Is there anything as good as packing up a vehicle and embarking on a long and exciting road trip? Not in our book. While all types of travel adventures can be fun, there’s something extra special about taking a trip that involves exploring the open road and going wherever the wind takes you.
If we could have it our way, we’d be taking long road trips every other week. Alas, there are two obstacles standing in the way: our jobs and the financial expense. You can’t always do something about your working schedule, but the cost of a road trip? That’s within your control. In this post, we’ll outline some handy tips that can help to keep the cost of your road trip down to a minimum, which will mean you can do them more regularly!
Saving on Gas
It would be great if our vehicles came with free gas, wouldn’t it? If you’re planning a road trip, you’ll have to accept that you’ll be spending a considerable amount of money just on fuel for your vehicle. You can keep this cost down by avoiding overpacking your vehicle (heavier cars use more fuel), learning how to drive in an MPG-friendly way, and researching the cheapest gas stations along your journey — sometimes, you can save a decent chunk of cash just by driving over the border into another state.
Accommodation
Unless you’re taking a road trip in an RV, you’ll need to think about where you’ll be sleeping each night. If you’re thinking of 5-star hotels, then, yep, that’s going to cost you a fair amount of money. You can save money on your trip by packing some camping supplies so you can spend the night under the stars (during the summer months, anyway) and staying in roadside motels, which are much cheaper than hotels. You may want to splurge on a nice hotel every few days, but by and large, it’s best to be comfortable with budget accommodation.
Road Issues
Anything can happen on a road trip. While that’s usually a positive thing, it also means that unwelcome things can happen, too — and they can impact your finances heavily, if you’re not careful. First up is being involved in an accident. If that happens, then get in touch with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to ensure you get maximum compensation for your injuries. You’ll also be at risk of breaking down when on a long road trip, and that can turn out to be pretty expensive if you need to call out a mechanic. The best solution is to triple-check that your car is ready before departure, and to take care of any issues while driving when you’re in a busy town.
Go For The Right Amount of Time
Finally, you can keep costs down by reducing the amount of time you spend on a road trip. Each day will increase the total expense. Look at sticking to under a week, which will give you all the benefits of a road trip without the heavy cost.
