7 Super Simple Ways to Save Money on Road Trips (ROAD TRIP ON A BUDGET)

Who else is excited for Summer road trips!! 🙋‍♀️I hope you find these tips helpful, and as always, thank you so much for watching! 💚

Lol! My dad made us turtle wax the car before trips to "go faster" 😆

Here's another one for you: Plan to drive at night. That way you spend zero time in traffic / wasting gas! Also, the cooler temps are more energy efficient (but not when it's freezing cold, so this is a 3 season rule of thumb). This is also great if there's no good place to camp, because you can stop in any large parking lot to sleep in the car during the day! Most people aren't worried about car sleeping during the daytime, and in a crowded parking lot, you're unlikely to have the safety issues that people associate with camping.

As a long time cross country traveler - make a checklist on what to take with you. Take a cooler and shopping bags with most of your meals and snacks purchased from grocery stores. Ice is relatively cheap compared to what you can get at gas stations or fast food joints, and healthier. Know your 24/7 emergency roadside assistance number from your insurance (put it in your glove box). Carry a basic car tool kit. Text a friend or family member along the route letting them know where you are in case of an emergency.

I bring instant soup mix, Tasty Bites, instant miso, rolled oats, cup noodle, dry veggies, powder milk, and ready to eat rice to make quick dinner. I put ingredients into a food thermo before adding hot water. By meal time, everything is cooked, hot, and ready to eat. I do road trip by myself therefore I sleep in the car (tent takes more time).

I normally stay in hotels on my annual cross country road trip. This year due to high gas prices, I’m seriously considering staying at campsites at least some of the time on my trip. It’s really changing my way on how to think about prepping for long distance trips. (2022)

This goes along with the snacks, but if you're going on days long car trips I like to pack a variety of cold cut sandwiches to have for lunches and dinners. You'll be amazed how much you save not eating out for every meal

Good planning is essential to save money on a road trip. I like to have my accommodation sorted in advance so I don't have to organise something at the last minute

#7 Pack when you are relaxed - such a great tip! I'm a big list maker - love packing lists and will take my time going through them days in advance. Although, I'll often still end up staying up late the night before, I prefer staying up late vs scrambling last minute the morning of. Packing when rushed is the worst! And had to give the video a thumbs up for the "billion star hotel" joke! Ha ha ha!

Loved your tips! I’ll especially remember the one about getting free hot water during stops for making instant coffee. We try to bring our own food, too, for snacks, etc. However, we usually want a hot meal for dinner when we’re on the road; so, I gather as many coupons I can for a variety of restaurant possibilities. I’ve also signed up for many restaurants’ emails & rewards programs for deals (including free birthday deals!). This way, we usually always have a “deal for a meal,” whether it’s for fast food or another type of meal.

Great tips Amanda! To add to that, I found that investing in a food dehydrator to make my own dehydrated fruits and jerky has been super helpful.

We forgot our sleeping bags ONE time, but we layered up and used the blankets from the car to keep warm. Now we both have specific roles for packing up the car, and always double check for essentials. Never rush! Such a great tip.

For a road trip I will make a huge thermos of iced coffee to drink on the road. Really helps for the long drives

Always love you guy’s videos, they get me stoked for whatever trip I’m prepping for the family. I love the all-camping road trip, it can definitely save you a bunch of money, but if you have finite time for an adventure, strategic use of hotel/motel stays can allow you to maximize travel on travel days to and from a destination region adding more time for adventure and recreation when you get there. If you have the time, then yes, definitely meander and camp the whole way.

Good tips. We definitely save by packing food and water from grocery stores rather than dining out every meal. We also tend to travel Sunday-Wednesday when motels cost less and crowds at national parks are smaller.

Thank you 💕 Going on my first road trip and excited!! 🎉

Thank you so so so much. My best friend and I are planning a road trip to Washington DC. Once we are 18 and out of high school (four years) we will be going on the trip. We are paying for the whole trip ourselves, so we have begun planning. Thank you again for these extremely helpful tips :)

Lol you wouldn’t think you would forget a sleeping bag but I did the same thing 🤦🏻‍♀️ I had a fleece blanket in the car and it was 90 (even at night) so we survived. I definitely learned the “don’t pack in a rush” lesson. Got lucky

Spend 10 minutes going over a detailed printed checklist in the car before you leave. I always had my checklist on my laptop, then one year, after my "final" list check, I closed the laptop and forgot my power cord. I make it a game now called "what am I going to forget?". I win if discover something I have forgotten, and I win if I don't.

Cool tips. My tip is to use a check list for preparing towards a road trip/camping, this way you will not forget anything and avoid unplanned shopping at/near the camping site, in addition while using a check list you will avoid packing unnecessary stuff that will only increase the fuel consumption of the car. I also recommend to people that tarvel/camping a lot to get a car with economic fuel consumption, a hybrid for example.