Food costs are a big part of vacation planning. No matter your eating preferences, you will need to spend some money on food.
On average, you can expect to spend $21.04 per person per day on a road trip. While you can get the number down a bit, expect to spend at least $7.50 per person per day. Start by taking your normal grocery budget and see how much you are spending per person per day and plan to double that.
I talked to about 35 families who had recently taken a road trip and this is the real average cost per day from their trips.
The families ranged from 11 members to couples on extravagant trips.
No one spent less than $5.50 per person per day, and some spent as much ast $75 per person per day.
When you start budgeting for food, start with your normal grocery budget.
We spend about $125-150 per week on groceries. So I can plan on spending AT LEAST that much when we are traveling.
To Eat Out Or To Pack
People love to tell you how frugal or how healthy or how disciplined they are when it comes to food and spending.
There is no judgement here, if you want to spend lots of money each day and eat in the finest restaurants in the city, you should do that.
So, just make a budget and don’t worry about what you “should be” doing. One of my best memories from our most recent road trip is stopping a Raisin Cane’s Chicken Tenders. It was such a cool memory and we all loved it.
Plan to pack at least a few snacks and water, a case of bottles or a jug and refillable bottles.
But you do not need to have a cooler if you’d rather not. Keeping ice in the cooler is a chore some folks choose to skip on vacation.
When you plan your trip, expect the cost per day to vary, some days you may just snack on what you packed from home and other days you may be 2 meals out.
Great Tips and Tricks
- Over 50% of the travelers I surveyed recommended staying at a hotel that provided breakfast.
If you will be spending the night in a hotel, call ahead to ensure that they are serving breakfast. This can be a big cost savings.
- Pack several coolers. If you pack a majority of your food for a trip, pack 2 or more coolers. This will allow you to have a snack cooler that is opened frequently and a meals cooler that stays closed.
I saw this tip from a large family that packed almost all their food for trips.
- If you are not in a hotel that provides breakfast, eat out for breakfast! Breakfast can be the least expensive meal to eat at a restaurant, so you can get your fast food kick and still save some money.
Plan to eat breakfast later in the morning, then have an early dinner and you are set for the day.
The drawback here is breakfast is also the cheapest meal to pack, so whichever you choose, make sure breakfast is hardy!
How Do I Calculate the Cost of Food On a Road Trip?
The food budget should come right after the lodging budget. Make sure you put your vacation money where it matters most.
Take your weekly grocery spending and plan to spend about $2 more per person per day. This will allow room for more convenience food or fast food. Remember that you would be spending that grocery money even if you stayed home, so that does not need to come out of a vacation budget.
Families I talked to spent between $5.55 and $75 per person per day.
Those who spent more were typically couples traveling to exciting destinations. If the food is part of the reason for your travel, then budget accordingly!
We tend to spend about $10 per person per day when we are on vacation, so that is $60 per day or $410 for a week’s vacation.
When people say that they didn’t spend any money on food for a trip, or that they packed all their food, they mean they spent their regular grocery budget.
If you know that you will be eating out at a specific place one day, you could set that money aside in cash or a savings account and transfer it when the time comes.
How Can I Eat Cheap On a Road Trip?
If you are looking to keep costs as low as possible on a road trip, look to the hikers!
Hikers pack shelf stable food and focus on high calorie density food to fuel their bodies. If you plan to keep your bellies full, you can do a very affordable road trip.
The cheapest way to eat on a road trip is to plan ahead. Plan your meals before you leave and shop sales to stock the cooler. Take advantage of the sales when planning your trip to spread out the spending. Choose basic staples that you can eat for days in the car.
Sample Cheap Road Trip Meal Plan
Breakfasts:
Oatmeal Packets
Boiled Eggs
Pop Tarts
Lunch:
PB&J
Tuna Sandwiches
Tuna and Crackers
Cheese and Crackers
Carrots and Hummus
Dinner:
Burger King Nuggets and Chips
Taco Bell Cheesy Rice and Bean Burrito and Tortilla Chips
Little Ceasar’s $5 Hot and Ready
I included my favorite dirt cheap fast food options for a hot dinner. If you have a way to heat water or if you have taken my advice and bought a Hot Logic Mini, then you can cook a nice meal in the car while you drive.
You can read all my tips on cooking in the car in this post. There are some ideas for affordable dinner recipes there.
What Food Should I Bring on a Road Trip?
Bring a variety of food on a road trip. Here are my favorites:
Snacks
Tortilla Chips
Potato Chips
Doritos
Goldfish
Cheez Its
Animal Crackers
Pretzel Sticks
Fruit Snacks
Fruit Leather
Apples
Oranges
Grapes
Carrot Sticks
Cheese Sticks
Cookies
Meals
Bread
Hawaiian Rolls
Lunch Meat
Cheese Slices
Mayo Packets
Tuna Cracker Kits
What Is the Cheapest Fast Food?
When you want to stop at a fast food restaurant it can be hard to choose which one will give you the best value.
Here are my favorite fast food deals:
- Burger King Nuggets -This is first on the list because it is a great foundation to make a meal! You can pack a back of chips and buy 20 or 30 nuggets and feed the whole crew!
- Taco Bell Rice and Bean Burrito – hot and filling and easy to build out into a meal! Add a side of tortilla chips or Doritos and you won’t feel like you are eating a cheap meal.
- Little Ceasar’s Hot and Ready – A whole pizza for $5. This is a no brainer, this is a great way to have a nice dinner on the road.
- Cookout Jr. Tray – If you have a cookout restaurant in your area you know what a crazy value it is. A Jr tray could easily be dinner for two people and it is only $4.69 in my area.
- McDonald’s $3 Bundles – These bundles include either a small burger or 6 nuggets and a small fry. They are not available at all locations, or it may not be listed on the menu, but may be available when you ask.
- $5 Footlong – Splitting a hearty sandwich is a nice dinner, add the snacks you packed and you have a respectable meal for sure.
- Costco Pizza – You do not have to have a Costo membership to eat at the Costco restaurant in many locations. Call ahead if you are unsure, but it’s delicious and worth it.
- Sheetz 2/$5 Lunch – I love the food at Sheetz! The two for $5 meal has options from lunchmeat sandwiches, grilled cheese, chicken tenders and hot dogs. Another great meal to split.
- Sheetz Hot Dogs – These are 2/$1 in my area and are a simple hot meal for your road trip.
These are some of the deals my family uses to enjoy a hot meal out without overspending!
Can I Get Free Food While Traveling?
When you are traveling, you may find yourself in a bind with an empty stomach. There are actually a few way to find a free meal when you need it on the road.
Download an App
Right now many restaurants are giving away a free item when you download an app. Take advantage of these offers to score a free entree.
Find Leftovers
Olio is an app that allows users to list any food or household items they are giving away. This could be a cool way to find a free meal.
Dumpster Dive
I know many people who have found a great meal in the trash. This is not for the faint of heart and it is not legal in all states.
Do your homework and make sure you are not breaking the law, and I have heard pizza places are a great place to look after closing.
Creigslist/Freecycle/Facebook
Check these sites for events with free food, or post to them asking if anyone has a meal to share. This might not be comfortable, but it could be a cool experience.
