Travel Deals: Money Saving Road Trip Tips

As everyone in our family becomes potty-trained, we've started to venture farther from home during summer vacation each year. To get the most out of our vacation bucks, I've started looking for ways to save during increasingly long car rides. Once we arrive at our destination, we like to eat out and buy souvenirs impulsively, so I always try to offset our splurges by saving during the drive there.

Here are some of the best ideas I've borrowed from friends and family.

Pack your own food: Cut out or reduce snack stops and fast food meals. Think of every trip you've taken where everyone piles out of the car and wanders through the convenience store with an armload of overpriced junk food. Worse yet, picture yourself banging on the rest area vending machine that just ate your dollar. Avoid the hassle by packing snacks or full meals (healthy or otherwise) ahead of time. I pack novelty items that we usually don't get during weekly grocery trips, such as the kids' favorite candy, pre-sliced apples and peanut butter, and sports drinks or juice pouches. Use frozen bottles of water to keep the cold stuff cold, and you can drink them as they thaw out.

Prepare your car for the trip: Safety and frugality go hand in hand when it comes to making sure your vehicle is ready for vacation. We get our oil changed within a couple weeks of leaving and make sure a professional checks all fluids, tire pressure, filters, etc. Knowing the car is at peak performance offers peace of mind and fuel savings. If you can perform this maintenance yourself, I salute you. I just print a coupon and head to the mechanic.

Compare at the pump: Don't just pull in to the nearest gas station when your low fuel light comes on. Visit GasBuddy to find local fuel prices. You can even text or email your zip code to them for an instant response when you're traveling. Alternatively, MapQuest Gas Price finder shows street and aerial maps of local stations and their prices, including those offering biodiesel and E85. Both applications are free and each offers unique features to users.

While saving money on your trip won't keep you from pulling your hair out after six hours in a space the size of a solitary confinement cell, at least you'll have a few extra dollars to spend when you arrive. Treat yourself to a massage or special dinner.  You deserve it!

Rebecca Dale is a business teacher, avid couponer, and mom to two little boys. Her goal is to continually reduce household expenses using those savings to invest in family fun and save for the future. Savings.com lets her share deals with others as well as find deals for herself and family.