Saving money on a road trip (even with kids)
We’re in the thick of family vacation time, and money isn’t getting any easier to come by. The most expensive components of a road trip continue to be gas, lodging and food, but with RV travel and camping, the lodging part is usually significantly reduced compared to those traveling with hotel destinations in mind. Here are a few tips for lowering the bill for some of the other things you’ll come up against. Plan ahead. This always sounds great, but it’s the hardest thing to do, especially with a day job and multiple people to coordinate. It’s the one thing, though, that will make the biggest difference. At the very least, try to come up with an idea of the most important places you want to visit – museums, theme or water parks, historical sites – and things you want to do, such as hiking or horseback riding. Then sketch out an itinerary and a budget. Having something written down helps you stick to a spending plan, simply because it keeps you on track. It also helps to have a good pa...