5 Important Ways To Save Money During A Family Road Trip

By Stella Grant

Does a multistate, multi day drive with your family seems like the most expensive thing from vacation? If so, then you need to know that you are not alone. When it comes to packing up for a family road trip, you need to prepare yourself for having a good time and not worrying about the financial aspects of the journey. While you can save yourself enough money to take an alternative air travel, road trips aren’t cheap.

When you factor in costs such as wear and tear of the vehicle, fuel cost, meals, and the cost of the fun activities, you can find yourself spending a lot of money. But how can you avoid getting home when you are weary, cranky and have racked up a huge credit bill? Here are a few tips and tricks to help you save money on your next trip.

1. Plan Ahead

The best way to save money on a family road trip is to plan it out. For instance, when traveling with kids, you need to buy snacks in advance so that you do not witness your children cry because of candy. If you are going on a day and night journey you also need to know where you’ll spend the night so that you are not stuck with a hotel that charges a lot of money. Some of the questions you need to ask yourself include

• What hotels will you get your accommodation?
• Where will you stop to fuel your vehicle?
• Have you carried enough money for emergencies?
• What kind of mileage are you getting?
• Will you be passing through areas that do not have gas stations?

Apart from these, there are a lot of other things to consider to help you save money. Just make sure to take advantage of several money saving tips and avoid being inflexible.

2. Choose Smart Food

Buying food can be expensive during family road trips. Don’t think that you can eat the same food every day since you can get sick of them before you know. The key is to mix up your food. Research about the food joints and the restaurants of towns that you will be visiting and look for inexpensive foods so as to avoid fast foods. If you couple these with packed food you will save a lot of money. To ensure that you do not starve once you arrive at your location, carry enough snacks. Instead of buying them from a convenience store, get them from a grocery store. You can also find a lot of discounted meals by searching through the internet. If you are traveling with kids search for hotels that offer free meals or discounts for children of a certain age.

3. Repair The Car

Depending on how long your road trip is going to take, you need to adequately prepare your car. The last thing you want is to start the trip and have your car breakdown since this will add unexpected expenditure to your budget. Some of the things to look for are

• Do you have enough gas?
• Are the tires inflated well?
• Do you need a mechanic to repair the car before leaving for the journey

From the tire to the engine, you want to ensure that everything is working fine. However, if you are not sure about your car, opt for renting one. While this will add some costs it will save you a lot when it comes to the wear and tear of your car. There are many ways you can use to save some cash on renting a vehicle.

4. Drive The Speed Limit

When you are going on a long road trip it helps a lot to save on fuel. One of the best ways to do is driving the speed limit on highway or freeway. If you do this you will not be stuck with a huge speeding ticket which will be hard to contest since you will be traveling far away from home. Traveling a few more kilometers with the gas that you have can save you enough money during the road trip that you can even use for eating along the way.

5. Avoid Staying At A Hotel

Depending on the duration of your journey, you may need to seek accommodation somewhere for a day or two while traveling. This is because hotels can be very expensive in some cities. There are several options that you can consider. You can save money by renting a condo or home. If you do this, you will find yourself saving a lot of money without any problem. If your family likes spending outdoors you can also consider camping in order to save some cash. However, if a hotel is the only option you have ensure that you search for the best deal.

Conclusion

While family road trips can be fun, they can also be a little expensive. With some of these tips you can have fun without spending a lot of money. By ensuring that you repair the car tire, shop for cheap alternatives and plan ahead, you can make your trip affordable and one that you will remember.

Image source : Istockphoto.com

Author  Bio

Stella Grant

My name is Stella Grant. I am atrained mechanic with years of experience. Thanks to years experience I have plenty to share on auto maintenance and am willing to help you make your automobile work smooth – from the inside out. Visit to Speedfinal.com to know more information about Automotive you may need.

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