How To Save Money On Road Trips

Roads trips are my favorite type of adventure. There’s something particularly freeing and special about the ability hit the road with a packed car and a playlist and wandering to a new place.

While driving can be more economical than flying (especially for large groups), road trips aren’t without their costs. Gas, food, and lodging can add up surprisingly quick if you don’t pay attention. However, with a little planning, it can be easy to keep your road trip expenses to a minimum, and freeing up more time and energy to enjoy your experience.

Here some simple and easy to follow tips on how to save money on road trips:

1. SET A ROADTRIP BUDGET.

This might seem obvious, but setting a budget in advance – as in, picking a realistic number based on distance, time, etc. – is the best way to make sure you won’t overspend. A budget sets priorities for the trip, streamlines decision-making and encourages creative use of your resources.

So, before diving into the nitty gritty of planning, decide in advance how much you can afford to spend, and resolve to stick close to that number.

Tip – Google Maps is your best friend when starting to planning a road trip. Plug your entire itinerary into Google Maps, including any stops, to get an estimate of your total mileage travel times and use this as a starting point to calculate your fuel costs and overnight lodging costs. Google Maps is also useful for avoiding toll roads.

It’s fun to start by brainstorming all the places and activities you’d love to include on your road trip, along with general estimates how much everything will cost. Don’t forget to include gas, accommodation and food, plus room for splurges and souvenirs.

Edit your list until you have a pared down list of essentials stops and must see or do activities that are in range of your budget. Next, it’s time to apply some cost saving strategies to create your perfect road trip for as little money as possible.

2. RECEIVE CASH BACK WITH RAKUTEN

It’s surprisingly easy to receive cash back on common travel expenses, like hotels and rental cars. Over the years, I’ve saved hundreds of dollars using Rakuten, a free cash back website that gives you cash back and exclusive discount promo codes for hundreds of companies, including Marriott, Hilton, Hertz, and discount travel sites like Orbitz and Hotels.com.

Cash back can range from 1% to over 20%, and is easy to redeem (quarterly payouts via PayPal or check). I use Rakuten all the time for purchasing all types of goods and services, and highly recommend Rakuten for anyone who likes to shop online. I never book travel without checking Rakuten first.

If you’re new to Rakuten, you can receive a $30 cash back bonus on your first purchase of $30 or more by signing up through my link. They also have a convenient

example of how to save cash on road trips — Example of the cash-back available on Rakuten

3. SAVE MONEY ON LODGING

Method 1 – Airbnb

I love staying in Airbnbs when traveling. Dreamy A-frame cabins and hip downtown lofts are just some of the places I’ve gotten to experience, sometimes for significantly less than the cost of a hotel.

Most Airbnbs have a kitchen where you can prepare meals, and I’ve been to several Airbnbs with free washer and dryers – majorly helpful when you’re on a multi-day road trip.

You can score $65 off your first adventure with Airbnb by signing up through my link.

Method 2 – Camping

how to save money on road trips by camping

If you’re down for a bit of an adventure, camping overnight at a public campground is hands down the best way to save major money on road trips, and one of my favorite ways to travel. It’s a great way to reconnect with Mother Nature.

Many public campsites are free, or cost under $30 a night. If you’re planning on taking this route, make sure to do your research ahead of time. Some campsites require reservations, or are first come first serve, with spots filling up quickly in the warmer months.

Check out Reserve America for a directory of thousands of public and private campgrounds across the country.

Method 3 – Utilize Discount Travel Sites like Hotwire or Priceline

I’ve had great success scoring majorly discounted hotel rooms using Hotwire’s “Hot Rate” secret hotel feature and stacking with Rakuten cash back to get an additional discount.

Tip – technically the location of the Hot Rate rooms are “secret”, but it’s easy to figure out exactly which hotel you’ll get by cross-referencing the Trip Advisor ratings.

4. SAVE MONEY ON GAS

The quickest and easiest way to save money on gas is to lighten the load on your car. So before your trip, clean out your car and remove any excess items or junk, and pack light. In addition, make sure your tires are inflated to the recommended pressure. Lighter cars require less fuel to run, and proper tire pressure will give you the best gas mileage, saving you additional fuel costs.

As a rule of thumb, always gives your car a quick inspection before a road trip to make sure that all your lights and signals are working, and that you have proper fluids like water in the radiator and windshield wiper fluid. The worst thing would be for your trip to be derailed by unexpected and potentially costly car maintenance.

Another way to save on fuel is to practice efficient driving. While it’s tempting to hit the gas on long stretches of road, aggressive driving (fast starts and heavy braking), lowers gas mileage by roughly 15% to 30% at highway speeds and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic (FuelEconomy.gov). By practicing smart driving and minimizing sharp braking, you can maximize your fuel economy and save on overall gas costs.

I also like to optimize my gas spending by using a credit card that gives you extra cash back on gas. I use the Bank of America Cash Rewards card (3% back on gas purchases) and the Chase Freedom card (5% back on gas as a seasonal category). Both cards are free and the cash back is easy to redeem.

5. PACK YOUR OWN FOOD & BEVERAGES

One of the best ways to save money on road trips is to prepare and pack your own food. Pack a cooler or a few insulated cooler bag and stock up on your favorite snacks, drinks, and plenty of water before you leave.

Bringing a good variety of sweet and savory treats will save money and prevent you from indulging in too many gas station snacks or fast food stops. Check out my giant list of healthy road trip snacks for some ideas on what to bring.

Ditch the plastic water bottles, and bring your own reusable water bottles and a few gallon jugs of water. You can usually fill your own cup with ice for free at most gas stations, and add drinks in your car. I like to have bring a 1-5 gallon carboy jug to refill throughout the trip at refillable water stations, which are located at many grocery stores. You can typically fill a five gallon jug with clean filtered water for less than a dollar a gallon!