Have a Solid Budget
Driving somewhere can cost you less money than flying there when there are a few people, but it still comes with hidden costs. When creating your budget, make sure you try and estimate gas, food, lodging, and any other fun activities you might plan on doing along the way. If you need help figuring out the costs, here is
a free worksheet. It has field for you to enter every cost you can think of, so you know nothing ends up left out.
On top of a good budget, look for the ways you can save money. If you’re under budget, that means more money for fun. Here are a couple ways to save:
- Fill up your car the day before you leave. Since you’re local, you know where the good gas prices are. This gives you a great start.
- Keep the cargo weight to a minimum. The less stuff you need, the better. With more weight in the car, you’ll use more gas.
- When getting gas, look for an exit with multiple gas stations and fast good chains. The prices will be lower than a single gas stop because of the competition, and you’ll be able to choose the best option for you.
- Try to drive the speed limit. When traveling on long highways or empty roads, it can be tempting to fly down them. Avoiding aggressive driving will not only keep you safer, but it can save your gas mileage from 5% in town and 33% on the highway.
With the second biggest cost being food, packing your food beforehand in a cooler may add a little weight to the car but the savings is greater on the food than the gas usage. There a few other plus sides to you packing food ahead of time. You get to control your nutrition proactively, and you also save the gift of time without having to stop longer.