Saving Money on Car Trips

With gas prices at an all time high, cutting costs wherever possible can sure make traveling by car a more pleasurable - and cheaper - experience. So let's take a quick look at ways to save bucks for your next road trip.

1) Food and beverages add up to costly expenses during road trips. Instead of stopping at restaurants along the way, and unhealthy fast food joints, opt to bring your own cooler filled with assorted healthy fruit juices and bottled water. And brown-bag it, bring your own bags of pretzels, cookies and other snacks, plus bread and sandwich foods plus side dishes in your cooler.

For hot meals, plan ahead and bring charcoal, lighter fluid and matches. Then cook your own hot dogs and cheeseburgers, even steaks, at rest areas with facilities that host fire rings and / or grills and picnic tables.

2) Sight-seeing adventures (with or without children) can also add up. Plan ahead and look for coupon books at truck stops and visitor centers. Plus check with the National Parks website for recommended parks to visit along your route. Some states have newsletter and other publications that can be sent to you via postal mail, for handy reference, too. So check and see what's available for your area.

3) To help cover gasoline costs, buy with a credit card that has a rebate or other type of rewards program with it, where you earn points or dollars (gifts or something you can use) based upon your fuel purchases. One thing to watch is if you use a certain type of card that is associated with only one gas chain, like Shell. Then you can only buy Shell gas to get the savings.

4) Accommodations may also be needed during your car trip. So plan ahead here, too, and search for special deals in truck stop and visitor center coupon books. Also look online at travel sites for deals.

5) Last and most importantly, do not speed. By following the speed limits, you will not only save BIG bucks from fines charge for breaking the law, you will also conserve fuel by driving slower.

OK, more tips, anyone? How do you save with your car trips?