6 Tips for an Affordable Road Trip
As you've probably noticed if you've filled up your tank lately, gas prices are at a low at the moment. That makes it a good time to consider a road trip.
If you're hitting the road soon, here are six tips for spending even less on fuel:
1. Plan your stops.
Project an estimate of what the gas prices will look like using Gas Buddy's Trip Cost Calculator. Enter your car's make and model along with your starting point and ending destination. Doing so will allow you to anticipate the fuel cost for the whole trip while cluing you in to the cheapest places to stop for gas on your way.
Let's say you have a mid-size SUV that gets good gas mileage and you are looking to go somewhere warm. According to GasBuddy.com, travel from Portland to Huntington Beach, California round-trip is roughly $197. If you live in Seattle, a trip to Santa Cruz is around $168 and Denver to Las Vegas can be as low as $120 round trip.
2. Cut food costs, too.
Prior to venturing out on a yearlong road trip in an RV, blogger JD Roth of FarAwayPlaces.com thought about how to cut food costs while on the road. Depending on where you go, costs can vary greatly. Roth believes in taking matters into your own hands when it comes to eating. He suggests taking a trip to the grocery store when arriving to your destination. "Stock up on healthy snacks. If you plan to stay in the same room for several days or weeks, buy some staples, like sandwich fixings."
He points out that buying food at a grocery store is cheaper than eating out, and it's fun. Roth adds that visiting supermarkets in other areas is not only cheaper but you get to look at variety of different foods that are available, especially in other countries. And though a trip to the supermarket makes travel more affordable, eating out doesn't have to be costly, especially if you stick with local spots.
3. Shop on your own turf.
Scouting out inexpensive eats along the way can make your trip very affordable but going to your local store has its advantages, as well. Stocking up in your area before you leave can be beneficial. You will already have a sense of what the items cost and what is available for you to take on your trip. This is especially helpful if you have picky eaters or dietary restrictions that can be hard to accommodate on the road.
Also, enlist help from other family members. LaTisha Styles of YoungFinances.com uses the Shopping List app. "So many purchases can be impulsive, but with this app, I can stick to my list. It also syncs between phones so the entire family can add items to the master list," she says.
4. Spend less while being more spontaneous.
If you're the type of traveler that likes a good deal but prefers to pick a restaurant when you're in the mood, consider downloading the Scoutmob app. This app is a favorite for Paula Pant, an avid traveler and writer at AffordAnything.com. She suggests downloading the app, which is like Groupon except that you don't need to purchase a deal.
"You can just show up to a restaurant and use it on-the-spot," she explains. Pant also adds that you can slash your bill in half when you're dining in a major U.S. city and use the app to discover locally-owned restaurants, too.
5. Start packing in advance.
Start packing travel items in advance so you don't start tacking on added expenses near the time you are planning to leave. If you get a large container of shampoo and conditioner, start filling up your travel size bottles to have everything ready in advance.
Print out a travel packing checklist and consider rounding up other items beforehand, as well. Sometimes I'll hang an extra tote bag on my bedroom door knob. Any time I find something in the house that I can use on my trip, I start to stash it away. This can include anything from a bulk purchase of snacks to a regular purchase of personal items like tissue (for your purse), bandages, cotton swabs or other miscellaneous items.
Packing in advance is also motivating to save for the trip. It helps keep you focused on your savings goal and curbs the urge to spend.
6. Plan your itinerary around low cost events.
Some planning in advance can reduce how much you spend. Why pay for activities when you don't have to? Scout out places that have reduced admission or free days. You can balance out more pricey activities with a few low cost ideas on your itinerary.
With lower gas prices, trips to the grocery store and the other tips mentioned, you just might be able to escape on a road trip this time of year for less.
Karen Cordaway is a teacher and writer who currently shares money saving tips on her website, MoneySavingEnthusiast.com.
