European Rail Pass~135 Days Until Departure!

We haven't had a lot of time to plan things due to holiday company and caring for "Uncle" in our spare time.  However, we are are almost ready to purchase our Rail Pass.  We have planned out our days of rail travel and specific trips.  I called Rick Steves Travel yesterday and they confirmed our thinking about which pass to purchase, and that actuality that buying a pass does save us at least $200-$400.  There are a lot of "ins-and-outs" that are somewhat unknown to us, such as last minute travel discounts certain days of the week, etc.  We are glad to have someone with knowledge and experience to call for advice on this.  We will be getting a Saverpass 2nd class ticket.  There is little difference with a 1st class ticket other than seat configuration; 3 plush seats per row in 1st class,  4 skinnier seats per row in second class.  Either way we can sit side-by-side and we don't need "plush" seats!  We want to purchase the pass before the end of the year as the price go up in January.  The pass is good for six months from the date of purchase and good for 30 days after the first use, which in our case will be May 23-24, after the scheduled tour with Rick Steves Travel.  In addition, we will need to book reservations two to three months out to be sure we can be on the particular schedules we have planned for.  Thankfully Rick Steves Travel can advise me on that too.  Departure is coming up so quickly for us!!!