A road trip is a great way for a family to spend time together on vacation while saving money on airfare. Before you jump in the car however, you need to calculate the expense of your road trip. Here are the steps to figuring out how much money you will need
Calculate the mileage of your road trip. Decide where you are going on your trip. Do you have a specific destination such as Grandma’s house or a vacation spot? Also, decide if there are waypoints along the way that you want to visit. Use a mapping website such as Mapquest or Google Maps to calculate the distance of each leg of your trip. A leg is the distance between your home to your first way point, the distance between your first waypoint and your second, and the distance between your second waypoint and your final destination. Also calculate the return distance and any stops you will make on the way home. Add the distance of each leg of your trip and you will know your mileage.
Calculate the cost of fuel for your road trip. RoadtripAmerica.com has a fuel cost calculator you can use based on current fuel prices.
Decide how much you will spend on food. Be realistic. Don’t try to convince yourself that all of your meals will be sandwiches. Plan to split your meals evenly between restaurants, fast food and picnic meals. Plan to have one of each every day.
Locate and calculate the cost of hotels. If you are traveling more than 8 hours away from your home, you will need to plan for hotel stops along the way. Decide in advance, where you will stop and locate deals in the area. Websites like Hotwire.com are excellent for getting decent hotel rooms at motel prices. You will have to pay for your hotel stays in advance, but you will save a great deal of money.
Add all of your calculations together and then add another 10 percent for incidentals plus 20 percent for emergencies. If this money is left over when you get home, then you can save to toward your next road trip.
