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We spend anywhere from three to seven days in TRAVEL MODE on the road hitting the pavement to our next destination! This can sometimes be taxing on the wallet if we are not careful. We do our best to save money while traveling and this is how! Most of these suggestions are geared toward RV travel, but A few of these can even apply to road trips, boat trips and plane trips!! Do YOU have some money-saving travel tips? I would love to hear them! Leave me a comment!
1) Snacks: Always bring our own snacks! We pack snack baggies with vegetables, fruit, crackers and other easy, healthy snack foods.
2) Meals: Make lunch ahead of time! Before we pack the RV up and move it I always make lunches and dinners that don’t require electricity to heat or that can be eaten cold! This helps because by time you get hungry you just want something easy and FAST to eat… which often leads to eating at a restaurant! Our Summer Pasta Salad is GREAT for this!
3) Sleep: If the weather is nice. If it isn’t too hot or too cold you can look for FREE or cheap overnight parking! Our personal favorite is Wal-Mart parking lot, but the list is endless! All you have to do is call ahead and ask the manager! We have had great luck with Home Depot parking lots as well! When you are in the western part of the country BLM land is available to use! If for some reason the weather is not suitable for boondocking then look for local cities that offer CHEAP overnight RV sites with full hook-ups! We have seen these sites in Nebraska, Kansas, and Armor, South Dakota. They are usually fairgrounds or city parks. Boondockers Welcome is a great site for boondocking!
4) Fuel: We use apps such as GasBuddy to show us the cheapest gas and diesel in the area! Three cents doesn’t sound like much, but when you put thousands of miles in over a year it adds up quickly! Check out this ProTip! If you’re below half a tank, and you’re getting close to a state line, use GasBuddy to see what the prices are like on both sides of the state line. Because of state taxes, one will usually be a much better deal.
5) Entertainment: While traveling from one destination to the next we look for free entertainment in the cities we are passing through! This could be a museum, train depot, or live music. The possibilities are endless! Check local Chamber of Commerce websites and city websites to see what is going on! Another useful app is Trip Advisor and Yelp!
6) Entertainment: We rent Redbox movies in one town and drop them off in another town along the trip! The boys watch movies while we are traveling and love to add new movies! Bonus: I don’t have to hear it or see the same movie 5 million times in a row! If you are thrifty you can often find codes online for free rentals, especially if you have the RedBox app.
7) Toys: We often rotate toys out before a road trip. We buy them second-hand or at a garage sale and then donate them when the kids tire of them. This cuts costs AND clutter and the kids feel like it is Christmas every time we get new toys!
8) Fuel: Maintain your speed to conserve fuel! Studies show that the faster and more erratic you drive the more fuel you burn! Fuel isn’t cheap so keep your foot off the pedal and use cruise control when possible!
9) Maintenance: Always check your tires, tire pressure, oil, and DEF if you have it before hitting the road! These simple things can save you from having to pay a tow truck driver and from having costly repairs on the road!
10) Season: If at all possible travel in off-peak season! For us this is impossible because we follow the work, but for others who are location independent this could save a ton of money! BONUS: local attractions will be less crowded!
**How do YOU like to save money while traveling whether it be in an RV, boat, plane or car?? **
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