Everybody needs to go on a road trip every once in a while to get away from their mundane way of living. Road trips can be a chance to gain new experiences and have a lot of fun when you are traveling with a close bunch of people. However, arranging a road trip can be quite expensive if you haven’t planned ahead and that can take the fun out of it. Having a great road trip doesn’t after all require you to burn a hole in your pocket. So if you are asking “how to road trip on a budget?” we’ve got all the answers for you up ahead.
The Budget
If you are looking to have the most fun time while spending the least possible, it is important that you round up a budget for your road trip before planning anything else. Your road trip budget should justifiably divide the funds between all the things that may cost you money on your trip such as gas, food & drinks, stay, entertainment, etc. It is wise to calculate the number of miles that you are going to cover to add up the cost of gas in a precise manner. Segregate your food budget into the number of meals that you will be having outside versus the times that you will be preparing your own food.
The Vehicle
It goes without saying that the most important thing required for a road trip is the vehicle. Getting yourself a fuel-efficient and fully serviced vehicle is paramount for completing cheap road trips. Give your vehicle a complete checkup so that the risk of breakdown while traveling is minimum. Planning your route before leaving helps you avoid harassment and wastage of precious time and money. Your planned route should have enough gas stops, bathrooms, and eating stops, especially if you are traveling with family. Make use of a map or an app that can plan your route and help navigate, to prevent you from going astray. The planned route however should not be considered as the only alternative because getting lost and exploring new routes is one of those things that make road trips so special.
Food
Being careless with maintaining a food budget can make you spend a great deal of money on food that you could have otherwise saved for some other activity. The meals in expensive restaurants should be kept to a minimum and smaller eateries, away from the main city, should be preferred. Apart from saving yourself a good amount of money, you also get to experience the authentic taste of the local cuisine. Carrying your cooking gear with you is important if you want to cook your own food every now and then.
Lodging
Book a good accommodation before heading out lest you end up too sleep-deprived and ill-rested to make most of your road trip. Driving in such a sleepy and distracted state can even prove fatal for you and your fellow travelers. Getting a good 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep even while traveling is one of the most important steps to thwart off drowsy driving. Follow the sleep information blog InsideBedroom, to learn easy tips that help improve your sleep quality. Make your bookings through a trusted source and go through the reviews to ensure that the hotel provides good service and free cancellation, and has a hassle-free refund policy. It is no harm carrying your camping equipment with you to save on the money for a night’s accommodation while enjoying a good sleep under a spread out the sky.
The Crowd
This is one of the factors that people can sometime overlook before planning but later come to regret. Make sure that the people you are travelling with have the same opinion about a budget road trip. For example, if some of the members of travelling band wish to spend more money on a particular entertainment, restaurant, or staying place, while others do not, it can lead to a poor road trip experience. It is therefore wise to travel with people who are always game for an alternative that can prevent over expenditure on a trip.
Sightseeing
People can sometimes end up spending so much money on buying tickets for expensive concerts and shows that it pushes the road trip budget off balance. An important step towards finishing road trips on a budget is to explore local entertainments that are either free or inexpensive such as a trip to a zoo, a museum, an art exhibition, a cultural event, etc. However, it is important to note that if there is a particular show that you wish to attend or an activity you want to participate in earnestly, do not mind the expenditure. After all, why are you saving so much if you can’t even enjoy the things that are worth spending some money on.
Packing
The cost-efficiency of your trip depends on how well you have packed for your trip. We often end up spending money on an object that we later realize we already had at our home and could have easily carried. Remember to pack enough snacks and drinks before leaving so that you do not have to make too many eating stops. Also, carry equipment like a cooling box, a mini grill, an electric heater, etc., to help you prepare small meals and snacks on the way. Your personal pillow covers, towels, and bedsheets should always be carried on a trip to familiarize the sleeping environment. You should in no way practice sleeping without a bedsheet, while travelling or at home, as this can lead to a number of health issues such as acne break out and allergies.
Bottom line
Remove all the unnecessary expenditure from your travelling budget but do not hesitate to spend where it is needed. We hope that the above mentioned points help you satisfactorily enjoy the road trip while not going overboard on your budget.