Want more quality time with your friends or family this summer? Plan a road trip together! Use our 10 money-saving road trip hacks to get the most out of your vacation budget.

Thinking about hitting the road this summer? Taking a road trip can definitely be more budget-friendly than flying, and it allows you to experience all sorts of areas and landmarks along the way. However, if you’re not careful, you can easily overspend on your cross-country adventure.

Luckily, there are a few ways that you make your road trip easier and cheaper.

10 Road trip travel hacks will help your summer adventure be as money-friendly as possible.

1. BYOF (Bring Your Own Food)

One of the best parts of road-tripping–at least, in my opinion–is the snacking. There are few things I enjoy more than a guilt-free treat whilst cruising down a wide open road, grabbing bags of chips or chocolate bars at convenience stores that I wouldn’t otherwise allow myself back home.

Of course, these little splurges add up quickly. Add in meals at fast food restaurants, local dives, or chain restaurants, and you can easily bust your budget on food alone.

The easiest way to avoid this is to bring your own food along with you. Pack up a cooler with quick snacks, water bottles and juice, and easy meals. Bring a loaf of bread, peanut butter and jelly, or keep some deli meats and cheese on ice.

Along the way, stock up at grocery stores instead of gas stations. You’ll getting bigger quantities for less, and maybe be able to resist the temptation to grab one of everything.

2. Eat Big Lunches and Small Dinners

Aside from a stocked cooler, though, there are other ideas for saving money on food. One way you can save is by choosing to only eat at restaurants for breakfast or lunch, when food is cheaper. You can eat more and save your leftovers for dinner time, making your budget meal last even longer.

Dinner meals can often be twice as much, so save those splurges for special occasions (like finally arriving at your big destination.)

3. Pick Hotels with Free Breakfast

One more tip for saving money on meals? Don’t pay for them at all.

If you stay at hotels along the way, try to pick one that offers free breakfast before check-out. Sometimes, these meals are as simple as bagels and cereal. You might hit the jackpot and find a Belgian waffle bar with eggs, though, complete with complimentary coffee.

We have even stayed at a hotel called Family Garden Inn (in Texas) that gave us a free happy hour! Free hot dogs, nachos, and even beer were available every evening, and free breakfast was lined up every morning. Drury Inns offer this, too! We only had to pay for lunch during our stay, which was much appreciated after the long drive.

Related: Best Meal Planning Service

4. Camp or Couchsurf

Hotels are great, especially if you’re traveling with little ones. However, you can save even more money by opting for more budget-friendly accommodations.

One option is to couch surf. Wondering what that is? Well, you’ll sleep on the couches of kind strangers who offer up their homes to weary travelers. Websites like CouchSurfing.com will connect you with these gracious hosts, allowing you to save money and experience your locale in genuine way.

If you have kids or just don’t like the idea of sleeping in strangers’ houses, think about camping. There are plenty of campsites across the country, many of which offer you a free place to set up for the night. Whether you pitch a tent or buy an air mattress designed for your vehicle, you get a good night’s sleep while also cutting costs.

5. Optimize Fill-Ups

If you’re on a road trip, your biggest expense will likely be filling up at the gas pump. This means that it’s also one of the best places for you to potentially trim costs.

You’re probably already planning your route, so take a guess at the areas where you’ll likely need to fill up. Pick larger cities over small towns, and gas stations nearest to the highway over those off the beaten path. You can also utilize an app like GasBuddy for finding the best prices, both ahead of time and along your drive.

6. Use a Rewards Card for Gas

While we are on the topic of gas, another way to make the most of your road trip expenses is to utilize a rewards credit card. More specifically, pick one that offers high rewards for gas purchases.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, for example, offers 3% back on all gas station purchases (even snacks!). There are also station-branded cards that offer as much as 5% back every time you fill up.

7. Tune Up the Car

Want to avoid unexpected repair expenses and optimize your gas mileage? Then be sure to take the car in for a tune up before you ever hit the road.

Get your oil changed and your battery checked. Properly inflating your tires will help with your fuel efficiency. That way, you’ll be less likely to encounter situations when you’re thousands of miles from home, and won’t be at the mercy of small town mechanic shops.

8. Change Your Key Fob Battery

One thing that many drivers forget to check before heading out on a cross-country adventure? Their key fob.

If you have a newer-model car that has a keyless start and/or entry, you may have already thought about what would happen if the battery died. With many of these vehicles, there is no way to open the door or start the vehicle with a backup key, so you’d just be stranded. And this is a valid concern: according to AAA, over 5 million drivers were rescued in 2016 for this exact reason.

If you want to avoid being stuck in the middle of nowhere, switch out your key fob battery before you go.

9. Earn Money with Roadie

Have an empty seat, trunk, or bed of your truck? Then you can actually earn cash on your travels by helping to deliver packages for others with Roadie.

We recently wrote an article about Roadie and how this app can help you cover your gas expenses, if not earn you even more. By simply finding packages that need to be delivered along your route, you can utilize any empty space you have to turn it into cash.

10. Avoid the Lead Foot

The last piece of advice for trimming expenses on your summer road trip? Avoid unnecessary bills in the form of traffic citations.

Small towns love travelers. After all, they don’t know the traps, aren’t familiar with the speed limits, and are likely to pay their fines versus come back to fight them in court. While your out-of-state plates aren’t going to be the reason you get pulled over, they’ll definitely make you an easier target.

Watch your lead foot while on your road trip. You’ll not only save money on fuel, but you’ll avoid a hefty speeding fine in that tiny little town.

Going on a road trip is a fun way to spend your summer. It’s cheaper than flying and offers you a fun experience to share with others. By making a few budget-friendly decisions, you can make it as affordable as possible, too!

Where are you headed this summer and how do you plan to save cash?

Topics: Budget • Travel

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