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Rent a Benz for a Bill

September 16, 2014|By David Lester

Photo on 2014-09-12 at 4.56 PM

 

Hi everyone,

As promised here are my tips and tricks on how I got a Mercedes Benz for cheap to boot around Spain in!  As my loyal readers know, I LOVE nice cars, but I also love saving money.  So how would a money saavy car lover like me get a Mercedes convertible for the price of a normal car?  I’ll tell you how because I love you guys.  🙂

1. Don’t Pay For Half Days:  Try to save a day by returning the car at the same time you rented it.  I was originally going to return my car at 10:30am on Sunday but decided to drop it off at 10pm the night before and I saved an entire day PLUS parking for that night.  Win, win.

2.  Get Unlimited Mileage:  Almost all car companies give this now but make sure you get it so you don’t have any mileage restrictions.

3.  Use Your Gold or Elite Credit Card to Wave the Extra Insurance:  This will save you quite a bit compared to what they offer for comprehensive insurance.

4. Fill Up the Car Yourself Before Returning It:  The rental company will offer to fill up the car for you or will charge you big fees if you don’t bring the car back full of fuel.  Plan some extra time and fill the car back up yourself and save big.  If you had them fill the car up and you still had half a tank – you’d be out half a tank of money. Hells no.

5. Check ALL the Travel Sites For The Best Rate:  Check Travelocity, expedi.ca, etc. – THEN check the rental car company site and see if it is cheaper.

6. Look for a Promo Code:  Search for a rental car company promo code all over the internet.  It’ll shock you how easy these are to find and will save you tons.  Simply search “promo code budget” or whatever your rental company would be. Do it! 🙂

7. Book the Nicest But Cheapest Luxury Car: There are different levels of rental cars, be sure to book the lowest level luxury car or the level just below luxury.  The plan is to get upgraded anyway we can!

8. Pick Up Your Car Late In The Day:  Make sure that you pick up the car late in the day if you can.  That way most of the cars will be gone and you’ll be able to get one of their premium luxury cars because that is all that will be left!

9. Reserve the Car With the Option to Cancel:  Reserve the car online before you arrive but make sure that you have the option to cancel.  This will allow you to have options if your luxury car isn’t available.  You can cancel and book through the rental company directly or visit another rental company.

10.  Ask For a Better Deal.  When you get the the counter be charming and ask if you got the best deal! Make an adorable duck face and ask what cars they have available and if they are low on cars you’ll be able to rent the premium luxury cars for the lower price, like I did!

There is nothing better than driving a sweet ass car for the price of a normal rental car.  I had the best time booting around in my Benz with the top down and euro-beats pumping.  I stopped at awesome old castles, Roman ruins, vineyards, and adorable Spanish towns along the way.  I also used the navigation to avoid as many tolls as possible and saved a ton there too.

Have an awesome week and I’ll share my list of Indigo and Chapters book signings in my next blog.  I hope to meet all of my readers while I’m touring my new book From Middle Class to Millionaire!

Dave

Photo on 2014-09-12 at 4.57 PM

David Lester
About David Lester

David Lester is a best selling author and professional Financial Coach, helping people be better with their money. David has written a personal finance book that breaks with traditional attitudes towards finance and describes his own philosophy to money that he has gained through his personal and professional experiences. His philosophy on money applies to many areas of everyday life, including banking, investing, goal setting, shopping and entertainment.