Hi, My Name's Liesel

If you are planning on renting a car, you might be dreading the cost of doing so. The advertisements can make car rentals seem really reasonably priced, but once all of the fees and such are added on, the costs can be more expensive than you expected. Luckily, there are a few ways to save money on car rentals, so give these ideas a try to save money next time you need one.

1. Use Your Own Insurance

One of the main things that your car rental company might try to push you to do is to pay for additional insurance. Many of these companies offer insurance coverage for a daily fee, but these costs can be expensive and unnecessary. There is a good chance that your own auto insurance policy will cover you while you are driving your rental, so call and ask. If so, there is no reason to pay the added fee for separate car rental insurance. If this is not an option, check with your credit card company; some companies will actually provide insurance coverage on the vehicle that you rent while you're driving it, if you use your credit card to secure and pay for the rental.

2. Find Out if Your Insurance Company Will Cover It

If you are renting a car for a vacation, your auto insurance policy might provide coverage while you're driving the vehicle, but your insurance company probably will not pay the daily rental fee. However, depending on your policy and whether or not you have rental car coverage, your insurance company might pay for you to rent a comparable vehicle to your own when your vehicle is out of commission, such as after a car accident. To find out, call your car insurance agent or check your policy documents.

3. Skip the Extras

All of the little extras that can go along with rental cars, such as a GPS navigation system, really add up in costs in many cases. Instead of just opting for all of the bells and whistles that the rental company offers you -- after all, each low daily rental fee might not seem like much until it is all added up -- consider whether or not you really need them. For example, you may be able to use your smartphone for navigation purposes rather than renting a unit from the rental car company.

As you can see, there are multiple ways that you can save money on a car rental. Give these three tips some consideration, and you may be able to save a significant amount when renting a vehicle.