However, pay it we must if we want to drive our cars on public roads legally and morally. But that doesn't mean there aren't steps you can take to lowering those monthly payments – some may even be ideas you were not familiar with.

For example, if you have excellent credit talk to your insurance agent about getting a discount on your auto insurance. Most people don't know it, but your overall credit score can affect your car insurance rates.

And while we're at it, when was the last time you simply asked your car insurance company for a list of all their discounts. You could be surprised at some of the little-used discounts that could lower your bill.

For example, are you a member of an organization such as AAA or an employee of a large company? Often insurance companies provide group members with a break on their insurance rates.

If you are a student you already know how high car insurance rates can be in Oregon, but did you also know that if you maintain good grades many companies offer a Good Student Discount?

If you combine your homeowners and life insurance and your car insurance all with the same company you'll probably be entitled to a multi-policy discount.

If your car has any type of anti-theft device or if you have an anti-theft device installed on your own, check with your insurance company – almost all of them provide a break for anti-theft devices on cars.

If you own an older car that has little or no Blue Book value then it probably doesn't make a lot of sense to carry Comprehensive insurance. This is the insurance that pays for you car if there is an accident, and if you car has little or no Blue Book value then your insurance company is not going to pay you much – if anything – anyway.

One of the simplest things many drivers looking for the best rates on car insurance in Oregon do is to increase the deductible on their vehicle. Your deductible is the cash you pay out of your own pocket when you have an accident before your insurance begins to pay. By increasing the deductible on your car from $200 to $1,000 you can cut your monthly premium by as much as 50% in some cases.

Whatever you do, you need to shop a variety of companies and compare prices, because prices for the exact same car insurance can vary by many hundreds of dollars per year depending on the company you buy your policy from.

Today there are literally dozens of sites on the internet which allow you to compare auto insurance with the click of a button and find the best rates on car insurance in Oregon in no time at all.