On the Discussion Board Today: Car Rentals

You guys have helped our family wade through all kinds of random matters over the past who-knows-how-many years I’ve been blogging away early mornings and late nights.

We’ve talked about grocery budgets and the ever-popular topic of mascara.  (Which, by the way – I am working through your suggestions and although I really want to try those $30 a tube types, I’m working my way down the list in order (I told you I don’t wear it often) and have had pretty good success with the first suggestion – the cheap green Cover girl non-waterproof kind.  No weird two days later smudges yet!)

One year when I was desperate at Thanksgiving for a holiday tradition – Jessica shared an idea that has become a family favorite since then – the signing of the table runner.

In other words – you guys are great.

And, I’m coming back to you with a new question today.

So.

We have this wonderful summer adventure ahead of us – right?

This Prairie Adventure.

And we have this well-loved, well-worn Suburban that has served our family ceaselessly as we’ve morphed from just Kevin and I to a family of eight within less years than people added to the Keigley name.

At 235,000 miles and a couple of wonky features just hanging in there on our old Suburban (whose name is Sully in case you were wondering) Kevin and I think that maybe driving old Sully north and west and then back east again seems unnecessarily risky.

Which brings me rather slowly along to the point of this particular post.

Car rentals.

If you guys can figure out holidays and make up and low cost groceries, surely you have some advice on car rentals.

I’ve done all the regular methods – you know, internet searches, Priceline, Travelocity, Kayak, several car rental websites.  We have Triple A and we’ve gotten a quote through them too.

The thing is – it’s incredibly expensive.

And maybe – that’s just what it is going to be.

Maybe there is no good deal or low price out there.  I haven’t rented a car in a very long time.

But it just seems like I’m missing something.  Some insider knowledge.  Like – you know when you’re buying plane tickets and people have all this stored up knowledge I never knew about — buy on Tuesdays, stay over a Saturday night, fly Southwest.  You know, stuff people act as if I should have known but I’ve never heard of.

So I figure maybe that’s true of car rentals too.

Maybe there’s a trick I’m missing.  Maybe there’s a day that’s best to make your reservation or a website that offers low rates or some magic formula and secret handshake I’m just not aware of.

Which is what I’m asking from you guys today.

The tricks.  The ideas.  The I’ve-done-this-every-time-and-it-always-works-for-me plans.

Here’s the specifics, if that helps.  We need unlimited mileage.  And we need it to be big.  I think really a Suburban or Expedition is what we have in mind.  Which is a little funny, I know.  But a minivan just doesn’t give us quite enough space for cargo and bodies and a bigger passenger van just feels too giant and expensive.

So, my friends, thanks for sharing any ideas you have.

Maybe when we put all of our experiences together in one giant pool here, we’ll all have loads of ideas to come back to in the future!

Seriously – you guys are helpful.

And I appreciate it!