When it comes to buying auto insurance, many car owners want to get the process over with as quickly as possible. Thus, they often buy the first auto insurance they see that seems affordable, heedless of whether or not they are, in fact, receiving the best deal.

However, not all automobile insurance is created equal. You’ll be surprised how much money you can save if you spend only a little bit of extra time shopping around. According to surveys issued by Progressive Insurance during 1999-2004, car insurance rates across America vary a great deal–by about $481 to $586 per six month period, depending on the part of the country in question. This means that by shopping around when looking for basic insurance to cover you for six months, you stand to save at least $400.