Brillys Blog

Brillys Blog – It’s an Ants Life! Welcome to Brillys Blog, here we can ponder the whimsical musings of everyones favourite InsureAnt as he gives us his ‘ants eye’ view of the world.  Covering weird and wonderful stories from all around the globe, to the latest money saving hints and tips as well as advice on all things insurance related, there’s more than enough to write about to keep him out of trouble.

Brilly found that there was just not enough space in the InsureAnts Twitter and Facebook accounts for him to inform and entertain his public, so thought he’d have a crack at his own little corner of the InsureAnts website.  As well as being an extreme sports enthusiast and Monster Munch addict, Brilly is a prolific writer and contributes regularly to the other blog sections of this site:

But for now, sit back, have a nice cuppa and enjoy Brillys latest ramblings, er… I mean postings!

• White Van Man Turns Green May 3, 2013Green for Go We all know the traditional view of the ‘white van man’. Eats pies, reads the redtops during one of his many tea breaks and enjoys a few pints at the weekend. But we at InsureAnts think it’s time to unleash ‘green van man’ onto the UK’s roads. Don’t worry, ‘green van man’ isn’t some ...
• Beginner’s Guide to Buying a Caravan April 19, 2013Get your homework done before heading off on holiday GrAnt loves his caravan, he says having your own caravan is a bit like have a hotel on wheels right outside your door.  We can see his point of view and appreciate the freedom that caravan travel can bring (although we wouldn’t like to share a caravan ...
• Staying Safe While Backpacking April 12, 2013We’ve got your back if you don’t mind the gap You would think the backpacking would come naturally to the InsureAnts – after all they are quite adept a carrying heavy loads around on their backs. However, it’s not really GrAnt’s idea of a holiday and young Ant Tony, who actually did venture to some of the ...
• Quit Smoking for Cheaper Life Insurance March 29, 2013Bad habits come at a price Let’s face it, we all have a few bad habits. However, it’s worse when those habits affect other people and your wallet. For example, take GrAnt’s insistence on washing down his Sunday night curry with a litre of prune juice. You may say, oh but he does that in the privacy ...
• Converting Your Van to Run on LPG March 22, 2013Cut Commercial Vehicle Fuel Bills THERE is one upside to the rising cost of the petrol and diesel – it’s helped Brilly and some of InsureAnts get fitter. Some of them have left the motor at home from time to time and walked, or even jogged to work. Of course, you don’t want to bump into a ...
• 12 Ways to Lower Your Vets Bill March 4, 2013Keeping your vets bills down If you have a dog, you’ll know you’ll need to factor expenses such as food into your weekly shop. Even a little goldfish needs some grub, although GrAnt isn’t sure how anybody can call those dried up flakes ‘food’. However, you’ll always know how much you’ll need to fork out to feed ...
• Brilly’s Travel Insurance Advice February 18, 2013Would You Buy a Chocolate Teapot? As useless as…. well, there are few well-known ways to finish that sentence. A chocolate teapot, an ashtray on a motorbike, GrAnt on a Friday afternoon as he counts down the minutes to the weekend. There are a few more unsavoury ones, but this is a family website, so let’s ...
• Extended Car Warranties – Brillys Guide February 14, 2013Does your car warrant an extension? Surprisingly enough, young Ant Tony isn’t a fan of modern cars. He may be a bit of technological whizz kid, but when it comes to all things mechanical, he likes to get his hands dirty. Before getting a job at InsureAnts, Ant Tony took great pride in competing in Robot ...
• An Ants Guide to Choosing a Puppy February 7, 2013GrAnts certain we need a guard dog at InsureAnts HQ. He’s not happy with the 10-foot iron fence, CCTV and individual access codes for each member of staff. We all think it’s just an excuse for GrAnt to spend half the day on dog websites, picking out the best breed while the rest of us scurry ...
• HPI Text Checks – Steer Clear of Cars With a Chequered Past January 12, 2013 HPI Text Check for Used Car Buyers Peace of Mind Have you ever come across a deal that was just good to be true? When you’re shopping around for a used car, you can often have a budget in mind and after a while, you’ll soon realise what sort of car you can get for your cash. But ...
• Guide to Getting Your Motorbike Licence January 7, 2013Motorbikes are a licence to thrill (with the right paperwork of course) Even cheap motorbike insurance is totally worthless if you don’t have a licence to haul your hog (or lightweight scooter around). Brilly, unfortunately, has seen it all. Some eager bikers just can’t wait to get all the gear, the helmet, the leathers, oh and the ...
• How To Claim On Your Car Insurance November 21, 2012Keep Calm & Don’t Panic! The first aid kit in the InsureAnts office may not see the light of day too often, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come in handy from time to time – especially when Brilly and GrAnt go ‘chair-racing’. AntToinette is the InsureAnts’ designated first aider and so she’s the one who’ll reach ...
• Don’t Gamble With Your Health While Abroad October 16, 2012Get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) WHEN Brilly asked GrAnt if he had remembered to bring the cards with him on holiday, GrAnt had visions of late night poker games and cleaning out his friendly, yet naïve, fellow InsureAnt. Unfortunately for GrAnt, who was still working out if his box of poker chips would fit in ...
• Last Minute Travel September 26, 2012 It’s never too late to snap up a cheap holiday Nothing makes GrAnt happier than saving a few quid, so when he bagged a flight to the south of France for £25, he couldn’t wait to tell the rest of the InsureAnts. Of course, he had also bagged himself some cheap travel insurance due to all ...
