Whether it’s due to an old-fashioned wish to head over the river and through the woods or a protest against unwanted intimacy via new airport security measures, more people are expected to hit the road than fly the skies this holiday season. If you’re one of them, here are five tips to cut your costs before you head out on the highway:
1. Fill up at low gas prices. You can search for the lowest prices in your area on GasBuddy.com or GasPriceWatch.com before your trip. To find the best prices while en route, you can text GasBuddy at 368266, type “gasbuddy” and your current zip code or city and state, and get a response in a few seconds with stations and prices in your area (standard texting rates apply). And of course, there’s an app for that: The GasBuddy application is available for Droids. For iPhones, AAA’s free TripTik Mobile application will point you to the nearest gas stations and list the latest price information.
2. Check your car’s health. To avoid costly (not to mention time-consuming and just plain annoying) car trouble along your holiday road trip, AAA suggests you check your tire pressure and tread, wiper blades and battery connections. Also, Progressive Insurance recommends always keeping some gas in your tank to keep the fuel line from freezing.
3. Rent a car. If your wheels aren’t road-ready, good news – according to AAA, car rental rates are down 4 percent from last year to an average $42 per day for a mid-size car. Visit Hotwire.com for the best listed car rental rates, or try bidding lower at Priceline.com. But remember to watch out for sneaky fees: You may not need their extra collision damage waiver insurance, and you can skip their charges for gas, a GPS or an EZPass by covering those costs yourself.
4. Prepare for the worst. Winter-road trouble is exactly the kind of thing you save for in an emergency fund. Be sure you have easy access to that stash of cash before you pull out of the driveway, so you can avoid putting any crisis charges on your credit card and risk incurring extra fees. If you have to use credit, pay it off as soon as possible. Other supplies Progressive Insurance and AAA recommend for your emergency holiday road kit: an ice scraper, a small shovel, your cell phone complete with emergency numbers, including your insurer, a flashlight with extra batteries, blankets, jumper cables
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, kitty litter and water.5. Share a ride. You can find travel buddies to split gas costs with you through sites such as eRideShare.com or CarPoolConnect.com. But if being trapped in a car with strangers makes you nervous, try reaching out for a ride through your social networks either by Facebook, Twitter or word of mouth.
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