No matter what the economy is like, people will always need to travel. Weddings, job interviews, holiday visits, booty calls… we all need to get our asses from Point A to Point B sometimes. So when gas is expensive and airfare isn’t in your budget, how can you hit the road on the cheap?

PickupPal is like virtual hitch-hiking. This global rideshare program saves both the environment and your wallet by hooking up people who need a ride with people who want to give you a lift. Sign up is totally free and browsing their website (complete with handy, Google Maps interactive geo-positioning) is a breeze. If you’re offering some empty room in your vehicle, post your travel plans for potential passengers to check out. If you need to get somewhere and don’t have a ride, scope out the postings to see if you’ve got a travel-match. Drivers and riders can start to chat with each other through the site, offer some cash (or ask for some) if they want to, and possibly arrange to meet up before hand to make sure their personalities jive before getting into the car for a cross-continental road trip.

Wanna see how it works in action? Check out their video: