Let’s face it. Car repair can be expensive. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that cars, like basically any other machine have a predilection to breaking in some way or another eventually. They’re simply too complex as machines to work perfectly all the time, especially with all of the wear and tear that we tend to put on them by using them as our primary means of transportation.

There are a number of ways to save money on auto repairs. The first, and most important, is to shop around and go to a local auto shop with employees and management that you can trust to provide you with honest information about whatever car repair you may need, and to do the job correctly and without unnecessary expense the first time. After that, there are two primary ways that you protect yourself against high repair costs (besides simply taking good care of your vehicle and not putting off routine maintenance). The first is to drive a car that is under warranty (or purchase an extended warranty) and the other, lesser known option, is to purchase car repair insurance.

Yes, car repair insurance. Today, if there is a particular event that people would rather not befall them, you can bet that there is also somebody willing to insure you against that event happening. Car repairs are no different. Car repair insurance is basically exactly what it sounds like. You pay the cost of the premiums each month in order to insure yourself against expensive auto repairs. Some people opt to purchase this insurance after their original warranty is up in order to make sure that they don’t get hit with very high repair costs.

Now, as with any other kind of insurance, you are essentially making a bet when purchasing car repair insurance. You’re betting the cost of the monthly premiums (plus any deductibles when you do need work done) that you will have repairs that are more costly in a given year. So, it’s important to look at this insurance in this way and think about that when you are shopping for the insurance. If it will cost you $40/month for the insurance, then ask yourself what are the chances of having auto repairs in a year that total at least $480?

Of course, the other advantage of car repair insurance is that you can more easily budget for repair costs. You know the costs of the premiums. If you aren’t insured, you may never see that $600 car repair coming. As an added bonus, you can typically get your car repaired at any local auto shop. So, you don’t necessarily have to go to a dealership and can work with someone you trust. All of this together makes car repair insurance something that should at least be considered, especially with an older (but, still valued) vehicle.