You do not have to cancel your road trip! There are lots of ways to keep the costs down during your summer road trip.
There are three main costs on a road trip, gas, food and lodging. The tips below can help you keep costs down in all three categories.
1. Travel During the Week
Plan to travel on weekdays. This allows you to get lower gas prices and sometimes lower prices at restaurants and attractions.
The lowest average gas prices occur on Monday, so plan to fill up at the beginning of the week or plan to travel on Mondays.
Use an app like Gas Buddy to be sure you are always getting the best gas prices available to you on the road.
2. Stay Closer to Home
Consider traveling fewer miles on your road trip this time. Try a new beach that is closer to home or explore destinations in your own state.
This is the best way to cut your fuel costs.
Only In Your State is a great place to discover hidden gems closeby that you may have never experienced.
3. Eat From the Cooler
Packing food from home is a great way to save money while traveling.
Be sure to pack food that you like and throw in some time tested road trip snacks to keep things fun and exciting.
If you want to keep it very cheap you can use a Hot Logic or Sabot Heat portable oven that can cook food on the road.
This plugs into your car and cooks food you put inside. It is a great way to heat up frozen meals purchased at a grocery store or leftovers as well.
I have a great budget road trip meal plan that can help you keep costs low when on the road.
4. Enjoy Free Entertainment
When planning your trip consider free sources of entertainment. Our family has enjoyed stops at:
Visitor’s Centers
State Welcome Centers
Public Monuments
Playgrounds and Parks
Festivals and Fairs
Public Libraries
These are just some ideas to get you started when finding free things to do when you are traveling.
5. Dine at the Grocery Store
Eating on a road trip is one of the major costs on a road trip, I think you should spend time enjoying local favorites, but you can find them at the grocery store for less than in a restaurant.
Look for a local chain or market where you can find local favorites. This cuts down on the cost of a meal and can still give you a taste of local culture.
6. Stay Outside the City
When planning your day, plan to finish up your activities by 3pm and then drive outside the city to find your hotel.
In my family’s experience you can save 20-50% on hotel prices by driving 10 to 15 minutes outside of the city.
Even if you do choose to stay in the city, be sure to secure a room by 2 or 3 pm! You may find that hotels are unexpectedly full and you may need to travel to find a room.
7. Rent A Car
If you drive a car that is not fuel efficient, you may want to rent a more fuel efficient car for your trip.
If you are skeptical, run the numbers and see if you could save some money by renting.
If you do not know your car’s gas mileage, use this simple method to find out your MPG.
Still undecided? Take this super helpful quiz to determine if you should rent a car for your trip.
8. Splurge at Breakfast Not Dinner
Growing up we would always eat out at breakfast rather than dinner and now I get it!
Breakfast is generally much more affordable than dinner and often less crowded. This is a win win for families who want to save money eating out.
9. Stay With Friends
If you have that itch to travel but your budget is very low, reach out to friends to see if they are up for a visit.
This is a great way to live like a local in a new city.
I have a large family and we love to travel to visit friends with kids, it is just lower stress and more fun for everyone.
Be sure to find vacation-y things to do when visiting friends or family so that the trip counts as a vacation.
10. Pack Souvenirs
Souvenirs are a fun part of vacation. Families with small kids may save money by packing some special things that relate to your destination.
I like to get small toys at yard sales, thrift stores, ebay and Mercari to stow away for surprises while traveling.
Our last National Park trip we bought a second hand set of Calico Critters and it is a highlight in my kid’s memory.
11. Go Together
Consider vacationing with another family and split some of the costs.
This is not for everyone, but if you have close friends and you can agree on a budget and itinerary this is a great way to cut some costs in half.
Most commonly we have split the rental cost of beach houses or large AirBnB accommodations.
How to Save Money On A Family Road Trip
So, when you are traveling with a large family like us, the best way to save money is to plan ahead and look for ways to save money on gas, food and lodging.
We have gone the extra mile and converted a school bus into a rolling hotel room for our family. This has saved us so much money while traveling across the country.
Be sure to set a realistic budget for your trip so that you do not run out of money.
We recently took a trip that we knew we could not afford. We ended up having to use our credit card!
If you do not plan ahead you may come home with credit card debt that you did not see coming.
