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Memorial Day is less than a week away, and if you’re without a barbeque to attend and don’t have the luxury of being a CEO for Goldman Sachs who can take a private jet to the Bahamas on a whim, you’ll need something else to do for the long weekend. Might I suggest a roadtrip?
Hold on….I know what you’re thinking…..”But gas prices are outrageous!” To that I say…you are absolutely correct. Gas prices are exorbitant at best, but that does not mean that you can’t take a drive up the coast, down the coast, or in between the coasts over the long weekend.
Below is a list of the top eight ways to save yourself some cash during the trip:
1. Book ahead. When booking a hotel room, the best course of action is always to do it well in advance of your scheduled departure. Booking your accommodations at the last minute is a guaranteed way to spend hundreds of dollars more on your trip than what is necessary. Plan your trip out the right way, book in advance, and save your money.
2. Camping. One of the most rewarding experiences for any family or group of individuals is camping. Nothing gets you in touch with nature quite like it. On top of that, camping, if done right, can be extremely inexpensive lodging for you trip. Just remember to avoid the giant, three-room tents with the built in patio and the portable flat screen television.
3. Couch Surf. If you’re planning a trip by yourself, you may want to consider couch surfing. Basically, couch surfing is an online network of travelers who, in exchange for being able to sleep on somebody else’s couch when they are on vacation, allow travelers who end up in their part of the world to crash out on their couch, usually free of charge. You can see if couch surfing is right for you at www.couchsurfing.com.
4. Save Gas – Bring More People. The price for gas for one person on a road trip can be a lot, but if you have a car filled with people, you can split the cost with everyone. That might even be enough to make you forget the bad hygiene of your road trip companions!
5. Leave the SUV at home. It may seem like a good idea to take your large vehicle on the road trip because of all the extra room and comfort that it provides, but those gas-guzzling behemoths will leave your wallet looking a bit malnourished. Recent reports show that SUVs get an average of ten miles per gallon less than more economical vehicles. That means for every ten gallons of gas you use, you’re getting one-hundred miles less out of your SUV than you would with a smaller model. Depending on how far you’re going, taking the Accord or Camry instead of the Hummer will cut the long term fuel costs of your trip by hundreds of dollars.
6. Pack food for the trip. Let’s face it. Restaurants are expensive. Stopping for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a family of four during a road trip can cost you up to and in excess of a hundred dollars a day. Packing your food in a cooler for the trip will noticeably lower the amount you’re spending, and if you’re eating it during the drive, will also greatly decrease the amount of time it takes you to reach your final destination. Win, win!
7. Stay away from big cities. If you absolutely have to drive through a metropolis during your trip, do whatever you can to avoid doing so during rush hour. The last thing you want during a relaxing road trip is to get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for six hours while your car eats up gas like a ravenous vulture.
8. Use Cash!!! It’s easy to overspend when you’re using a debit card because you can quickly forget how much money you’ve actually spent, but if you start off with a wad of cash and are committed to only spending what you have in your hand, you’ll be far less likely to splurge on unnecessary expenditures or lose track of how much you’ve spent. Keep it simple!
I hope these tips have been helpful! As always, please take a look at the comments for even more incredible ways to save your greenbacks on your trip–and to add your own! Have a fantastic Memorial Day weekend!!
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Our family went to vegas over the holiday and we saved big on hotel fare. I have a timeshare and we booked there and had access to the kitchen so I was able to cook which saved a lot on groceries.
yeah and now its summer…
These are great tips! I recently took a small trip in a borrowed a car (free!) and then found passengers on craigslist to pay for the gas.