On Rental Cars

07/22/15

So, I'm in a fairly spacious Kia Cenrento packed to the brim with computers, monitors, luggage, and food and more than half-way towards my Dallas destination.

I've recently noticed a stratch on the rear right door that was certainly there when I rented it, and I'm hoping I don't get blamed for it somehow as I didn't notice it in the dimly lit garage where I got the car.

Ah, well. it's not something I have to deal with now, if I even ever have to deal with it (I probably don't).

Anyways, just the act of renting this car will cost a little more $250. Though, that'll be split some five ways, so not too damaging. Gas will cost about the same, perhaps, but that's the cost of driving a not too fuel-efficient vehicle.

But something has occurred to me while going through this process, while at the same time reading Mr. Money Mustache.

You see, he has a post about the intelligent way to buy a car, and I realized that it seems, if done correctly, I could buy a perfectly nice used car, get some insurance, use it for a month or two for my vehicle-based vacations, then cancel the insurance and sell the car for the same price, more-or-less, that I bought it for. Effectively renting a car for cost of insuring it.

There are almost certainly other hidden costs there, but those probably could be minimized with experience and gaining a better knowledge of cars.

I think I'll delay my next road-trip vacation until I can try this experiment out. Though, I'd like to delay vacations that cost me money as much as possible until I retire.

We'll see how that works out.