• Cat Insurance – a Cat Lovers Guide September 19, 2012 We’re ‘feline’ good about cat insurance The InsureAnts are real animal lovers, that’s just one of the reasons they loving digging up a great deal on pet insurance for you. Brilly Ant really likes cats and is fascinated by how they can get endless hours of fun out of a ball of wool. Mind you, he ...
• UK Car Owners Focus on Fuel Economy September 3, 2012 You’d be a ‘fuel’ not to think about economy FOR GrAnt, ‘economy’ is about buying the cheapest teabags in the shop. You know, the ones you have to ring to within an inch of their lives just to get a half decent brew. But, apparently more and more motorists are concerned about fuel economy and actually feel ...
• Potholes and Your Car Insurance August 20, 2012 Don’t get stuck in a rut over potholes THERE’S nothing that will stop you in tracks like a pothole. Brilly was amazed at the amount of people who fall foul of potholes everyday as it seems that around 66% of motorists in the UK can come across anywhere between one and five a day. To be fair ...
• Brilly’s DIY Camper Van Plan August 15, 2012A new home on wheels – now that’s van-tastic I knew that young Ant Tony was a fan of building stuff, especially when it comes to four (or maybe more) wheels.  He’s always glued to that show on MTV (I remember when they just played music) that takes old battered cars, gives them a paint job, ...
• In-Car SatNav for the Elderly July 23, 2012SatNav keeping OAPs on the straight and narrow MY dear old nan isn’t really one for technology. Just last week I called round to see her and she spent a good five minutes trying to change the channel on her telly with my mobile phone. Still, she insists that she’d be lost without her car and regularly ...
• Ants Lose their Pants! July 12, 2012Last year, I’d been working so hard getting the worker ants set up at the new InsureAnts HQ that I was really looking forward to a well deserved break on my sunshine holiday in Magalluf. I’d even been going to the gym and working out for months beforehand, trying to get that perfect beach body (if you’re off to the ...
• The InsureAnts Mobile App July 9, 2012…Don’t Worry, Be Appy! The Coding Superhero known as Ant Tony has been at it again – not content with developing price-busting online insurance quote systems, he has now turned his hand to the world of mobile. The InsureAnts App is out now on Google Play for Android devices and you lucky iPhone owners can get it here: InsureAnts App ...
• Over 55′s Travelling the World July 6, 2012Golden globetrotters taking over the world Us little ants have a bit of a reputation for being able to carry quite large loads on our backs. It’s something which made inter-railing a lot easier back in the day. We may have had to endure grubby hostels, local delicacies and the complete inability to find a decent cuppa, ...
• Stay Healthy – Brillys Fitness Advice June 21, 2012 Exercise – just how do you ‘fit’ it all in? Whizzing round finding cheap insurance can be a busy job at times. It can be hard to fit in anything else in. I do like my extreme sports, GrAnt’s fond of his curries and karaoke, Ant Tony likes to lock himself away in his garage of hours ...
• Call for Alcohol Sensors in Cars June 11, 2012 Is new drink-driving technology a breath of fresh air? We may be able to unearth the best car insurance deals on the market here at InsureAnts HQ, but you have to keep your end of the bargain up too. Of course, we know that most of you are careful and sensible drivers, with probably the odd boy ...
• Green Travel June 6, 2012 Travel the World without costing the Earth “Green travel,” said GrAnt in that disbelieving way that only he can, “is that like Martians coming to Earth for their holidays or something.” “Not quite”, I replied. My old Ant chum’s idea of a sustainable holiday is being able to down a few Pina Coladas and monopolise the karaoke machine ...
• Petrol price wars aim to fuel confidence May 28, 2012 ‘WAR, what is it good for?’ ‘WAR, what is it good for?’ (No, I haven’t been raiding Adam’s CD collection!). Well, when it’s a petrol price war, then it’s good for everybody – everybody who drives a car that is. Hard up motorist are set to finally catch a break as the country’s big supermarkets are slashing ...
• Mother knows best when it comes to safe driving May 21, 2012 Slow Down Dad’s – Patience is a Virtue Dads, it seems that whether you think you’re Jenson Button or not, your kids aren’t impressed. A recent survey revealed that kids in the UK prefer to have their mum driving the car than dad.  GrAnt’s not impressed, however. He reckons having dad stuck in the passenger seat is ...
• DIY MOT – are you up to the test? May 17, 2012NOW, none of us at InsureAnts HQ would profess to be any great whizzes at DIY, but that still doesn’t stop GrAnt. Our files are bulging these days with more and more happy customers who have managed to save bucket loads of money on their car insurance. But instead of getting in a handyman to knock up ...
• The eco-car that does 584 miles to the gallon May 10, 2012 ..and where do you put the shopping? GrAnt can be a strange ant at times. Just the other day, I was telling him about sky diving I was doing in Cornwall. I was explaining the thrill of jumping out of the plane and then just free-falling for about a minute. “That sounds great,” GrAnt mumbled, as he ...
• Excessive Exesses May 3, 2012 EXCESS. Don’t talk to me about excess. The local supermarket were doing a BOGOF (buy one get one free) on pickled onion Monster Munch last week. Okay, so just because I bought 20 boxes, doesn’t mean I had to eat them all in one go, something I realised the hard way. In hindsight, I should have just ...