How To Stay On Budget When You Decide To Take A Road Trip
We like to plan our road trips to fit neatly into a tight budget, but rarely does this ever plan out in action: so what if we could enjoy the perfect road trip without going over budget?
It takes discipline and careful planning to stick to a budget at the best of times, but when caught up in the spirit of the open road with family, friends, and colleagues it feels impossible. But that is not the case. In this article, we explore the following ways you can stay on budget when you decide to take a road trip:
l Keep fuel expenditure under control
l Avoid excessive food bills
l Consider alternative accommodation (and avoid hotel fees)
Read on as we explore these tips and reveal what tools you need to make them work.
Keep fuel expenditure under control
Fuel is an unavoidable cost on any road trip, so it’s inevitably going to form a big part of your travel budget (whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure). The problem being: filling the tank is expensive. So expensive, in fact, it can leave little room for any other expenses if you don’t keep it under control.
The first step in controlling fuel expenditure is to plan your route using free GPS tools like Google Maps or Waze. After all, knowing how far you’ll be driving is a key indicator of how much you will spend on fuel. But the planning doesn’t stop there. You should also add on a few extra miles to give leniency for detours and impulse decisions to do some sightseeing.
Alternatively, if you’re road-tripping on behalf of work then you should request a fuel card, which is a credit card used exclusively to pay for fuel (and other forecourt purchases). These tools help save time, money, and stress when budgeting for a business trip (see here for more information). They bill your company directly, so you don’t have to pay out of pocket, plus many stations provide slight discounts to help your budget stretch a little further.
Unfortunately, fuel cards aren’t available for personal use as they have to be registered against a company name. Not to worry, however, because there are plenty of other tools that help road trippers can use to access more affordable fuel. Take Gas Buddy for example — a location finder app that tells you local gas prices. This helps you identify the best prices and lets you shop around for the cheapest deal around.
Avoid excessive food bills
Like fuel to a car, the food we eat keeps us going: but what if your budget is looking a little light? Well, it’s tough to stay frugal while your stomach is rumbling. Plus, the cost of food varies depending on where you are and how long you’ll be on the road.
Road trippers have two choices when it comes to food:
1. Cook your own meals
2. Eat out at local restaurants
While the former is most budget-friendly — supermarket prices tend to be fairer than most eateries — eating out is a treat that helps you soak in the local atmosphere.
Budget Your Trip is a useful tool for controlling food expenses. It helps track travel expenses so you can budget for local restaurants and avoid excessive food bills. You can also use review sites like Tripadvisor to get an idea of local prices — this way there are no surprises that unwittingly break the budget.
Consider alternative accommodation to avoid hotel fees
Depending on the length of your road trip, it’s likely you’ll require accommodation along your journey to kick back and relax (this is particularly true with kids). With that said, hotel fees can take up a large portion of your budget, especially if you leave it late to book.
Many road trippers look for alternative accommodation to avoid expensive hotel fees.
This includes:
l Airbnb
l Camping
Alternative accommodation can help you stay within your budget without losing out on quality rest. But that’s not to say hotels aren’t affordable. If you plan on staying in a hotel for part of your road trip, make sure you make a booking well in advance and research all your options along the route. Moreover, if you’re travelling with work check to see if they can provide any discounts or corporate hotel rates (find details here) — this, along with good research, helps you find the best quality hotels with the most affordable rates
It can be hard to stick to a budget when you decide to take a road trip, but not impossible. From controlling fuel expenditure and avoiding excessive food bills to embracing alternative accommodation — this is how you take a budget-friendly road trip with family, friends, and colleagues.
*This is a collaborative post
