My grandad gave me a talk when I were a lad
he didn't believe in insurance so instead he put some money regularly into an "insurance fund" (savings account at the bank). His thinking was that money would cover the cost of repairs/replacement and he would've been paying it in premiums anyway. EDIT: I think his reasoning may have been valid in the 50's but not now.

Couple of weeks ago my missus got T-Boned by someone running a red light. She's ok, the car was a write-off. The AUD$18000 agreed value that the insurance company put in our bank within 4 working days from the accident sure as fuck made me glad that I had paid my premiums.

I'd be happy to join your uncle's club, but with a caveat.
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Mon 5 Nov 2012, 8:52, 1 reply)

Self insurance is still worth it.
However.
Only if you can afford to pay the out of pocket expenses, if it does occur, and you're unlucky.

Car insurance is special - both because it may be legally required to have an explicit policy, and because you don't know the expense.
Sure - crash into a tree and write off the car, and the only expense may be the car. (and the cost of transporting it back).
Crash into someone elses Bugatti Veyron, and you're fucked.

But for more common stuff like pet, or appliance insurance, it's reasonable, and even sensible.
(speedevil, Mon 5 Nov 2012, 13:48, closed)

You don't need car insurance
but you do have to post a fair wodge of cash (£500k) instead. I believe the Post Office does this for its fleet. The bond amount was raised enormously in 1992 because it was low enough (£15k) to make sense for rich-ish parents whose kids wanted to learn to drive, but didn't come near covering the damage they might do.
(ubergeekian, Mon 5 Nov 2012, 17:17, closed)

i vaguely recall
It's now a million.
I was reading the road traffic act for some reason.

Another fun fact.
You can't be done for driving a vehicle on the road that only a madman would drive on the road.
(speedevil, Tue 6 Nov 2012, 0:21, closed)