What is a good way to make a road trip economical?|138244

My husband and I are travelling to move to Arizona from Long Isalnd New York, we will need to have a place for lodging, food, meals, gas, and any emergenices that may pop up. What is a good way to plan this road trip without spending too much. We do have money saved but we want to use it wisely. Thank you for your answers.

i can answer this! i just moved to arizona from washington state. one way we saved extra money was really to make our lunches. we were on the road for 3 days... i made sandwiches for the first day and packed yogurts, pudding chips ect... kept the mayo mustard and bread in the cooler so when we got to the hotel room we made sandwiches for the next day... now i was driving an explorer while my boyfriend drove the uhaul... i looked out for the cheapest prices in gas since i was able to go faster... one i felt that i found it then i_d call him and let him know (trust me this saved.. one exit difference meant a difference in 60 cents per gallon)... we didn_t stay at fancy hotels... no need it_s not a vacation it_s simply a place to rest your head and get ready for the next day... we actually came out on top when we got to arizona... spent 300 less than we thought we would by avoiding fast food (which moves through your body quicker making more rest rooms stops) and if you have water/gatarode or pop buy it ahead of time in bulk you_ll save more money!!! hope this helps. oh and welcome to arizona you_ll love it!!!

Maybe you could choose a destination that_s downhill all the way.

Great advice! We are moving from Washington State to California in 6 days, so this will help some!

I usually stay at Motel 6 when I drive across America. They usually have the lowest rates and they are purposely located along the Interstate highways.

If you go to their website, they_ll provide you a map of all their locations between your start and end destinations.


http://www.motel6.com

become a member of AAA. They will help plan the fastest route and the membership comes with perks like discounted motel and travel discounts. They will also point out where you can run into construction and advise you on ways around if possible. It_s well worth it. They helped me out so much on my move to Arizona from Kentucky.

Well if you folks are willing to go extreme :), ride a van, sleep in it (u can remove the backseats and lay a mattress there). And then save on food. Those two are I believe you can save the money most.

Get a tripik from AAA (auto club).

Well I think obviously the first answer would be to have a car that is good on gas. If you are moving your entire life, though, you might not be able to fit it all in a small hybird car!!! But, that having been said, the first thing to do would be to contact AAA. They will give you a Trip Tik, which they will mail you maps for free, and highlight the best routes,marking where they may be detours, etc. They will also give you state books which will have coupons and discounts for hotel and restaurants. Now, food will be what you_ll end up spending the most money on, so it would be cheapest to buy things at a grocery shop, like snacks and sandwiches,etc ahead of time, and keep a small cooler easily at reach in the car. Every so often you_ll need to stop and refresh the ice, but think about how much eating out every meal of the day can add up! So, settle for a few bags of chips or whatever you_d like to snack on rather than a pricey meal. Other than that, it would just be the same common sense, you_d use when traveling anywhere. Best of luck to you!!!