16 {Easy} Ways to Save $1000 On Your Next Road Trip

Planning a vacation this summer? It’s so easy for even short vacations to bust your budget, but there are a ton of simple ways to save every single day on the road. Our family loves to travel (in fact writing this post has me already dreaming up summer trips), so finding things we can do to save along the way makes it a wee bit easier around here.

Here are a few things that have worked for us . . . 

{Note: Savings based on a family of 5, 2 adults, 1 teenager, and 2 children. Estimated trip is 5 nights long and includes 6 tanks of gas.}

Save on Food

1. Pack a picnic lunch and stop at a rest area while driving. (This is one of our favorite ways to save and best vacation memories ~ we always pack a frisbee so the kids can run around while we stop!)

• savings: $30 each stop x 2 = $60

2. Shop a local Aldi store while traveling for extra groceries on the road.

• savings: up to $60 depending on the amount of groceries you purchase

3. Take advantage of Restaurant.com gift cards for nicer restaurant meals.

• savings: typically $25 off a restaurant $50 gift card – be sure to note that they typically require a minimum amount spent so you’ll want to read the fine print prior to ordering, and be sure to check out extra discount codes before you purchase (usually available on their main page)

4. Eat a meal at Sam’s or Costco if you have a membership.

• savings: $20-$30, depending on the size of your family x 2 = $60

5. Pack breakfast bars and eat lunch early to skip buying a full meal for breakfast. 

• savings: $25 x 2 = $50

6. Pack drinks for the road instead of buying them at restaurants or gas stations.

• savings = $30 per day x 5 days = $150

7. Take advantage of kids eat free restaurants (find restaurant options HERE and HERE)

• savings = $10 per meal x 3 = $30 

Save on Hotels

8. Check Priceline to get the best prices on hotels each night, or VRBO if you’re staying in a condo. (May also want to consider staying instead in a hotel like Hampton Inn that offers complimentary breakfast, which would save around $25 for a family of 5.)

• savings: up to $50 off each night, estimated savings based on $25 per night = $125

9. Visit a friend or relative while traveling and spend the night with them

• savings = $100 per night x 1 = $100

Save on Gas

10. Use the Gas Buddy App to find the best price on gas in your area.

• savings: up to $4 per tank of gas x 6 = $24

11. Take advantage of fuel points at Kroger or Giant Eagle (or other stores) with their summer fuel perks programs.

• savings: up to $1 off per gallon or $17 per tank of gas x 2 = $34

Save on Entertainment

12. Instead of visiting expensive museums or aquariums, take a family friendly hike (find family hiking options HERE),

visit state capitals along the way, 

check out college campuses to give your kids a peek of college life, 

or tour local factories that offer free tours. 

• savings = $100, depending on cost of museum

13.  Check out Groupon in the town you’re visiting and see if they’re offering any special discounts on activities you’d like to do.

• savings = $25 (will vary by offer)

14. Pack “treat” bags for the road using Dollar Tree items to help your kids manage longer driving distances

• savings = $20 compared to purchasing things along the way

and skip souvenirs and buy postcards instead to create a souvenir booklet or let your kids pick up free local maps at rest areas to remember where they’ve visited

• savings: $10-$15 per souvenir x 3 kids x 2 = $90

Save on Miscellaneous Extras

15. Get books and DVDs from your local library to read on the trip.

• savings: $45 on reading materials for your trip

16. Take sample size laundry detergent with you so you don’t have to purchase it while traveling (great way to use up those free sample size items!)

• savings = $10

TOTAL SAVINGS = $1008  . . . it really adds up!