15 Money-Saving Tips for a Cheap Road Trip Across the USA

1. Make eating out special

Eating out for every meal will drain your wallet more quickly than betting on the lottery. Eating out is part of the fun of traveling, but only do so at places you don’t have at home.

Research the restaurants in towns you’ll be passing through, and make an effort to dine at those that are super unique, serve up local specialties or are places that residents rave about. Those are the eating experiences that you’ll remember. Avoid places like McDonald’s (unless you need Wifi and an ice cream cone!) or chain restaurants that could be in any city.

2. Be prepared to cook

Having the ability to cook meals along your road trip can save you hundreds of dollars along the way. Plus, you probably won't want to be stuck going to Taco Bell and Hardee's for every meals because there's no other option.

When you're traveling in a campervan (like we were), it's easy to cook many of your meals. You'll likely have a nice stove, pots, pans and everything you need to prepare most meals. But we've also been on road trips in our car where we don't have the luxury of a kitchen. We have tips for both situations below: 

1. Traveling in a campervan or RV: Lucky you! Cooking a variety of meals will be really easy.

• Be sure you have lots of spices to add variety to your cooking. If you have lots of options, you'll actually want to cook instead of getting bored with campervan food.
• Also, pack plastic containers so you can save leftovers or portions of unused vegetables to prevent waste.
• A good knife will go a long way.
• Check out everything we included in our kitchen conversion!

2. Traveling in a car: This will make cooking a little more tricky, but it's definitely doable. 

• A cutting board and a good knife will make it possible to snack on fruits and veggies, as well as have fresh salads for meals. Even if you don't have a stove, a cutting board and knife should be on your packing list.
• A stove is a good investment, as it allows you to cook hot meals and boil water for coffee or tea. Here are 2 good options for a small space:
  • Mini Backpacking Camp Stove: It is tiny, so it hardly takes up any space. This is best if you have a small car or are planning to go on backcountry trips. You will only be able to cook simple meals with this device.
  • 2-Burner Coleman Stove: This is what we had in our campervan, but if you have a larger vehicle, it is a good option. You can cook a couple things at once, and it will allow you to use bigger pans and cook more interesting meals.

2. B.Y.O.C. (Bring your own Coffee)

If you’re a coffee drinker like us, pack your own French press and favorite grounds. It doesn’t take up much space and it will save you time and money from stopping at Starbucks every day.

3. Stay hydrated for cheap

Get a large water jug and fill it up at parks, campgrounds and drinking fountains to avoid buying new bottles all the time. We kept two large jugs in our campervan that we used to fill up our reusable water bottles. This saves money and plastic waste too, which is a huge plus.

5. Learn to love picnics

Picnics can be super cheap and will allow you to enjoy your lunch with a view. Picnics will be so much better if you’re prepared and pack a blanket, a small cooler, utensils, plates and perhaps even a bottle opener (for all that wine!).

6. Meals "on deck"

Have a couple "reserve meals" that don't require much preparation in case you end up somewhere where everything is way overpriced or closed.

One idea is gnocchi and pesto. It requires just a few minutes on the stove, and both ingredients are shelf-stable and don't need to be refrigerated. If you have other ingredients, you can add them, but it's fine on it's own too.

"Reserve meals" may not be our favorite on the road, but they have saved us when we arrive in a campground late at night and the only option is overpriced (and gross!) gas station sandwiches.

7. Pack a growler (for beer drinkers)

If you are anything like us, trying local breweries is something you look forward to on road trips. It’s a fun way to experience the local vibe and support small brewers. We typically get one pint at a brewery to enjoy the atmosphere. If we like the beer, we often fill up our growler instead of ordering a second.

It’s cheaper than getting another pint or even stocking up at a liquor store. Our campervan became our favorite happy hour spot!)

8. Split your splurges

When there's a local specialty or an ice cream shop that looks amazing, don't pass it up. But if you want to keep under your budget, split it with your travel companion (if you have one!) so you can both try it, while only spending half the money.

9. Get grocery discount cards

If you’re road tripping far from home, chances are you’ll be shopping at grocery stores you don’t have in your neck of the woods. Many big chains, like Safeway and Kroger, have free loyalty cards that give you discounts on all your groceries.

We were surprised how much money we saved by getting a Safeway card while traveling on the west coast. On a previous trip out east, we saved a ton of money with our Kroger card.

10. Stock up at Trader Joe's

We are admittedly addicted to “TJ’s”, as we lovingly call it. But we have found Trader Joe's has some of the best deals on healthy snacks and staples. Plus, samples… need I say more?!

11. Take advantage of free breakfasts

If you’re staying in hotels on your road trip, try booking some that include free breakfasts. This eliminates one meals each day that you need to pay for on your road trip. Use our favorite hotel booking site in the USA. 

12. Book accommodation with a kitchen

We love staying in Airbnbs for many reasons, one of them being the access to a kitchen. This allows us to easily cook our meals so we don’t feel the need to eat out every time we get hungry.

13. Seek out happy hours

It’s a good time to get great deals at some of a city’s best restaurant and gives you the chance to brush shoulders with the locals.

14. Ask locals where they eat

A lot of times the top-rates restaurants on Trip Advisor are the more expensive restaurants locals seek out on special occasions. But if you’re on a road trip, “special occasion meals” every night will add up FAST. Asking where locals flock on a regular night out is a good way to find hidden spots that are reasonably priced and not packed with the "Trip Advisor tourists".

15. Seek out local specials

If your road trip falls over some weekdays, check out the town calendars to see if there are any local specials. Often times there are fun events, like Trivia Nights and many small restaurants even have a local’s night where they have a special, less expensive menu.

This article adapted from this Site