Rent a car

Here's something I just saved several hundred dollars on, and thought I'd pass it on. The family and I are taking a trip in a few weeks, to go see my folks for a belated Christmas visit. This year, instead of me and the wife, and one small beagle, we have me, the wife, the new baby boy, the beagle, and a rather rambunctious retriever/dalmation mix...not to mention all the accessories that come with a new baby (stroller, car seat, diapers, etc), that take up a lot of room. Add to that Christmas presents we're taking with us, and gifts we'll be bringing back. Not going to be making a 12 hour drive in our 4 door sedan with all that. Plus, all the wear and tear on our vehicle for a trip like that. What to do, what to do?


Well, we decided to rent a minivan. We found a great deal for a week, with unlimited mileage, and it will hold everything we need. It was kind of pricey though, first looking at the prices (one rental company wanted almost $800...too much!) Anyway, being the frugal, deal minded guy that I am, I started my hunt for the elusive, outstanding car rental discount deal.

I spent a good amount of time searching, and finally found a huge, fairly comprehensive list of discount codes, at Slick Deals. It's broken down by most of the major rental companies. Now, it might take some time to sift through them, but it is well worth it. Also, be sure to read the terms of each company. I found an AWESOME deal on renting a Suburban (that was my first choice), which was less than the minivan...but it only had limited mileage for a select few states, and since we would be leaving those states, the cost per mileage, made it too expensive. Just make sure you look, because some codes give a cheaper price, because of some restrictions like the mileage. Read the small print.

So, we ended up getting the van, after using a code I found, and we saved about $200, and have unlimited mileage. Again, it might take a little leg work to sift through the codes, as some are no longer valid, but you can find that one, that will give you enough savings, to make it all worthwhile.