I Used This 5-Minute Budget Hack to Save $1,300/Year. Here's How to Copy/Paste It.

October 22, 2026 - I'm a massive finance nerd, and I spend a good amount of my time testing out various ways to make more (and save more) money.

Last year I stumbled across a wildly-effective budget tweak that ended up saving me $1,300/yr. It took (relatively) little effort to pull off: about 5-10 minutes of total work. 

Here's what I did, step-by-step:

Step 1. Pull up a site like StopOverpaying.org.

It's a site that will help you look to see if you can find cheaper car insurance prices.

Step 2. Fill out the quiz on their page (takes maybe 2 minutes).

Step 3. See if you can find a better rate.

I found a (major) insurance company that was willing to offer me $1,300/yr less for the same exact car coverage. 

Here are my before/after bills:

Note: the average American who switches car insurance saves $461/year right now, according to Consumer Reports.

If you're looking for simple ways to cut back on your bills, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything easier than this.

Important note: You are never locked into your current car insurance policy. If you have already paid your bill, you can cancel whenever you want. Some carriers will even cancel your old policy for you.

Look for a better rate

Here's how to do it:

• Step 1: Simply select your age below to look for discounts.
• Step 2: Enter your zip code and fill out the 2-minute quiz. You'll be given a list of companies to compare.