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I just have to start this post out by saying that I have some Awesome Readers! I just love when you leave comments with tips and ideas to help each other save even more. I got some great reader suggestions the other day on my post about Saving Money on Rental Cars and I thought I would pass them along.
Plus, this is a great time to mention that if don’t regularly check out the comments on posts they can be a great source of information. All of my readers are so helpful and often answer questions or post updates to a deal before I can get back to my computer.
Alright, that’s enough introduction, here are my Top 5 Reader Tips for Saving Money on Rental Cars
Use Cash Back Sites like Shop At Home and Ebates to Purchase Your Rental Car –
Jennifer said “We just rented our last car through ShopAtHome.com. I started there, searched for Budget Rental, and clicked through their link. Doing that scored me over $20 in cash back from ShopAtHome.com. If you have an account with them – or with a similar cash back website – it might be worth checking to see if you can shop through them. That way you’re getting something back after the rental.”
You can sign up for Shop At Home and Ebates and check the prices on each site to see which will give you the best deal.
Compare Total Prices Including Taxes and Fees –
Lecia said “while the airport car rentals will have the lowest rate, they will also have the highest fees and taxes, so make you look at the total cost, not just the daily rate when you book.”
This is such a big point that I completely forgot to mention in my original post, so thanks to Lecia for pointing out that You need to compare apples to apples. Make sure you get a quote including Taxes and Fees so that you aren’t surprised in the end.
Check for Membership Discounts –
Kim suggested that “you can gets codes from Sams Club, from your credit card, from being a member of different organizations (i.e. bar associations, realtor associations” so make sure you check with any local or national organizations to see if they offer discounts. This will require a little bit of work, but hopefully it will pay off in savings.
Bring Your Own “Amenities” –
I mentioned Checking Your Insurance to see if it covers rental cars, but Kelly reminded me that you can also bring along extra’s like a GPS System for an additional savings. “We just rented a car when we took a trip to the Gulf Coast of Florida. They wanted to charge us $12/day to rent a GPS. Well, Hubby said no thank you and packed ours from home in his suitcase! We saved $84+taxes in that alone!”
Search for Online Coupon Codes -
Janell suggested using online sites such as MouseSavers or Retail Me Not to search for coupon codes. This will give you access to codes and discounts you might not have thought of on your own.
If you missed the first post in this series make sure you check out How to Save Money Renting a Car.
I would love for you to send me tips and suggestions of other topics you would like me to cover in the next few weeks. Just send me a quick email at heather (at) passionforsavings (dot) com or you can just Leave a Comment on this post.
(Photo Credit: Suss-Man)
