Introduction
Have you ever looked at your budget for a month and thought to yourself, “Hey, I could use this money for something else”? It happens to us all the time — especially when we’re looking at our over-budget travel budgets. We love traveling and going on adventures with friends and family, but those costs can add up quickly. Luckily there are ways to save money while still having fun! Here are some simple tips that will help you have more fun on your next road trip while spending less money:
Find free things to do
You don’t have to spend a lot of money when you travel. There are plenty of free things to do, from tours and activities to museums and parks. You can also look for free events in your area that may not be listed on sites like Eventbrite or Groupon.
If you’re looking for something specific, like a concert or show at an amphitheater near where you live or work, search for it online first before buying tickets–you might find out there’s another event happening around the same time that costs less!
Avoid the car rental agency.
If you’re traveling with friends and family, renting a car is probably the last thing you want to do. It’s expensive and requires more effort than just booking an Airbnb or staying in a hotel. Plus, there are so many other ways to get around that don’t require vehicles:
- Public transportation (buses)
- Carpooling apps like Lyft Line or Uber Pool
- Rideshare services like BlaBlaCar
Find Cheap Gas
- Check gas prices before you leave.
- Drive in the early morning or late at night. Some stations have lower prices during these times, so check your phone for a current list of them.
- Look for gas stations with cheaper prices, especially if they’re close to where you’re going and it’s not worth going out of your way to save a few cents per gallon. If there are several options nearby, compare them all before deciding which one to use–and don’t forget about loyalty programs! They might make up for any savings from shopping around elsewhere (which could take hours).
- Use credit cards that offer cash back or rewards points when buying gas: It’ll help make up for any extra costs incurred by driving farther away from major cities where prices tend to be higher than average due to high demand; plus those perks could come in handy later on down the road anyway!
Use public transportation when possible.
If you’re traveling with friends or family, use public transportation to get around. It’s significantly cheaper than renting a car and it allows everyone to share the cost of gas (or trains or buses). If you are driving, consider taking turns being the designated driver so that no one has to spend money on drinks at bars along the way!
Stay at a hostel or similar place with other people to split costs.
Hostels are a great way to save money on a road trip. They provide a place to sleep and shower, but they may not have all the amenities of a hotel. You’ll usually find them in cities, so if you’re traveling through rural areas or need more privacy than hostels can offer, consider staying at an inn instead.
Bring food from home and cook.
- Bring food from home.
- Cook at home.
Cooking at home is healthier, cheaper and more fun than eating out all the time! It’s also a great way to spend time with friends and family while saving money on road trips with friends and family.
Pack light, use public bathrooms and shower at gyms rather than hotels.
- Pack light. You don’t want to be carrying around a bunch of extra weight when you’re on the road, so don’t pack too much stuff. The lighter your bag is, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to carry it around without getting tired and sore.
- Use public bathrooms. If there isn’t a bathroom available at your destination, then use one in public places like parks or malls instead of paying for an expensive hotel room with its own private facilities (which will cost even more money).
- Shower at gyms rather than hotels. Gyms often have showers available for their members–so why not take advantage? Many gyms offer free trials as well as cheap memberships that allow people access to these services; even if they don’t offer free trials or discounts immediately upon joining (or after), most gyms still have cheaper rates than hotels do!
Don’t drive at night or on long stretches of highway unless you absolutely have to.
- Don’t drive at night or on long stretches of highway unless you absolutely have to. Driving while tired is a leading cause of car accidents, so it’s best to avoid driving at night if possible. If you do have to drive at night, stop every few hours and get some rest in a hotel or hostel instead of trying to push through with only brief naps in the car.
- Don’t spend money on expensive hotels when there are cheaper options available nearby. If you can find an affordable hotel or hostel near where your friends or family are staying (or even closer), then this will save everyone money compared with booking multiple rooms at an expensive resort hotel far away from where everyone else wants/needs them anyway!
Road trips can be fun, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make them that way.
Road trips can be fun, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make them that way. Here are some tips for saving money on road trips with friends and family:
- Find free things to do. There are plenty of ways to entertain yourself without spending anything at all! If you’re traveling through an urban area, visit museums or parks; if not, take advantage of nature by hiking or camping out in the wilderness (but remember: always be safe). Go fishing or swimming in local lakes; find an area with geocaching opportunities; check out historical landmarks like battlefields or old buildings–there’s no limit here! Just make sure not everyone goes off doing their own thing so they don’t end up getting lost somewhere far away from each other while everyone else is waiting back at home base (*cough cough*).
- Avoid car rental agencies whenever possible–they’re usually overpriced compared with other options such as public transportation (see below) plus there’ll probably be lines too long even though most people only need cars when their destination requires one anyway…so why bother? Unless it’s necessary for travel purposes then try finding another way around those hoops without having any extra expenses added onto those already present from plane tickets/bus tickets etcetera ad infinitum.”
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many ways to save money on road trips. You don’t have to spend a lot of money if you want to go on a trip with friends or family members. All it takes is some planning and creativity, and before long you’ll be on your way!
