Road trips can be a great budget-friendly family trip. You get to spend time with your loved ones while exploring new and interesting places. But if you’re not careful, your expenses can climb up, making the trip costly and stressful.
Saving money while keeping everybody happy takes some creative thinking. However, for many, the sacrifices to save money can ruin the trip. What if there were ways to save money while still enjoying the journey?
We have found ways we think will help you do just that. Check out our list of tips and learn how to have a budget-friendly road trip without the misery that often comes with it.
Budget Your Trip
The first thing you should do before your road trip is to sit down and plan your trip. This could include making a list of places you want to visit, working out how much fuel will be needed, and the costs of accommodation.
Keeping a budget can help you prepare and make sure that you don’t spend too much money.
Travel During Off-Peak Seasons
One of the best hacks for any domestic and international travel is to travel during the off-peak seasons. Not only will it be quieter, but attractions and accommodation will also be cheaper.
Plan your travel on weekdays instead of weekends, as this can save you money while keeping your family happy.
Book Your Accommodation in Advance
If you will be staying overnight on your way to your destination, booking your stay in advance may be best to get the best possible deals. A good idea is to browse online through sites like Airbnb or Booking.com to find additional discounts. These sites also have local attraction recommendations you may find useful.
Consider Camping
While on the topic of accommodation, packing a tent is a great way to cut down on accommodation costs and provide a fun and unique sleeping experience. Campsites will offer a minimal running water and bathroom facility fee to make your camping trip successful.
Pack Your Own Food
Food costs are one of your biggest expenses on holiday. The average American will spend around $33 or more daily on food while on vacation within the country. Now multiply that amount by how many passengers are on your road trip. That’s a lot, right?
You can lower this amount by packing food for your trip. Consider packing some healthy snacks for your road trip, like vegetable chips or rice cakes with nut butter.
Shop at Local Markets
If you’re taking a long road trip, packing your own food can get tricky. But with some creative planning, you can easily save money by bringing your staples and condiments. Pack things like nut butter. Stop at local markets for items like fresh bread.
Buying fresh produce from local markets is healthier and cheaper than stopping for fast food.
Play Road Trip Games
Spending hours in the car with bored passengers can quickly turn sour, especially with younger children. Play some classic road trip games to keep everyone entertained and in high spirits.
Some favorites are license plate bingo, which you can adapt to car makes or models, and everybody’s favorite, “I Spy.”
Download Digital Entertainment
Sometimes, keeping your passengers entertained on long stretches on the road means whipping out the electronics. Consider pre-downloading movies, podcasts, playlists, and audiobooks for the drive.
If your children have portable gaming devices like a Nintendo Switch, you can let them play for a limited time to keep them entertained and you sane.
Avoid Rush Hour Traffic
Avoiding peak rush hour traffic in cities is a good way to save money and keep your and your passenger’s sanity. Picture this: you’re stuck in traffic, moving at a snail’s pace, and your fuel gauge looks worryingly low. Now, picture a car full of grumpy passengers.
It’s not ideal and can result in a car of miserable passengers. Nobody likes traffic! Beat the traffic by using a traffic app on your phone like Google Maps.
Pack Frozen Water Bottles
If you’re packing your own food, you’ll need to bring along a cooler. But that means packing ice. Save your money and use frozen water bottles instead, which act as ice while providing you with a cold drink as they thaw.
Some people even freeze bottles of milk for coffee and cereal while camping.
Use Gas Apps
Running low on gas while the nearest gas station is miles away is stressful, and running out of gas on the side of the road is even more stressful. To avoid this kind of stress and a better budget, use a gas app like GasBuddy to find the cheapest gas prices on your route.
Pack Smart
The last thing you can do to save money while keeping all your passengers happy is to pack smart. This means packing light and packing clothing that can be layered. This will save space in your car and, in turn, help save you fuel.
Keep spirits high by keeping everyone comfortable with blankets and pillows.
17 Underrated U.S. Destinations Every Traveler Should Explore
Finding new and exciting destinations can be difficult for seasoned travelers. Many have their favorite places and go back to them time and time again. Some of the better destinations—hidden gems, if you will—are outside the mainstream. We have some top-notch places to try if you want to get outside mainstream locations.
These destinations are not tourist hotspots like Las Vegas, San Francisco, or Martha’s Vineyard. These spots are unique and quiet, making them some of our favorite hidden gems in America.
These destinations offer rich, memorable experiences for every traveler, from families to couples to solo explorers.
13 Home Renovations That Are Not Worth the Money
There’s something to be said about making your home your own. However, certain renovation projects simply aren’t worth the money and time invested.
Being pragmatic about the projects you decide to invest in around your home can be a considerable challenge. There’s always the temptation to add the features you’ve dreamed of having. Then there’s the reality of costs, maintenance, and the long-term appeal of realizing your dream.
I approached compiling the way I would suggest anyone start when contemplating a renovation. I dug into years of real estate sale and construction data from the last few decades to see how costs have fluctuated compared to buyer demand for certain home features. These were the resounding renovation losers, not worth the money.
