Then there’s the travel guides you can have them print out for free. I have had several occasions where my GPS gets lost and/or the battery dies, and the travel ticket comes in handy.

And I use roadside assistance ALL the time. At least twice a year, if not, much more. I’ve had them tow my car once for a bad alternator (thanks to my mechanic making a mistake,) start my battery, change my tire . . . even if these are tasks I could do on my own, it’s a lot safer to call someone to do them for free. I really hope people don’t take this article seriously because AAA is fantastic.

I don’t know where you complainers live – but if you live in or around NYC and don’t have triple A – get your head examined!

In a way, it’s like gambling at a casino. You may win sometimes. In fact, there is a chance that you could win big. In the end, though, most folks are leaving the casino with less money. It’s the casino that’s doing well–not the patrons.

There are times when it seems AAA is the better deal. And if peace of mind is what you want, then like any other insurance company, AAA will do the trick. But over a ten year period, while you may use their services several times, most of the time you are paying for a large number of employees to perform services you will never use.

Roadside service? Again, over time, a AAA member will pay for two dispatchers whereas a non-member will pay for just one.

Discounts? AAA may have been the best for discounts before the rise of the internet. Today, I have found that simply selecting “best rate” or “internet rate” on various travel websites have provided me with a better rate than selecting “AAA” in the discount field. Not always, but most of the time.

In summary, and IMO of course, AAA is not the best value. They get the bigger end of the financial stick, otherwise, they would cease to exist.

The one nice thing about AAA, or other road side service, is that you can pick up your cell phone and have a tow truck on the way. When we were sitting on the busy Chicago Skyway Bridge and couldn’t get a listing for State Patrol (Poison Control, Liquor Control??) or a tow truck company, it was pretty horrible!

If you don’t have AAA I’d recommend keeping a list of regional tow truck companies in your car.

We are a military family and travel all over the country. Plus my husband gets deployed or travels far away constantly. When I’m alone, generally I’m stuck without anyone to call. AAA has come to my rescue many times, with tows, getting the dog unlocked from the car, and providing us with maps and travel books in the pre-smart phone and internet days. Even now we like the paper maps and books, because we have many unplanned trips and moves. It’s nice to unfold a large map to get a view of the whole picture and find alternate routes or have a travel guide to tell you which attractions give AAA discounts or have free admission (like art museums)Plus I do get a general idea of hotel prices and pet policies from the travel guides quickly without having to look up each single hotel on the smart phone in a metropolitan area you have never visited (and it’s 10pm).Kayak just doesn’t do it for me then.

Towing/auto calls have sometimes taken a long time, but mostly we’ve been helped within a little more than an hour, even at night. We’ve taken advantage of many discounts, including free Full Protection Value of our household goods during a long distance move on our own dollar, or other times we’ve used the discount for renting our own moving truck. I’ve saved a few bucks with the on-line shopping portal. We can get passport photos, have gotten travelers checks for international travel, and I believe I’ve used free notary service.

Membership isn’t really “cheap” at the upgraded levels, but the nice thing is that you have access to these services for a known price if you would be traveling and using these services anyhow. I’m all about the cost savings and peace of mind. I wouldn’t renew my membership if I weren’t getting value out of it or been treated well in the past.

Yes, If I’m planning a vacation, I can get other better hotel discounts often (not always), and find great airfares or cruises, etc. on my own. And I’m very proficient at doing that. But those few times I was stuck on the highway shoulder alone or was traveling at night with my cousin when the car broke down, I’ve been really happy to have someone to call. And saving on other things is the icing on the cake for us.