What better way to explore the countryside than driving across the interstate through the cities and landmarks you’ve never been to and enjoying what mother nature has produced? But being on the road comes with lots of preparation and planning to ensure the trip you want is what you get!
Everyone wants to enjoy the scenery, while not having to spend too much of their budget to satisfy their appreciation. So, we’ve created a list of 6 easy tips to consider while planning out your road trip and being fully prepared on what to expect while driving on the highway, cool wind through your hair.
Tip #1: Plan – Money Spending & Where You’re Going
No one wants to go into debt while being out on a road trip and the trip itself shouldn’t pave a path for you toward that direction. Having a plan for what you intend on doing before hitting the road can make an enormous difference to whether spending too much or just enough within budget to make or break the trip.
A lot can go into the plan – but having one in the first place will pay dividends over spontaneous expenses. Have a designated budget limit and a “rainy day” emergency fund for the trip. Deciding on where you intend on going and how you’re going to get there through routes or pay tolls can help make the trip worthwhile and not worry about where your money is going.
Tip #2: Book Your Stay in Advance
Before driving alongside, the open road with blue skies and all you see are layers of open land and desert terrain, with the next stop arriving in 100 miles – the last thing you’d want to worry about is where you’re going to be staying for the night, once the sun hits dusk and that’s when things can get worrisome.
Before hitting that 12-hour drive, it’s better to book where you will be staying the night if you decide to wait the next day to pick up where you left off, rather than picking the next available vacant hotel on the side of the road. By booking in advance, you’ll be prepared of what prices to expect in the area you decide to take a break at, and you can select which prices that fit within budget.
Tip #3: Prep Your Car Before Leaving
Expecting a blown tire is not on the agenda going cross-country and you shouldn’t have to worry about that happening. Before setting trail, it’d be best to have your vehicle inspected to reassure that your mode of transportation is good-to-go because you don’t want to be waiting hours until Roadside Assistance comes to the rescue.
Or even worst, having to find out you need to repair a blown head gasket at the next repair shop in the middle-of-nowhere when it could’ve been prevented before hitting the road.
Tip #4: Check the Weather Beforehand
Checking the weather before going on your road trip could better prepare you to saving money in comparison to finding out you’ll be driving through the rain, setting you back a few hours, and ending up staying at a stop you had no intentions of being at.
Preparing for what you’ll get into before driving through the fog, rain, or thunderstorms can give you an idea of what to expect and how it can affect your trip and financial expectations. It’s better to prepare for the worst and know what can happen or not be prepared at all and must go over budget.
Tip #5: Plan Your Rest/Gas Stops
By planning your rest stops beforehand, you’ll have an idea of how long your trip can last depending on how long you spend at each rest stop. With this tip in mind, you can also prepare the approximation of how long until the next gas stop. Most current cars can give you an estimated mileage amount of how long you can drive until you need to refill.
You can also check the manual and see how many gallons your gas tank can hold, determine the average mpg of your vehicle and multiply that average to the tank capacity to calculate the average distance in miles you can drive before having to refill.
This tip can help you save money and plan accordingly to what cities you’d like to stop in during your road trip.
Tip #6: Pack Your Food & Snacks in Advance
Food and snack prep can lighten the budget load when you get a little hungry on the road. Bring a cooler and decide on what you’d like to bring for the road trip. That being said, while on the road, you wouldn’t have to worry much about elongating your rest stops or spending money on higher-priced snacks in vending machines at rest stops along the way.
Of course, you’ll eventually run through your snacks and food on the road, which you should decide on the limit of how much you intend on spending while eating out or going to restaurants during your trip.
Your planned trip should be worth your investment, and you shouldn’t have to worry about going over budget with these tips in mind. Go out there, have fun, make memories, and save money doing it!