Five Ways to Cut Your Road Trip Costs

May 9, 2016

group of friends on roadtrip shutterstock_275528261

Many people dread road trips because of the arguments over who pays for what. The fact is, road trip costs can add up, especially when you don’t plan out a budget and decide how to follow it. These five methods are all good things to keep in mind, as at least one will apply to any road trip you take.

Packing Food

Why waste money on average restaurants? With a cooler and some free space, you can pack whatever fresh and dry foods you want. Remember, you don’t have to eat cold beans out of a can. With small stoves and other cooking tools used for camping, you can plate up a hot meal with little effort.

Couch Surfing

Housing is one of the most expensive factors for road trips. If you’re in a smaller group, and cheap motels are off the table (we don’t blame you), couch surfing might work. Sites like couchsurfing.com allow you to check out locals with a free couch in an area you’ll be stopping at, and members review each other to weed out anyone suspicious or annoying. It’s good to have a backup plan (like hostels or plain old camping) if you don’t want to do it after all, but in general couch surfing is a way to slash the cost of housing.

Rental Cars

If you’re driving a lot without going very far, you’re wasting gas money. If you do a little research on the lowest rates and offers from rental car companies, you can get a car to explore your main destination or a stopping point. It saves you from spending gas in your own vehicle while you explore the area, and if you pay with a credit card, you might be able to have the company pay for the renter’s insurance charge.

Car Preparation

First of all, if another person travelling with you has a car with better mileage, consider using theirs. Most of all, don’t leave without checking everything. Sometimes unexpected maintenance is the sneaky pitfall of a road trip, so make sure your vehicle is in good condition and ready for a lot of driving. The tires should be in good shape and properly inflated, and all the fluids and other maintenance tasks should be handled. Forgetting about this will cut into your miles per gallon, and potentially leave you on the side of the road, awaiting a hefty tow truck fee.

Pack Light

This is a careful balancing act. You don’t want to be unprepared, but try not to pack anything superfluous to your trip. The vehicle will already be driving all day, with several people inside, and loading up with too much extra gear will severely compromise your fuel economy. You can still pack all sorts of stuff, but consider the final weight, and how each item contributes to the load.

We hope that these trips let you save money and focus on more important things, like seeing what other places have to offer. Good luck, and have fun!

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