The Good Life For Less: Driving With Good 'Cents' (Part 2)

There are so many money saving tips when it comes to rental cars that I needed a part two to this blog to fit them all in. So here are a few more!

Do You Already Have Insurance?

See if the credit card you used to rent the car already covers rental insurance because often times you can avoid the pricey insurance the rental car company provides if you are card member. This is a big one I recently discovered that can save lots of money.

You will want to call your credit card company directly to find out what exactly they cover and what you will have to purchase from the rental company if you want more insurance. This is not covered if you use a debit card. The main thing about this type of coverage is that your credit company's insurance department usually wants you to call them first if you are in an accident and you will of course want to check with your credit card company first to see if you qualify. Here are some links to the big name credit card companies' insurance benefits.

Visa | Discover | American Express | MasterCard

This is a really nice benefit of being a credit card holder that I had no idea about until recently.

Read! Read! Read!

Read terms of conditions carefully and check the terms and fees -- state and local taxes, additional driver fees, insurance, airport surcharges, gas bills and drop-off charges.

Whatever company may seem cheapest at first glance may not be if they add on a trunk load of fees.

Skip The First Night

Late flight? Or are you staying near the airport on the first night? Cut costs by not picking up a car until the next day. It is often cheaper just to take a shuttle to your hotel and avoid the day's charge for the car rental.

On that same note, try not to fill up at gas stations near the airport -- they tend to be more expensive.

Just Buy The GPS

If you are thinking about renting a GPS for your rental car -- STOP!  Think long term and just buy a nice refurbished one, which you can get between $50-$150 online. If you already own one, bring it with. Rental companies may charge $10 or more a day to use one and you don't get to keep it at the end of your trip.

Know any other car rental tips? Share them with fellow 'Good Lifers' below!

-Alison Lorge is a web producer and consumer blogger at WCCO.