If you can upgrade your car's safety features, great. If you can take a few advanced driving courses, even better. And of course, there are loyalty and age-related discounts that automatically kick in over time. But what are some easy ways to get your premiums down quick?

• Affiliation/Affinity Discounts

  Affiliation and affinity discounts are those offered to drivers who are members of a particular club, organization, sports team, school or workplace. With these discounts, you either qualify or you don't, but you may be surprised to find that you do. Membership-groups that have established relationships with insurers include AARP, Costco and the Elks.

• Auto-Pay Discounts

  You can get a discount by setting up an automatic payment plan for the simple fact that it makes life a little easier on your auto insurance provider. And it makes life a little easier on you, too. You don't have to worry about late payments or lapsed coverage, as the payments will be automatically taken out of your account when due.

• Low-Mileage Discounts

  This is one of the easiest car insurance discounts to qualify for due to the simple fact that it means putting forth less effort in a day. You may be able to qualify for a low-mileage discount, or even get on a pay-per-mile plan, by cutting out unnecessary trips and finding shorter routes for necessary driving.

• Low-Income/Paid-in-Full Discounts

  On either end of the income spectrum, you may qualify for discounts unique to your situation. If you fall under a certain income level, you may qualify for state-mandated low-income discounts. On the other end, if you can afford to pay your premiums in full right up front, rather than month to month, you could be saving a lot of money in the long run.

• Roadside Assistance Discounts

Roadside assistance groups like Good Sam, AARP and AAA can help you to save money on your insurance. Some cars come with roadside assistance as part of the deal. In any event, it's worth the investment.

The best way to find the easy discounts is to call your insurer. Let them know where you work, what you make, what clubs you're a part of and chances are there's something you already qualify for.