How to save big on long-term car rentals……So here’s the thing: I didn’t mean to rent a car for three months. It started as one week. Then another. Then another. Kinda like when you tell yourself you’re just gonna “try” the gym for a month and suddenly you own resistance bands you’ve never touched.
Anyway—this all started last year when my car totally gave up on me. Like, it didn’t even go out with drama. No smoke, no explosion. It just… didn’t start. Not even a click. Just silence. Like it was done with me.
So I was left carless in a city that has zero chill when it comes to public transport. (If you know, you know. Looking at you, Phoenix.)
I googled “how to save big on long-term car rentals” while sobbing into a cold grilled cheese. And friends… I found some stuff. Some of it was accidental. Some of it was low-key genius. Some of it might’ve been illegal in Europe but totally fine here. Let’s dive in—kidding! Let’s chaotically tumble into this story together.
🚙 Step One: Never Book the Obvious Choice First
The first mistake people make when looking for cheap long-term car rentals? They just go to Enterprise’s homepage and click “rent.” That’s what I did. And I almost paid $1,287. For three weeks. I almost passed out.
So I did what any broke genius would do—I opened five incognito tabs and started comparing rates like I was planning a heist. Hertz, Avis, Budget, Kayak, Expedia, even Craigslist (which was a mistake because someone tried to rent me a 2004 minivan with no doors).
Here’s the thing:
Third-party travel sites often have better long-term deals than rental sites themselves. Sometimes weirdly better. Like, I booked a car for $420 on Expedia and the same car was $688 on Avis’s own site.
Also? Try apps like Turo (kinda like Airbnb but for cars) or HyreCar if you’re feeling adventurous.
💡 Hot Tip: Rent Weekly, Not Monthly
This was some Game of Thrones level trickery I discovered accidentally.
Renting a car for 4 weeks sounds smart, right? WRONG. Rental companies actually charge more per day for monthly rentals than weekly ones sometimes.
So what I did was book 7-day rentals, back-to-back, and just extended them each week through the app. Magically cheaper. Like $200 less a month cheaper.
The guy at the rental counter looked at me like I hacked the matrix. I just shrugged and said, “I read a blog.” (Which, now that I think of it, is a little ironic since I’m now writing the blog.)
🚘 Avoid Airports Like You Avoid Exes
If you’re picking up your long-term rental from the airport—STOP.
Airport rentals are jacked up with all kinds of taxes and fees because, apparently, breathing airport air costs extra. I once got charged a $93 “concession recovery fee.” What the heck is that? Were they recovering from giving me a car?
Solution: Pick up your rental from a neighborhood location. Like 20 minutes away from the airport. Uber there and still save.
My last non-airport rental was $160 cheaper than the airport version for the exact same car. (Same crumbs in the cupholder and everything.)
💳 Join All the Rewards Programs (Even If You Forget the Passwords Later)
Look, I know—rewards programs feel like the punch cards of adulthood. But they work.
I joined Enterprise Plus, Hertz Gold, and Budget Fastbreak. Did I remember to check all of them every time? Nope. But when I remembered, I’d magically get 10-15% off or a free upgrade.
And let me tell you, getting upgraded from a Nissan Versa to a Toyota Camry felt like winning the lottery. I could feel the Bluetooth working better. And yes, I totally blasted Lizzo with the windows down like I owned that thing.
🧾 Hidden Fees Are the Devil
Okay, so I learned this the hard way. On one rental, I returned the car 38 minutes late.
They charged me an entire extra day. I almost screamed.
So here’s what I learned:
- Set alarms for your return times. Like three of them.
- Fill up the gas yourself—even if you’re hangry. Their refuel charges are robbery with a smile.
- Skip the rental insurance if your personal auto insurance covers you (or your credit card does—shoutout to Chase Sapphire).
Also, never let them upsell you on GPS. It’s 2025. You have a phone. Unless you’re planning to drive into the middle of nowhere and intentionally get lost, just say no.
🏁 One Weird Hack (I Swear This Isn’t Spam)
Okay this one’s weird—but it actually saved me over $300.
Ready?
Call. Them. Directly.
Yep. I know. On the phone? Ew. But sometimes when you call a local branch and say, “Hey, I need a car for a few weeks, anything you can do on price?”—they’ll lower it for you. Especially if it’s a slow week or if they’ve got inventory they want to move.
One time the guy knocked off $18/day because I said I’d pick it up that night. I was like, “Are you legally allowed to do that?” and he was like, “Don’t worry about it.”
Legend.
🚦Quickfire Money-Saving Tips (Because I’m Already Rambling)
- Use browser extensions like Honey or Rakuten to auto-test coupons. You never know.
- Book compact cars—but hope they’re out so you get upgraded. (It happens!)
- Look for local rental companies. Smaller names like Fox or Payless can be half the price.
- Say no to toll packages unless you’re road-tripping through a toll apocalypse.
- Always compare weekly vs monthly pricing—even if the math makes no sense.
Final Thoughts: how to save big on long-term car rentals
Look, renting a car for weeks or months feels a little weird. It’s like wearing someone else’s pants for a really long time. They work, but you know they’re not yours.
But if your car’s in the shop, or you’re in-between rides, or you’re just out here trying to road-trip your way through a life crisis—there are ways to make it affordable.
You just have to outwit the system a little. Be sneaky. Be curious. Ask dumb questions. Channel your inner coupon-loving grandma.
And don’t get suckered into buying their overpriced bottled water. (Yes, they tried.)
🍕 Bonus: If you really wanna go full frugal ninja, check out this Reddit thread where someone lived out of their rental SUV for three months. Wild and oddly inspiring.
