Car insurance. Let's face it: it's not the most exciting of topics. In fact, choosing a car insurance policy is probably up there with filling in your tax return and watching paint dry.

But what with food prices going up and the economy slowing down, many of us are feeling the pinch. And any way we can cut our outgoings is welcome.

So what's the cheapest car insurance policy out there -- and how can you get it?

Risks And Rewards

When buying a car insurance policy, you may assume that the facts the insurer is most interested in relate to the car and your driving skills. For example, the type of car, how old it is, whether you've got any motoring convictions, how many years of no claims bonuses you've achieved -- that sort of thing.

But try to get a quote from any car insurer and you'll see they're also interested in you and your lifestyle. For example, they'll want to know your age, gender, marital status and zip code.

And this isn't random demographic information gathered because they want to know who their customers are. They're using this information to calculate your premiums, based on statistics which show the likelihood that a person in your situation will need to claim on the policy.

And the greater the risk is that you'll claim on the policy, the higher your premiums will be.

For this reason, it is very difficult to point to a single insurer and say: they're offering the best deal at the moment. The cheapest deal for you will always depend on your individual circumstances and situation, as well as the car you drive and your driving record.

But which specific factors affect the cost of your premium? For example, does being married make a policy more or less expensive? If you park your car in a garage, will you pay less? Can female drivers really get cheaper insurance?