More than 30 percent of American families will plan to take a road trip this year and travel at least 50 miles, per AAA. In addition to a lot of time, a big road trip can also lead to spending a lot of money. Here are a few ways to reduce expenses and find savings that you may have overlooked in the past.
Leave the Old Vehicle, Rent a New One
Quite a few families are eager to get on the road with their long-lasting family vehicles – even if those cars and vans are on their last leg and barely surviving day-to-day travel. Even if your vehicle is in great condition, it may be a gas-guzzling machine that will eat a hole in your travel budget from fuel alone. Rental cars and vans add more options to the table for you to consider, especially if your “long-lasting” vehicle is not going to last very much longer. One of the last places you want to experience an automobile breakdown is during a big road trip.
Save Fuel by Packing Light
The weight that you add to your vehicle plays a major role in its fuel consumption. The higher the weight, the harder your vehicle must work to keep it all on the road. That hard work eats away at the overall condition of your vehicle in the long run. However, in the short-term, you will notice a quick plummet in your fuel gauge. Pack as lightly as possible – especially if you are traveling with a lot of people in the same vehicle. Your car or truck is already going to struggle to bear the weight of your family for an extensive trip. Adding even more weight to the equation is not the best idea. Even if you decide to go with rental cars or vans for the trip, you should still consider fuel consumption when packing for your family road trip.
