Nothing In Life Is Certain Except….

Copyrighted by Lorna Tedder. Originally published in Third Degree Curves.

It’s said that nothing in life is certain except for death and taxes. Let’s add rising insurance costs to that.

Yes, I just got my projected property insurance bill for the house (not including on my car plus whatever clunker Shannon gets). The news has had plenty of stories about the cost of insurance rising since all of the hurricanes, and I knew it would rise dramatically for people on the water and people in condos.

I’m a good 5 miles or so from the Gulf, in a well-built house. Not on the beach or on the water. Far from the flood areas. Yet there’s flood insurance to pay and now the property  insurance  (which is separate)  has  just sky- rocketed. My hurricane deductible—in  huge black, bold print—is now $7,000.

All I can do is stare at the bill. Between premiums for flood  insurance  and for property insurance, I’m looking at $5,000 a year or more.

On top of that is property taxes (waiting to see what those are going to be this year), car insurance (likely to rise after all those Katrina floaters), and health insurance (no comment there).

I so don’t want to be like the writer in one of my groups who decided to marry just for the better insurance rates! That gives new meaning to the term “friends with benefits.”