Here are some great tips to save money on transportation and travel…

When it comes to travel NEVER buy tickets or rental cars from the first place you look. Take your time to shop around, look at several airlines, look at cheap travel sites like Priceline.com and cheaptickets.com. Call different rental car companies in your destination spot and ask for discounted rates. Haggle a bit, there’s a lot of bargaining room at the rental car companies but most people don’t ask. I rented a convertible once (regularly $80 a day) for only $35! And once they gave me the deal the first time, I asked for it EVERY time I rented a car from them. I’m sure I wasn’t their favorite customer but I was always pleasant and friendly. And trust me, once I got a great deal, I was a HAPPY customer, and every company could use a few more happy customers. Also look at rental cars that aren’t at teh airport, they’re often far less expensive and will usually come pick you up from the airport. It’s a little more time consuming, but saving a few hundred dollars is absolutely worth an hour of your time.

When it comes to your car (the one you own, not the rental) there are several things you can do to cut costs. Believe it or not, spending a little money to keep your car tuned and well maintained could save you $100 a year in gas, not to mention increase the life of your vehicle which will save you in the long run.
For vehicle repairs, make sure you know who is fixing your car. Make sure the shop is certified and well established. Know the costs before any work is completed, you don’t want to be surprised when you’re handed an outrageous bill at the end. Be careful of friends/family offering to do the repairs for you. Some things are simple, and I wouldn’t mind trying to do myself or have a friend help me out. Some things on the other hand, are not simple and could cost you a LOT more in the long run if they aren’t done correctly. Me for example, as a teenager my Dad always did my vehicle repairs, and for some reason he always had parts leftover when he’d put my car back together, and for some reason, I’d break down again, and again, and again. One time, when trying to fix some electrical in my dash, he accidentally touched two wires together and they sparked and melted together. He said “oh, I’m sure it’s fine” (typical Dad answer) and a few miles down the freeway, my car was on fire… literally on fire!!! Needless to say, my little car was sent to early retirement because I saved money by letting my Dad do repairs that a professional should have been doing.

Don’t forget to shop around for better gas prices, I’m not suggestion you drive 50 miles out of your way to get the cheapest gas in town, but go to your cheapest local gas station and you could save a few hundred dollars a year. I use gasbuddy.com to find prices at my local station.

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