<p>I get roadside assist and towing from my auto insurance company (Amica) for $16 per car per year. I have used it several times in the past few years and they always have someone out to the car within 60 minutes. They give us an 800 number that is manned 24/7. Unless you plan on using the discounts AAA offers on travel and other things, see if your insurance company offers anything.</p>
<p>We pay $87 for AAA & have used them for towing, jumping batteries and the like (we have older cars 1998-2005) it has been quite helpful for us. In fact, I have once gotten a notice we would be given an extra charge if I used it again, since I had used them 3 times in one year (each member can use them for up to 3 times for road service). I do use their tourbooks & sometimes their discounts and maps as well, to get a general sense of where we’re going.</p>
<p>It costs more for the 100 mile tow package, but in HI, we have never needed to tow more than 5 miles. We will insist that S get the 100 mile tow package when he gets his AAA membership & drives across the country from LA to DC/VA this summer. It will be peace of mind for us, as his car is a 1992!</p>
<p>I think I’ll do this for a year and see how it goes. I like the additional discount aspect, and that it covers the person regardless of which vehicle he’s in. (I know these college kids are always piling into cars to go here and there.) And I’ll definitely look into that map thing!</p>
<p>Just got my AAA bill:
For my H and I: $89
Add my D: $32
Add AAA Plus: :$33
Total: $153</p>
<p>Worth every bit!</p>
<p>Since my husband took over paying the bills years ago, I decided to login to my AAA account and take a look at what we are paying.</p>
<p>My husband is $51 and the 2 kids and myself are $30 each. Then I notice a charge for AAA Plus-my husband is $33 and the kids and I are each charged $23! :0 My husband has the horrible habit of paying bills without any questions. I think when AAA sent this last renewal, AAA Plus was offered and my husband just paid it not paying any attention; I guess he might have thought we had Plus all along. </p>
<p>Just looked at the difference and see why we now have the Plus. Our mechanic is 10 miles from out house and with 2 cars over 10 years old, I think my husband went with the Plus for the towing. The basic only includes 4- 5 mile tows, while the Plus includes 4-100 mile tows. With the kids out of town and on the road more often, I guess the Plus is better for us.</p>
<p>Probaby about $205.00/year, we have the PLUS for 5 drivers, H & I and 3 kids.
Usually pays for it self, somebody always end up in a snow bank at least once a year!
The Discounts come in handy too.</p>
<p>^^^ We pay about the same as snowball for one adult and 2 kids. Husband has a newer car with 5 years of roadside assistance so we don’t cover him. D1 has a new car, with same included for 5 years BUT BF has an old car with 150,000+ and the AAA card covers any car the holder is in whether driving or riding, so I think i will keep it for now for $30.</p>
<p>Before D1’s old car failed, I loved that she had it. One lock-out a year, a one-time battery failure (and the AAA guy that came to jump could sell a battery on the spot with good warranty and even better price–DEAL), one tow every year or two. </p>
<p>D2’s car is a 1999 and mine is a 2003 and I like the peace of mind.</p>
<p>We have the plus coverage, and if you have 100 miles of towing, you CAN use one card and get a 100 mile tow and another family member can get a second 100 mile tow, so you can get 200 miles if needed. </p>
<p>And the discounts are great. i think they nearly pay for half of the membership.</p>
<p>dropped AAA and have towing through my insurance company for about $15/year. also dropped AARP. I get discounts through my work, so don’t need AAA/AARP discounts, magazines or marketing</p>
<p>We dropped AAA for one year, and then decided it was worth the money. The maps, trip books, discounts for travel are wonderful, but the most important piece was the quality of the local contracts for towing and roadside assistance. AAA had contracts with the most towing company, so we didn’t have to wait for 3 hours again in a bad Chicago neighborhood. We have used the roadside assistance for dead batteries, towing, keys locked in cars and flat tires at least once a year for the last five years.</p>
<p>We use AAA a lot. Quite a few times we’ve gotten stuck in our own driveway in the winter!</p>
<p>We’ve used AAA so much, I’m surprised they haven’t kicked us out of the club or raised our rates!</p>