Ever thought about how to save money? Sure you have, what did you do? You downsized a few things, maybe cut back on the monthly budget, had a boot or garage sale to free up some money but there is a place which most people don't look. Insurance premiums!

There are normally 3 types of insurance:

Legally obligated - Such as Car Insurance

Contractually obligated - Such as Life Insurance if you have a Mortgage

Non Obligated / Perceived Need - Home Contents Insurance

Clearly you can't remove all of them as you can see you are legally required to have some insurance. But there are ways to make sure your insurance premiums are as efficient as possible. Here are our top 9 tips to finding that hidden fortune....

1 Try buying your insurances together. Some insurers will give you a discount if you buy both your car and home insurance together. If not told. Ask!

2 Buy or quote online. Buying Online will give you access to some discounts not available anywhere else as their administration costs are reduced. This could be up to 15%

3 Never just accept your renewal quotes from your existing provider. They are not as hungry to offer you the best deal each year as you are now a customer! Use the renewal quote as a benchmark to get further quotes. If need be once done, go back to your existing insurer with the other quotes and ask them to better them. You could be pleasantly surprised

4 Replace Poor Value or expensive cover. Did you take out Loan Protection Insurance with a Loan? It is normally 5 - 10 times more expensive than if you bought it separately.

5 Look at minimum levels of cover, where appropriate. If you have an old car for example, it may be worth looking at Third Party Insurance Only

6 Pay your insurance premiums annually. Monthly direct debit may be easier on your wallet, but you could be missing out on a 10% saving by paying up front. Just make sure you are paying for it and not putting it on your Credit card!

7 Don't buy extra cover you can live without. A courtesy car ion a car insurance plan is not free. You will pay normally ?10 - ?50

8 Put a higher excess on your insurance. If you don't claim the first ?300 on your home insurance, you will reduce your premiums, but still be covered for major events such as flooding, fire of theft

9 Get rid of any duplicate cover by reading the small print on your policy documents. Travel insurance can cover valuables when abroad, but so can your home contents insurance so it is not worth the extra cost.

All in all, you can see there are several ways to reduce your premiums which don't involve moving companies. Read your insurance documents and take action when your renewals are due.

Spending a few hours online getting quotes and researching your requirements could save you hundreds of pounds for the same amount of cover you currently have. Don't be scared to question the quote or the cover being offered.

Jason Hulott is Business Development Director of Protection Insurance. Protection Insurance is an internet based insurance business dedicated to getting consumers the very best insurance rates and the best products. Our product portfolio includes many specialist products as well as life and critical illness insurance; UK Car Insurance, UK Home Insurance, and Self Build Insurance; Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance and Income Protection Insurance.