Summer time is a great time to share some money-saving tips for family road trips.
I recently read an article about a couple from Seattle that claimed to have saved $1500 on a 10-day trip from Seattle to Nevada. It was just after the holidays, so they packed their holiday leftovers and hit the road. Their only expenses were gas, a few groceries, and a one-night hotel stay. The rest of the time they stayed with friends and family and ate at their homes (hmmmmm), or they “cooked on the road.”
How do you cook on the road, you ask? You take along a handy crock pot that plugs in to the car’s cigarette lighter. The Mrs. explains:
“We were getting hungry. It was about dinnertime at that time but I didn’t want to stop to get fast food. So we ran into the grocery store, got some meat, vegetables and some beef broth and just dumped it all in a crock-pot and it cooked for about four hours on the way home, and we stopped at a rest stop and ate dinner.”
First of all, did you notice she said, “it was about dinnertime at that time but I didn’t want to stop to get fast food.” She goes on to say, “we ran into the grocery store...” and bought (in my estimate) about $8 worth of food. Okay, they didn't want to stop for fast food, but they didn't mind stopping to shop at the grocery store. Then, they “dumped” all the food in their mobile crock pot and waited four hours for it to cook, and then “stopped at a rest stop and ate dinner.” Seriously? If it was already “about dinnertime” when they stopped at the grocery store, wouldn’t “fast food” have been, well, faster...and cheaper? Besides, have you seen the size of these portable crock pots?
Here are some realistic and practical tips for saving money on a road trip (without mooching off of your family and friends):
Take along some bread and snacks, and a cooler with drinks and sandwich meat.
Book hotels in advance, and stay at hotels that offer free breakfast. If you have pets, it can be cheaper to take them with you than paying for boarding. Find pet-friendly hotels that don't charge a fee. LaQuinta hotels generally don't charge a pet fee for Fido and breakfast is included in the price for the humans.
If you plan to eat out for some of your meals, save money by getting creative with the menu. If you’re craving a burger, buy only the burger (use drinks from your cooler). Waffle House has an All-Star breakfast that includes two eggs, choice of meat, grits or hash browns, toast, plus a waffle on the side. With coffee or juice for two, breakfast will cost around $5 per person. A foot-long Subway sandwich is cheaper than 2 six-inch subs and they have different specials just about every day. Split the cost and share the joy!
Find ways to save money on fuel. Use the website gasbuddy.com to find out which gas stations have cheaper gas prices along your route, and plan accordingly. Change the way you drive. Most vehicles achieve optimal fuel economy around 55 mph and without accelerating or braking too hard. Travel light (less suitcases = less weight and better gas mileage). In major metro areas, the cheapest gas prices tend to be in the outlying suburbs. Buy fuel at a wholesale club where you have a membership (Sam’s, Costco). If you use a credit card for convenience during your road trip, make sure it’s one that gives you cash back or points for fuel purchases, and then pay the balance in full when you return home, to avoid interest and finance charges.
You'll feel better about your vacation if you know you're getting the very best value for your hard-earned dollars!
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