economy, everything seems to be getting more expensive. From the cucumbers at the supermarket to the petrol at the pump, nothing seems immune from inflation. It's no surprise, then, that insurance quotes are on the rise. All of these cost increases are cutting into the average family's budget and eating away at the money left over at the end of the month. This article aims to explain to you why bike insurance can actually save you money.

The car

Despite its big engine and perfect paint job, do you really need your car? Most people don't. The only thing that many of us use our cars for is the weekly shop. This can easily be done online from the comfort of our own homes. In fact, doing this avoids not only the queues at the cash registers, but also the pointless pollution caused by the excess miles driven every week.

Not only is your car likely to be excess to requirements, but it is an incredibly expensive excess at that. With the cost of fuel, maintenance, road tax and insurance all rising, cars aren't getting any cheaper.

So, how do you get around without a car? Use public transport, of course. By hopping on the bus or taking a train, you can get to work almost as easily as you can with a car. Unlike driving around in a multi-thousand pound metal box, there is not any risk involved. Furthermore, you can read or relax on the way to your destination instead of getting upset at the driving habits of the car in front or the traffic jam you've been stuck in for an hour. There is, of course, an even better option. Read on to the end of the article to find out what it is!

But wait! What if you have kids?

Kids

Having a family is the only real reason an average person would need a car. Although often the school run can be replaced by a school bus or public transport, the necessary taxi-driving functions of parents seem to require a car. There are alternatives, though, to owning a car in the normal sense.

Firstly, there are numerous car sharing schemes running all over the country. These pay-as-you-go systems have vehicles parked all over many cities. These allow you to effectively hire a car from a street nearby at less than an hour's notice. This means that all the costs of running a car are spread between the users of the scheme, instead of each individual shouldering much more than they need to.

Secondly, it is possible to have your own car but insure it on the basis that it is only driven a certain amount. You can, for instance, have it insured for mornings and afternoons but not evenings. This allows you to drop the kids off at school, pick them up again and not have to pay for the large chunk of the day you're not using it.

Using one of these methods, you can save a lot of money on the costs associated with transporting your family around. Getting around the rest of the time can then be taken care of using public transport, walking or riding a bike. Alternatively, you could turn to...

The motorbike

This section applies to those who don't have kids and those who do, but have chosen a better way of getting them around than the traditional model of car ownership.

The question on all of your lips must be "how can someone in my position get around without having to use public transport every day, or walk or bicycle through the wind and rain all year round?"

The answer is obvious; buy a motorcycle. Not only are the actual vehicles cheaper, but the fuel economy is better, maintenance is cheaper and, let's be honest, they just look good. The icing on the cake of owning a motorbike is that a motor bike insurance policy is so much cheaper than car insurance. Owning a bike, therefore, can save you wads of cash on your insurance payments every month.

The bottom line is that in today's world, there are alternatives to traditional car ownership for everybody. Many of these involve the use of public transport. If, however, you are one of the many people who don't enjoy the experience of buses and trains, acquiring a bike is the option for you. This way, you can enjoy the freedom of owning your own vehicle while saving money by comparing insurance quotes and other expenses at the same time.