A guide to less expensive options when road tripping
Road trips can be expensive, no matter if you are traveling solo, with a group, or with your family. These are a few of our tips to making road trips more affordable.
Food
Eating out can take a huge chunk out of a travel budget. Our solution is grocery shopping before you leave on your trip. If you are going through a state that does not have sales tax on groceries, you can wait until you get to that state to load your cooler.
A case of water is roughly $4 at the grocery store. A bottle of water is $2 at the gas station. A sandwich and chips at a deli is about $10. A loaf of bread is around $4, deli meat $5, mayo $3, lettuce $3, tomato $2, and a bag of chips $3, totaling around $20. You are spending $10 more to go grocery shopping, but you can make a few more sandwich and chip lunches, saving you roughly $40 to $50, overall.
Sandwich and chip lunches do get old, but that is just an example. Salads and pre-cooked foods are other options. You get the point.
Gas
Gas prices are expensive, no matter where you go. If you have a rewards card at a particular type of gas station, such as Circle K, you will save around 10 cents per gallon. It’s not a lot, but it will save you overall.
We use the GasBuddy app. GasBuddy helps you find the cheapest gas around you. It gives you all of the gas prices, names of gas stations, and how far they are from your location. This app has helped us save up to 30 cents per gallon on one gas stop.
Accommodations
Obviously, we talk about camping A LOT on this blog, but here’s the reason: it’s less expensive than a hotel.
On our very first road trip to Estes Park, Colorado, we spent way too much on hotels. So much that Kevin suggested just flying to our next location instead. I wanted to see the world and take Luka to all 50 states, so I suggested camping.
The camping gear took up a lot of space, but it wound up saving us a lot of money. The cost of camping equipment was around $1000, however, it paid for itself within a couple of road trips. With the cost of $200 to $300 per night for a hotel room, our last vacation saved us between $600 and $900. It would have been a lot more, if there had not been a flash flood in the area we had planned to camp.
Camp grounds can cost anywhere from $20 to $100 per night, depending on where you stay. We prefer to stay in dispersed camping areas because they are FREE. Dispersed camping areas are quieter, too, because they are further away from other people, typically. They are first come, first served, so no reservations are required.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and United States Forestry Service (USFS)
When looking for a dispersed camping location, make sure that you are on BLM or USFS land. It should be common sense, but just in case – do NOT camp on someone’s private property. That’s a good way to get free accommodations in the local jail.
There are apps that can help you locate these BLM and USFS dispersed camping sites. FreeRoam and The Dyrt are two of my favorites. People leave reviews, directions, and photos, which are very helpful.
Previously Used Campsites
You should only camp in previously used and established campsites. These campsites are usually cleared of any debris, flatter than the areas around it, and have a campfire ring made of rocks.
You should not make any other campsites in the location. If there aren’t any other campsites, we suggest moving on to another dispersed camping area or a campground.
Get There Before Dark
Setting up camp can already be hectic, but doing it in the dark is the worst. Even if you have spot lights on your vehicle to help light up the campsite, it can be dangerous and frustrating.
Many people will get there before dark. If you are going to a popular, scenic dispersed camping area, make sure you are there early to get a good campsite.
Burn Bans
If you are in a BLM or USFS area, there should be signs stating whether or not there is a burn ban for that area. They will usually have a bulletin board at the beginning of the road/trail leading to the campsites.You can also check their websites for any weather related and burn ban information.
You definitely do not want to be the person responsible for a wildfire, so make sure to check those websites and bulletin boards prior to setting up camp.
Pack In, Pack Out
Whatever you bring into the area, make sure you take it with you. You do not want to leave any trace that you were there. This will ensure that the landscape stays beautiful for the next people that come. Any trash that you have, including cigarette butts, should be disposed of in a trash bag and taken with you when you leave.
We usually find a dumpster at a gas station or fast food restaurant to throw our trash in once we leave a campsite. There are typically no dumpsters on BLM or USFS lands.
Toilets
There are very few, if any, dispersed camping areas with bathrooms. The rule of thumb is to dig a hole, about 6 inches deep and 100 to 200 feet away from a water sources, such as a river or stream, to bury any human waste.
*TMI Alert* I use a camping toilet, with a bag in it. I use another bag to put Dude Wipes and toilet paper in. I dig a hole and pour my waste from the toilet bag into the hole, bury my waste, and put that bag in the same bag with the toilet paper and Dude Wipes, so I can throw it away when I leave.
It’s really not as complicated as it sounds, and you get used to it after a couple of times.
I could also dig a hole and put my toilet over it, to make things easier, but I am terrified of something biting my bottom. After getting chiggers, also known as red bugs, as a child, when I sat on a log to do my business, I take extra precautions.
We hope that you have a memorable and fun road trip adventure. If you would like to check out what we use for camping, click the link must-haves-for-comfortable-primitive-camping
