We just got back from a long road trip and planning and budgeting was a big chore.
I asked 200 experienced road tripping families how much they spent on their most recent trip. 15 of those trips were over a month long, I analyzed all the road trips over 28 days and got the numbers:
On average, a month-long road trip costs $84.03 per person, per day. At this rate, a 30 day trip with a family of 4 costs $12,000. Some families were able to travel for much less, and using rewards or driving an electric car really lowered the overall costs.
If you are planning a month-long road trip, I have a few tips and ideas to help you make the budgeting the smoothest part!
Start with a Number
Decide how much money you have to spend, or how much you can reasonably save up for your trip.
Use the figure above as a guide, $84 per person, per day. You may be able to do it for less, but this will give you a good starting point.
Before you get too far, download this budgeting sheet, that will help walk you through the steps outlined below.
How Much Does a Road Trip Cost Per Day?
In my survery the month long road trips cost roughly $84 per day.
This number can help you see if your budget is enough for a month long trip.
Take the big number and divide it by the number of days you hope to spend traveling.
Total Trip Budget Divided By Number of Days
This is your cost per day!
You can use this number to guide your lodging and dining choices.
In our example, a family of 4 would have $400 to spend each day. So lodging could take about 50% of that budget and food another $100 which leaves $100 for entertainment.
Find Affordable Lodging
When you have a clear cost per day then you can decide on a lodging budget.
Without somewhere to sleep your road trip will be miserable. Having a cost per day, will keep you on budget more easily.
Check out local hotels, campgrounds and AirBnB prices. Look at renting an RV or staying with friends.
Visiting friends on one leg of your trip is a great way to keep costs low and live like a local in a new town. Traveling with a local guide is a major way to reduce travel stress. If travel stress is stressing you out, check out my science backed tips to avoid it.
Run the numbers and plan them all out, or make a few anchor reservations and book same day for other nights.
Plan for Food
Once you have lodging, plan for food. Spend on these things first so that you will survive the road trip! These are the basics and they will make all the views and hikes more beautiful.
Consider taking your weekly grocery store budget and starting there for your food budget.
We spend $125 a week at the grocery store and when we travel, and eat out, it is about double. It is a good guide for spending.
Keep costs very low by planning to stay places with free breakfast, or packing inexpensive breakfast options.
Consider packing instant coffee or a car coffee pot, like this K-Cup car coffee maker on Amazon.
Another great hack is to order family meals. I am seeing more and more restaurants offering family deals at great prices. Panera has a great on for about $50 that fed all 6 of my family members!
Plan to Spend
Spend some money.
Spend all the money you planned to spend, there is no prize for taking the cheapest trip.
A month-long road trip took planning, it took saving, you have been looking forward to this. Do not be so cheap that you miss out.
Take the tours, try the restaurants, and ride the zipline.
When I conducted my survey, many people were trying to prove that they took the cheapest trip possible. There were even people who accused other people of lying because their costs were so low.
I was raised in a family where being frugal was a way of life, and I am glad, but I married a very financially responsible man who knows how to spend money on vacation. I am so glad I did.
How To Save for a Month Long Road Trip
Plan to save a little each month before the big trip.
Based on the numbers above, each member of the family would need to save about $3,000.
If you have teens they could pay a certain amount into the fund, then buy their own food and entertainment.
In my family we like to plan for a whole year of vacations at once. There is a free printable in this post that will give you a good framework to do that.
So we would need to save about $1k a month for our big trip.
How to save money on a road trip
I hear some of you saying that there is no way you could save $12,000 for your family to travel for a month!
I hear the rest of you saying you could make the trip happen for $1,500!
There are certainly ways to take a month long road trip for less than average cost!
Here are some tips from the road trippers I asked:
Drive an electric car
The cost of the road trip was very low with an electric car! I understand that this is not in the budget for everyone, but just something to consider.
The participant who suggested this spend just $1500 on her month-long road trip.
Pack all your food
The budget conscious spent money at grocery stores not restaurants. One couple said they did not even count food in their budget because you have to eat even if you are at home!
If you can stick to your normal monthly food budget, then are you really even spending vacation money?
Get yourself a Hot Logic on Amazon and cook your food in the car! The Hot Logic is a mini oven that cooks food and plugs into your car. Think of it like a car crock pot. There is also a family sized version available that is on my Christmas list. I am obsessed with the Hot Logic and I have a few recipe ideas for you on this post.
I made a video sharing one of our favorite ways to use the Hot Logic.
Camp on Public Lands
Land owned by the Bureau of Land Management is often recommended for free overnight parking. This could be an option if you are traveling in an RV or if you can set up away from water and electric.
There are some sites available that do have some amenities, but they require a fee. They are likely less expensive than traditional campgrounds, but not free.
Camp in State Parks
State Parks have some very affordable camping options as well. If you are traveling in peak times (summer vacation), then you may need to book in advance, but the cost and location make it worth the extra effort.
Enjoy your trip. I have a few more great tips here that will make sure you plan a worthwhile trip that leaves everyone refreshed not burned out, and another free printable for you here.
