Overhaulin'

I am unemployed, and on benefits, is it possible for me to buy a cheap car and afford cheap car insurance? ?

I was wondering how much does car insurance cost? and do they let you pay monthly diposits and use your car while you are paying? or do they only allow you to use your car once all the insurance is paid? whats the cheapest way to do it if your on a low budget?

Public Comments

1. not sure but i'd imagine people on the dole have cars
2. Its very unlikely, the cost of Petrol alone would cripple you. Car Tax is over £100 a year Petrol over £1 a litre Insurance even for a woman in a small car would be £400 up MOT, maintenance Id stick with public transport until you find a job
3. It depends on many factors. How old you are? Do you live in a high risk area or not? what type of car it is? You can pay in monthly installments and can use the car whilst paying but don't forget you'll also need tax and a valid M.O.T. Then theres petrol.... To be honest, i don't know how anyone on benefits can afford to run a car. Just noticed you haven't passed your test yet. The insurance will cripple you and will not be much less than £1,000
4. look online on different web sites i got insurance for 25 pound a month so keep looking plus depends on the car
5. Yes, insurance can be paid month to month. Costs a little more than paying it all up front, but many people cannot afford $1200 or whatever it is at once. I know I can't. As far as a cheap car: http://www.craigslist.org . Before you buy any used car, have it checked out by a trusted mechanic first. AND LISTEN TO HIS ADVICE!
6. Take the bus or train.
7. no get a job
8. maybe if you save 20 dollars a month and not spent it till you reach 3 years ! you might get lucky to find a junk cars that still run for 2 years , but insurance and tags on your benefits, tough it out if you can collect soda cans for recycle money ?
9. I think you should have no worries getting low cost insurance on a direct debit basis (at a premium I might add!!!) However - if you have the means, go for reasonably priced cars rather than dirt cheap cars or you will be buying a heap of trouble and you'll pay dearly for it in the long run
10. You can pay nsurance with monthly payments, but it would depend on your credit rating whether you can pay monthly. It's unlikley they'd let you pay monthly if you're unemployed. Depending on your age and number of years no claims it may be cheaper to buy a larger car. I bought a 1987 Mercedes Benz 190E with an MOT for £200, that only cost £400/year to insure (I'm 26 wth 5 years no claims). There are bargains out there.
11. hana s, I recommend an online insurance quote. It's free and generally hassle free. http://www.multipleautoinsurancequotes.com
12. I'm a single mum on benefits and I manage to run a car without any help from friends or family as I like to remain as independent as possible. Firstly I would write out a list of all your outgoings, ie. gas, electric, water, phone, everything you have to pay out each week and include tax, I would consider getting 6 months tax to start off with and work out roughly how much you would spend on petrol a week, I use about £25.00 of petrol a week, look around for a cheap car, get as much information as possible about the car, then go on-line and put all the details of the car in, this will give you an approximate figure to work with, also, put in your weekly budget how much you can afford on repairs, so if your car does have to go in the garage at least you have put some money aside towards the cost. I would consider getting a little fiesta as a first car, because parts and labour will be reasonably cheap, but get someone you trust to have a look over the car to make sure that there isn't anything major that can go wrong. I bought a renault 5 gtl on a b plate when i passed my test, it cost me £350 to buy and the insurance was about £400 pounds for the year, I was lucky, it didn't cost much in repairs either, it was a great little car. You can run a car on a low budget, just be sensible with your money, trust me, you'll have more independence when you get a car and it will make it easier for you to get a job because you won't have to worry about all that commuting. Good luck, if you have any other concerns, let me know.
13. i do...just buy a car and pay the insurance monthly...sorted.
14. Im a carer to my family and on benefits, I own a car and on insurance for £13 a month with Esure depends on your age, the length of driving and convictions. Hope this will put you in gear. If you are a student, you best to check it out on comparsion sites.
15. get a job stop using tax payers money ( unless ur unable to work, then im sorry :L)