Ways to Save Money on the Road
The cost of living on the road can vary tremendously. There are a lot of luxuries, activities, restaurants, and adventures that you can splurge on, but there are also a lot of ways to cut costs and still enjoy it. I’ve been blessed to spend money on a lot of optional things along the way, but there are still a lot of budget friendly tips that I can share with you.
Stay in one place
It is very easy to feel the need to constantly be moving while on the road. We see pictures of people that are in one spot then seem to be in an entirely new state the next week. If you’re traveling, I encourage you to stay in one area for a while. Not only will that allow you to actually explore the area and have a better experience, it will also save you a ton of money. Staying put means less gas money, less temptations to eat out every day and less time spent driving.
Gas
As I said above, staying in one place means less driving so less gas money. Other ways to save money on gas would be apps such as GasBuddy to help you locate cheaper prices or a fuel rewards system with a specific gas station.
Cook
I’m not really a foodie so this might be easier to me, but you don’t need to eat out every meal to have a good travel experience. I do encourage you to try new foods, but that could also mean picking up a new fruit or vegetable at a farmers market. Even if you do plan on eating at restaurants, it doesn’t need to be every meal. There are a lot of ways to make food for yourself while traveling, you could eat cold foods, buy a camp stove, or even cook over the fire. I wouldn’t rely solely on the last one, but it is an option some of the time.
Free Campsites
As I said before, I will talk more extensively on this topic in the future, but free campsites are great. It depends on the area that you’re in (for example out west seems a lot better for this than the east), but typically they are just designated areas where you can park and stay for a number of days. I find most of my sites using an app called iOverlander or by searching for camping options within nearby national forests. They don’t usually have any facilities and you’ll need to fend for yourself on water, electric, etc but if you are up for that, do it! I don’t think I paid for a single site when I stayed in Arizona but those were the most beautiful camp views I had.
Free activities
If you are in a more popular area, you can almost always find a list of the “Best free things to do in….” on Pinterest. I nearly always look there for ideas but just using Google Maps to search up Parks, Attractions, Museums, etc has been great for free or cheap options. There are always a lot of hiking trails as well, I usually find these on google maps, but the app AllTrails provides a lot of insight about the length and difficulty of trails.
Cheaper Showers
If I’m not staying at a campsite with showers, I shower at planet fitness. My membership costs $24 a month but there are cheaper plans than that. They are all over the country and I’ve never had a problem working out or showering there. Some other options include beaches and solar showers (basically just a bag of water with a hose).
Wifi
If I’m being honest, I spend a lot on Wi-Fi each month but that is because I need fast reliable internet that is fully secure (for work purposes). However, if you don’t need your own connection, coffee shops and public libraries are everywhere!
My view from a free campsite near Marble Canyon, AZ. This is one of the many places I found on iOverlander. There were no amenities (water, electric, toilets) but if I do recall correctly there was a campfire ring. However, fires were banned at this time in the dry Arizona heat. Not ideal if you like your amenities, but was peaceful and the view was amazing.
This was actually my breakfast this morning; it is a very common one for me. I just heat water up with my Coleman camp stove to make coffee and instant oatmeal. I used to have a French Press but right now I’ve just been drinking instant coffee and its held me over.
