This morning is for celebrating — well, as much celebrating as can be done in the morning that is 14 degrees outside with a midwestern sun reflecting off the snow!

A few days ago as I was thinking about ways to save money (a favorite pastime for me), I began thinking of a recent bill that arrived in the mail for the insurance on my pickup truck.  It seems that bill goes up every few months!  I am in the practice of paying for that insurance every month, which is higher than paying it once or twice a year, because I could never get enough saved to pay that larger premium.  For someone that enjoys being frugal, that particular bill really irritates me.

I have been carrying full coverage insurance plus a roadside assistance plan.  This coverage originally began because I was occasionally driving long distances out of state to do some ministerial and charity work.  I no longer drive like that because my pickup has over 100,000 miles on it and I intend for it to last me until I die.  So, I got on the blue book page on the computer to research the current value of the pickup.  If the truck was in excellent condition (it is good, but not that good) the value of the truck would be $3,000. The truck will be 11 years old in January 2019.  I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of this before!

I immediately called my insurance agent and dropped full coverage in favor of liability only with roadside coverage.  My bill would be cut in half!  And if I could pay it for six months at a time, the bill would be even lower.  I had recently earned some extra money working the last general election, so I could pay the cost for six months.  With the money saved I plan to set aside half for the next six-month bill and half into a fund to pay for a new used vehicle (or an emergency) if I should eventually need it.  Wahoo!  Celebration time!

Bring a frugal minimalist is fun!