Several weeks ago I published an article on Ten Ways to Save Money on a Summer Road Trip. This weekend I made a quick drive from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Beatrice, Nebraska and back. The two day trip made me consider if my own words about saving on a road trip were really helpful.
Rules I broke:
Suggestion Number Three – Save Money on Gas.
I suggested you save money on gas by doing two things:
- Get a gas cost estimate from AA. I did that before I left. The trip to Lincoln and back was supposed to cost around $99. I left with 3/4 of a tank and the total gas bill was $105.79. Pretty accurate I would say.
- The second suggestion was to check Gas Buddy before driving off blindly. Oops. I didn’t do this one and it cost me. I got gas in four cities:
Cheyenne: 2.359 per gallon
Kearney (NE): 2.499 per gallon
Ogallala (NE): 2.799 per gallon
Lincoln (NE) 2.399 per gallon
Had I checked prices before I left I could have filled up in Cheyenne before I left and completely cut out the $2.799 per gallon tank of gas.
Suggestion Number Eight – Take Advantage of Current Hotel Promotions
I didn’t take advantage of any current hotel promotions because I couldn’t get a brand with a promotion for close enough to a Priceline price. With fees and everything I paid $50 for a Comfort Suites hotel for the night.
Rules I followed:
Suggestions Number Four and Five – Don’t buy food at convenience stores and take a cooler.
I took some pop that was purchased at a local grocery store for $2.75 for a 12 pack. Because it was a quick trip I ended up drinking 6 cokes going and coming (I needed the caffeine fix). The total drink bill was $1.38. If I had stopped in addition to taking more time at $1.25 each I would have paid $7.50 for drinks. I also took snacks with me and didn’t buy any along the way. Probably a savings of $5.00.
Conclusions:
The Ten Money Saving Ideas for a Road Trip are good ideas and will save you money. Of course, the longer the trip, the more you’ll save. I made a believer out of myself.
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