Saving money is one of those things in life that gets me EXCITED! If I can save my family a few bucks and still allow us to have fun, then I’m all in. If you’ve ever gone on a road trip, you know that they can be money suckers. Between gas, food, and a hotel room, you spend enough to take out a second mortgage.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON A ROAD TRIP
There are a few secrets to saving money on a road trip and here they are:
PLAN AHEAD
You will never save more money on a road trip than when you save ahead! Make sure you know where you are staying, where you are going, and create a budget for the trip. This tip is more than enough to help you save money on your trip.
PACK AT LEAST ONE MEAL
Whether you have a big family or a small family, it’s expensive to eat out. When we head out on a road trip, I pack at least one meal for us. It’s nothing fancy, just a healthy sandwich and a few snacks, but it saves us a TON!
SKIP THE VENDING MACHINES
In the past, we have spent a ton of money at vending machines getting snacks. Vending machines are money suckers, plain and simple. Pack plenty of water bottles and snacks so you can avoid those vending machines. Don’t take money with you when you stop to use the bathroom if you think you’ll just end up stopping at a vending machine.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE PRICE – I have wasted a ton of money because I didn’t pay attention to the prices of things. Simply by paying attention to how much something costs, you can save a ton of money on your road trip. Know how much your food costs, how much the gas will cost you, but know especially how much the attractions and hotel will cost you! With a little research before you leave, you can have a ballpark estimate of how much everything will cost you.
ORDER WATER WITH YOUR MEAL
If you can get a cup of water with your meal instead of ordering a drink, you will save a lot. You can always pick up a bottle of pop or juice at a grocery store to enjoy in the hotel if you need to satisfy a craving – and it will be a lot cheaper than ordering everyone separate drinks at the restaurant.
These tips will help you save money on your next road trip. It’s just a matter of making sure you follow them. Do you have any tips for saving money on a road trip? I’d love to hear your tips!
You may also like this post on 5 TIPS TO KEEP VALUABLES SAFE WHILE TRAVELING:
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Sunday 17th of April 2016
Great tips. I find that packing my own snacks or even making a quick trip to the local grocery for water and snacks saves tons of money of a trip, plus you control the quality and nutrition.
sabina Edwards
Saturday 16th of April 2016
I'd add , use points cards for gas when you can or try to use a cc that gives you rewards. For us its not a road trip unless we have beef jerky LOL, we bring our own bottled drinks (usually water) make sure we stock up at walmart for cheap licorice and other snacks like apples etc, or pretzels. We usually eat a meal at one destination like Subway (the prices are all the same so you can plan) We make sure we have a cc in case of emergencies and make sure we have someone to take care of the house longer if needed (making sure its ok etc) We tend to only go on one vacation trip each year but we've had tons of unlucky things happen on the trip, but still make the most of it, cus, THATS what lifes about ..a few curve balls every now and then
Jody @ Mommy Moment
Sunday 17th of April 2016
Sabrina, Thanks for adding all those tips, they are great!
Heather Arnould
Saturday 16th of April 2016
We are planning our first road trip in a bunch of years this summer and your post was greatly appreciated.