$avvy $avings on Rental Cars

stock images courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

We are planning a big trip in August to go several states away, hundreds of miles.  We will need to take extra cargo for our trip.  We have 5 adult sized people in our family and our van is just too small.

SO, we decided to bite the bullet and rent a van, full size with room for 12.  That should about do it with all our stuff in there! :)

I started to search on the internet for rental places and prices.

Let me give you the skinny....if a vacation with a rental vehicle is in your future, make the reservation online AFTER you have searched for online discounts and coupons.  I went with Avis only because they had the size of van that I needed.

 I saved $200 by making the reservation online with a discount.

I know because I made the reservation first by talking to a real person, at the local Avis place, who would not even consider entering any coupons...and no email receipt......and took tons of information about me all except for my shoe size....and then I had to cancel that reservation after I made the better one online.

Also if you need an unusual size like we did, make your reservation early, even months ahead because they book up and you may be out if you wait to reserve. You can cancel up to 48 hours before the trip (check with the company that you choose) if you need to make a change.

Save yourself some time and money.....do it online.    :)

Hope you have a great summer!

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Outwitting The Hotel-room Coffeemaker

{Gloria here!} Coffee! Can't live without it!  But what to do when you are away from home and staying in a hotel for a weekend?

It's really nice that the hotel offers free coffee samples... but there are only two!  I don't know about you but that is not going to last a weekend for me!

Let me share with you my DIY On-The-Go Coffee method. This will work in most hotel coffee makers (but not the kind that use the K-cup). This works for hot tea also!!

Before you leave home, pack a supply of 8-10 cup coffee filters, grab a handful, for as many cups of coffee that you will want.  Stash some coffee (already ground) in a ziploc bag, take plenty!  And bring a spoon if you want to measure out your coffee.  You might want to bring your favorite to-go cup, too!!

Put the coffee in the middle of the filter, enough for a cup of coffee.  Carefully draw up the edges of the filter and give it a twist.  Fold it over so it fits into the machine.  Place it in the basket and slide it in place.  Add the proper amount of water and press start!

In three minutes, a fresh cup of coffee made with your favorite brand of coffee!

Because I wanted to fill my to-go cup, I added a little more coffee to the filter and used it twice.

I hope this helps you on your next trip to be able to enjoy fresh brewed coffee in your usual quantities!!

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