How to Save Money Driving Cross-Country
Driving across the United States lets you see how diverse and varied the country is - from the deep woods of New England and the Northeast, to the historic sights around the nation's capital and across to the shores of the Pacific Coast. Road tripping across the country takes money, but a few tested tips can help cut the costs. Use that saved money to visit the world's largest frying pan in Brandon, Iowa.
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Things You'll Need
- Air tire pressure gauge
- Ice chest or cooler
- AAA or travel club membership
- GPS or smartphone
- Sleeping bag
Instructions
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Check your tire pressure each time you fuel up. Tires that run too high or too flat bleed mileage from the auto's efficiency, costing you money. Bring along a tire pressure gauge and make it a standard test at fueling stations along with the obligatory bathroom break and jerky restock.
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Keep a supply of drinks and snacks in a cooler or ice chest versus stopping at convenience stores or fast food restaurants. Convenience stores and rest area shops are notorious for high prices and large mark-ups. Go to large grocery stores every few hundred miles and buy a 12 pack of your favorite beverage for the price of a single drink at a rest stop.
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Join a travel club such as AAA. Membership gives you the security of free or discounted tows should you have breakdowns or run out of gas. Many memberships offer discounted hotel and motel stays, discounts on goods and services along routes and provide free maps. All of these benefits save you money on a cross-country journey.
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Program your GPS unit, or use an old-fashioned paper map or smartphone with routes that bypass toll roads. Toll roads become prevalent in the Midwest, around the Chicago area, and continue throughout much of the Northeast. These tolls add up. To cross Indiana along Interstate 90 adds up to almost $13. Use "Blue Highways," an old term for rural routes on road maps, to see the country and avoid high road tolls.
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Sleep in the car every other night. If you have a truck or SUV you have lots of space. Save money by parking in rest areas and grabbing some sleep for free. Keep a sleeping bag in the car for just such occasions. Save additional money by pre-booking hotel or motel rooms along your route. Often, when you walk into roadside motels you get a higher rate than pre-booking via Internet or phone. This also guarantees you have a place to stay along the road.
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Tips & Warnings
Use common sense when sleeping in your car. If your instincts tell you the area you are sleeping isn't safe, it probably isn't. Sleep in lit parking lots at rest stops with the doors locked and your cell phone next to you for emergency calls to 911.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
