You may have seen cheap car insurance advertised on the Web, or maybe you've wanted a cheap auto insurance quote. What does "cheap" mean when it comes to your car insurance?

The word cheap in my Webster's New College Dictionary is defined first as "Relatively low in cost." Now when it comes to car insurance shopping, that makes sense. We all want to save money on our insurance. So how do you do that?

One of the best ways to find car insurance that's "relatively low in cost" (okay, cheap), is to comparison shop. Auto insurance rates can be quite a bit different from one company to another. The Insurance Information Institute, and others, recommend that you get at least three different quotes. Make sure to submit the same information to each company or agent to get an accurate comparison quote. For example, use the same deductible amounts, same limits of liability etc.

Also, try to take advantage of as many discounts as you can. These would be discounts like:

Good student

Good driver

Anti-lock Brake System

Anti-theft device, and more.

The word cheap can also mean "of decidedly inferior quality." Now that's the kind of car insurance you want to avoid. After all, auto insurance is there to protect you financially from a future event. If the company is "of decidedly inferior quality," they may not be able to pay your claims in a timely manner in the future. How do you tell if a car insurance company is reputable? It's hard to know 100 percent, but at least check the following:

1) Check to see if the company is licensed in your state.

2) Check the financial ratings of the company through the agencies that rate insurance companies. These are A.M. Best, Weiss, Fitch, Moody's and Standard & Poor's.

3) Try to get a feel for their customer service. How do they respond to your calls, e-mails, etc.

Cheap car insurance is available online, but just be sure you're getting the "cheap" that will save you money, not give you headaches.