5. Pride

5. Pride

Taking pride in your low insurance rates and boasting about how you have the best insurance company can keep you from shopping around and acquiring even lower rates.

"Pride in your insurance company may be well-deserved, but if you are trying to save money, it's always a good idea to shop around," says Walker.

Compare rates from various companies "particularly if you have a life change -- new marriage, new teen driver, improved credit -- these are factors that could affect your premium and may be good times to shop your policy," she says.

Also, if you're healthy and have term life insurance, once the term is up, you may save money by shopping around. In some cases healthy individuals can get a lower rate by reapplying for a new policy rather than automatically renewing their existing one.

However, both Walker and Barry emphasize that you shouldn't trade price for good customer service and a reputable insurance company.