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By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
The day I got my driver’s license my mother bought me an Automobile Club of America (AAA) membership. She continued to gift me the renewal fee on that membership for many years. Her gift, thankfully, kept me from being stranded on the road many times.
Every time I whipped out my AAA card and called for a service truck, I always thought of my mother. I would call and thank her while I waited for the tow truck to arrive. I think she planned it that way.
I have used my membership privileges (this link opens a word document) to get help:
- jump starting my battery in the dead of winter
- changing a flat tire in the blazing sun
- opening a locked car door when the keys were still in the car and I was not
- towing my car to a mechanic when I broke down in the middle of nowhere
- registering my car with the DMV without having to GO to the DMV (priceless)
A basic AAA membership averages a $1 a week. (Prices vary in different parts of the country.) Any one of the above services would have cost more than I paid for my yearly membership. Upgrades to the membership give you additional benefits including a much larger free towing radius. Check to see if there are current coupon codes available before signing up.
You can even use your card to get roadside help if you are just the passenger in the car. This is the biggest difference between AAA and other roadside assistance programs. A gift of an AAA membership is a great way to help out a low income friend.
Without a doubt, I have gotten my money’s worth from this company. Besides the roadside services, you can also get discounts on phone service, amusement park tickets, air fares, free maps and atlas’, hotel and food discounts, discounted car rentals, free reviews of auto repair shops, passport services, and international driving permits. Check out the discounts in your area.
I never fully appreciated the value of my AAA membership until the day that my son got his driver’s license. I realized that he was about to hit the road and I wouldn’t be there to watch over him. On that day, I purchased his AAA membership. Maybe someday he’ll call me and say “Thanks Mom.”
April 7th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
You are so right! I’ve saved hundreds on my home and auto insurance through AAA, as well as gotten breaks on hotel rooms, car rentals and even my Reebok sneakers. But my favorite AAA story is when they came to our house and opened my car, which was parked in the garage. I had left our dog in it for a few minutes with the keys in the ignition, and he stepped on the “lock all doors” button. I was embarrassed, until the AAA driver told me, “I get calls like this a few times per week”!
April 7th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Or better yet join Better World Club as an auto club and get $40 back each year on gas! And you’re not helping to destroy the environment at the same time.
April 7th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Oh, Jeannie, I LOVE this story about your dog!
I want to read more great AAA rescues.
April 7th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I get roadside assistance through my car insurance for only $12 a year, $1 a month. Does everything AAA does, but without the hotel, etc. discounts. not knocking aaa, just thought I’d let your readers know of an even cheaper service that does the same thing, in the spirit of a bargain
April 7th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
AAA is priceless! I’ve never been without it for over 40 years of driving! At my local AAA office they sell movie theater tickets for $7.00 (I believe). That in it’s self is a big saver along with lots of great discount and services.
As a side note: STEVE…shame on you. Didn’t your mom teach you if you have nothing nice to say…don’t say anything at all. KARMA baby and a hug too!
April 7th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
As an emplloyee of AAA in FL for the past 24 years (most of that time I’ve worked for the Emergency Road Service Dept), I have to agree that the membership is a bargain for what you get. Because AAA has been around for over 100 years now, we still have the major corner on experience in providing Road Service. Remember, many of the other Road Service companies still operate by the member having to pay for and then be reimbursed for their service, but we provide the service directly. Also: many of the major public services AAA provides you don’t even have to be a member for. We’ve always been first in pulbic safety: namely the School Safety Patrol Program, not to mention the Tow To Go Program with Anheiser Busch that operates in the SE part of the country that provides a free tow and safe ride home for people who have had too much to drink during the maor holiday seasons, thus making the roads safer for us all. The other Road Service companies don’t provide these valuable services. You get what you pay for.
April 8th, 2010 at 10:28 am
As a member, you can also get free maps and trip information. You can handle many DMV transactions in AAA office. Check out their insurance offers. They may be cheaper than your present policy. Besides, you will get about 8-10 percent annual bonus on the premium you pay.