This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
I love to travel. Traveling is a chance to experience the world.
There is a misconception that traveling is expensive. It doesn’t have to be, though. One of my (many) missions is to prove to millennials that you can be financially responsible while still taking the time to travel. It does take discipline but anything worth having is worth working for.
A road trip is a great way to take a trip without breaking the bank. Last month, there was an awesome guest post by Jason Butler titled: 11 Tips to Prepare for a Cross-Country Road Trip. Cross-Country road trips typically do take more time and money due to the longer nature; however, you can also take a quick road trip to keep costs low. In that spirit, today we’re going to talk about saving money on your next road trip.
Budget & Save
One major reason that road trips are popular is they typically help you save money compared to a traditional trip where you need a flight. The thing is, if you get too carried away with your road trip planning (or lack a plan altogether) you may end up spending more money than a traditional trip.
First thing is setting your budget. Determine how much you want to spend (and how much you can afford to spend) on your next road trip. Believe it or not, set your budget before you determine how many days and where you are going!
Once your budget is determined you can set a saving target to reach your goal. For example, I went on a trip to Gatlinburg in April. I set my budget for $400. I decided to save $100 from each paycheck over a 2 month period in order to accomplish my goal. It isn’t always easy to save additional money but it helped that I have slashed a few items from my previous budget.
Plan Location + Time
The next step is planning the location of your road trip and how long you will be away. Do you want to head to a beach? Or visit mountainous terrain? How much time can you take away from your job, family and other responsibilities?
Living in the center of the midwest, there are so many quick road trip locations that are at my fingertips. For example, just in the past year, I have taken quick trips to Cincinnati, Columbus, Chicago and Gatlinburg just to name a few. However, I have taken longer road trips in the past all the way to DC and Atlanta. Time away is definitely a factor as I don’t even long road trips, especially if they are squeezed into 1 weekend.
Once you plan the location, you can also determine entertainment options and find activities that fit within your budget.
Transportation
Once you plan where you want to go and the timeframe, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to get there! Is your car in good shape to make it on the road? Or do you need a rental car?
Prior to 2 years ago, I would always rent a car in order to take a road trip that was longer than 3 hours. My car was literally on its last leg with over 200k miles. Now that I have a newer car, I feel comfortable driving my car on road trips as long as I have gotten proper maintenance prior to the trip.
If you need a rental car, you’re in luck because Groupon Coupons has you covered with discounts for Hertz rental car company.
Lodging
The fourth step in planning your road trip is to figure out where you plan on staying. In order to cut back on expenses, I try to stay with friends when traveling; however, this isn’t always an option. If you don’t have friends or family in the area, Groupon Coupons has you covered with special deals directly through Hotels.com.
There you have it! Use those 4 steps to save more money on your next road trip with Groupon Coupons. I’ve used Groupon Coupons to save on every day items as well as one-time expenditures. If you have never used Groupon Coupons before, make sure to visit the site here!
Have you used Groupon Coupons to save money? If so, tell me about it!
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24 comments
Groupon has really come a long way the past five or so years. We have taken advantage of some of their travel deals and we have always been really happy with the result.
I agree that Groupon is really stepping it up! I am glad to hear you have had good luck with their travel deals.
I love Groupon! I tried to use them for our recent #latesummervacay to St. Louis, but there was so much free stuff to do it didn’t work out. I always look to Groupon for “Things To Do” for our #familyfuntime outings.
I love the things to do option! My boyfriend use that and the “food near me” every weekend to see if we can find any good deals.
I loved Groupon and wish they were in Spain. Last time l used it was in London. Great prices for the Russian Circus with my niece. I used to love them for the movie deals 🙂
Yes! I always find $5 movie deals. I hope Groupon makes its way to Spain for you!
I LOOOVE Groupon. Groupon is great of experience-based gifts around the holidays. It’s come in handy for my trips to Atlantic City and Philadelphia in the past.
Can you take me with you to Atlantic City?!?
Incredible advice, Tia! I didn’t know you could use Groupon on car rentals either! Im going to check them out when Im in need of a rental again!
Yes, Groupon has so many options! I am always finding new stuff on there!
Wow…Groupon is where it’s at, and I need to jump on the train! Lol
I love me some Groupon, I love finding restaurants, and Spa deals.
When I lived in the states, this was the LICK! Even when I’m traveling I’m going for deals in other cities and countries. I am definitely a GROUPON fan!
I love Groupon Coupons! I had not thought of rental cars! Thanks a bunch!
Aren’t Groupings the best!!! How did we live without them?
I agree! I am not sure what we did without groupons?!? I was never one to clip coupons.
I love Groupon! I would love to take a drive to different states! I will jump on a plane to go to another country but I need to start exploring the USA
The good thing is, you can use Groupon for longer trips as well. I love the option to find discounted hotels.
I’ve used groupon coupons for shopping online and I love it. I’m not a fan of long road trips. lol
I’m not a fan of long road trips either, but these options are def great for short trips as well!
I haven’t tried Groupon coupons for traveling, but I need to! This is great advice. I love the idea of small, manageable road trips. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Great tips, I’m taking a road trip on Thursday. I will put these tips into immediate action.
My last major trip to Hawaii, I used Groupon to do some of the adventures. You can really maximize your budget by using Groupon.
I’m all about that coupon life LOL. I’m not traveling cross country but I can definitely use these tips. Thanks!