Vacations are expensive. If you have made the decision to go on a road trip, you can end up spending a lot of money just getting to and from your final destination. I’m guessing you’re like me and would rather spend the money on great outings and dining once you get to your dream location. There are ways you probably wouldn’t expect to keep road trip travel costs down and save your vacation money for experiences when you get there. You CAN take a cheap road trip on a budget.
My husband and I recently took a 3,000 mile road trip from Indiana to South Dakota with our three young boys. There were some things we learned on that trip to reduce our spending. Let me share my 4 best tips that helped us get from Point A to Point B spending the least amount of money.
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Taking a road trip with kids? Also read my Best Tips for Taking a Family Road Trip with Kids!
Tip #1: Pack Snacks and Drinks
This may sound like a no-brainer, but I can’t tell you how many times we’ve NOT done this and ended up spending way too much money at gas stations. I’m sure I’m not the only one guilty. But on our most recent road trip, I went grocery shopping at home and bought individual packages of cookies, crackers, and chips as well as our favorite drinks. We iced down a small cooler and kept things handy in the car.
So when we stopped for gas, we didn’t have 3 little voices from the back seat asking us to go in and grab them a drink and snack for double (or more!) the price at our hometown grocery store. At the gas station, you are paying for convenience…but it’s even more convenient to already have them with you!
Pack your family’s favorite snacks and drinks. Here’s a list of what I took.
- Individual packages of chips and popcorn
- Bottles of water, soda, and juice boxes
- Individual packages of animal crackers
- Granola bars
- Fruit snacks
- Gum and mints
Tip: I went with individually-wrapped items to keep things handy and organized. Then at each stop, I had a disposable grocery sack ready to go and filled it up with trash to keep the truck tidy.
I used an old durable tote I found in the attic, but here’s a similar utility tote with pockets to keep your car organized.
Tip #2: Pack a Lunch for Rest Areas
We did this on our last trip and it was actually a big hit with our boys. Before the trip I let them pick out whatever Lunchable they wanted and packed it in a cooler. Instead of stopping for lunch at a fast food restaurant and spending over $30 for our family of 5, we ate $1 lunchables at a rest area picnic table.
Besides saving money, it also doubled as a great way to blow off some energy. It’s generally frowned upon to have kids running around playing tag in the middle of a fast food restaurant…but totally welcomed in the grass by your picnic table at a rest area!
Rest stops are also typically faster and cleaner than other places you might stop for lunch.
Tip #3: Utilize Public Activities for Your Stops Along the Road
When you stop for an activity to break up a long stretch of road during your trip, consider an activity at a public park instead of private. Many state parks, national parks, and other public recreational areas like community playgrounds have free or very reasonably priced admission. You can pull off the interstate to hike, fish, and explore with your kids for virtually no money spent but lots of memories will be made!
Tip #4: Utilize Your Hotel’s Amenities
When staying at a hotel on the road, nightly price is important. But you’ll also want to consider what you are getting for your money. Does it have a pool so your family can swim in the evening instead of spending money on another activity? Free breakfast? Free dinner even?
On our trip to South Dakota, we were able to find quite a few hotel options that not only offered complimentary continental breakfast, but also evening dinner and drinks! They were nothing fancy, but kept the kids happy and we spent NOTHING on our meals! Here are some hotel chains that may offer free dinners (sometimes called a manager’s reception). Some hotels only offer these meals on certain weekday evenings.
- Drury Inn & Suites and Drury Plaza Hotel
- Embassy Suites by Hilton
- Homewood Suites by Hilton
- Staybridge Suites
- Residence Inn by Marriott
Those Are My Tips! What did I miss?
What are YOUR best tips to save money on a road trip? Share them below!