Frugal Fill’s Key to an Epic Road Trip: Planning

With summer upon us, and fuel prices on the rise, there’s never been a better time to share some tips and tricks on how to take a frugal road trip.

Your engine will burn zero gas if you never start it. But here at Frugal Fill we’re not all about sitting at home subsisting off rice and bean burritos so we can retire in two years to continue doing nothing. No, we’d much rather live a little. See places, experience things, and taste the flavors along the way!

In this post we’ll explore the balance between over-planning and under-planning. We’ll talk about how to avoid costly repairs on the road by being a DIY’er. Then jump into lodging, entertainment, food, and fuel as the “expense” categories that make up any road trip.

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Being Flexible with Your Plan

The number one frugal road trip tip is to be flexible.  Through all these tips, you’ll win some and you’ll lose some. You will spend some money, but you can smartly budget for it ahead of time.  Just like in your monthly budget (you’re tracking this by now right?) you may go over in an expense category and that’s okay. Just cut back a little somewhere else to get back on target.

Planning ahead is very important to budget and know what to expect. However, don’t stress too much about things that come up that are out of your control. They make great lessons learned to plan for next time. They also can spark spontaneity, allow you to slow down, and turn into some of the highlights of your trip.

Story time. While traversing the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route in 2018, we blew a rear shock on our 4Runner.  We certainly didn’t plan on that happening!  It forced us to stop, look around, and change our route while sourcing an acceptable replacement shock.

The new route? It took us to the Sawtooth Mountains which are nothing short of amazing.  Mind blowing hikes and views.  Free camping and perfect weather.  It was 100% not in our plan but without a doubt one of the most beautiful and memorable places we’ve ever been.

Plan Ahead – DIY Maintenance

The best way to prevent an expensive breakdown on a road trip is to maintain your vehicle. The cheapest way to do that is to learn to do it yourself.  I once delivered a 10-year-old car in unknown condition from Vermont to California after confirming with the owner only two facts; that it had a radio and cruise control.  While it wasn’t my car so I assumed any failure wasn’t on my dime, that was dumb! Luckily, I made it without any issues but so many things could have gone wrong.

The blown shock incident in Idaho could have been avoided by proper trip preparation too.  I knew the shock reservoir lines would occasionally rub on the frame but failed to protect them from rubbing through. This and other lessons learned from failure are some the best ways to ensure future success.

Prior to a Colorado road trip in 2016, I noticed a coolant leak from a recently completed timing belt/water pump job.  I was able to pick up an OEM water pump locally and swap it out, only delaying our departure time by 12 hours. Later on I got the low mile failed aftermarket water pump warrantied by the manufacturer and sold the replacement pump to recoup my cost.  $0 and a few hours labor for a job that would have been a tow bill plus $600-1000 at any Toyota dealer. Win!

Common list

Here’s a list of common checks off the top of my head.  These are things I like to maintain not only for road trips but on daily driven vehicles too. It’s good proactive practice and peace of mind.

• Check tire air pressures (including the spare!)
• Rotate tires regularly noting any odd wear patterns or tire damage
• Get tires rebalanced and alignment checked if any tire wear or vibrations are present
• Check brakes and lube caliper pins, adjust parking brake
• Check all light bulbs
• Consult manufacturer recommendations for fluid and filter changes. Address any leaks.
  • Oil with oil filter
  • Engine air filter
  • Cabin air filter
  • Brake fluid
  • Transmission fluid
  • Differential and transfer case fluids (if equipped)
  • Power steering fluid
  • Engine coolant
  • A/C system refrigerant
  • And don’t forget the windshield washer fluid!
• Inspect:
  • Suspension bushings and ball joints
  • CV joint boots, clamps, and dust seals
  • Check and lube grease/zerk fittings where applicable (ball joints, heims, driveshafts)
• Clean:
  • Glass and mirrors, apply rain-x
  • Interior to start fresh each trip
  • Exterior/undercarriage after muddy off-roading to more easily inspect for damage

Less Common List

If your vehicle is older, has known issues that may leave you stranded, or you’re subjecting it to abuse off road consider carrying spare parts (and all the tools required to replace them) as needed:

• Extra fluids
• Full size spare, tire repair kit, air compressor
• CV axles
• Tie rod ends
• U-joints
• Spare bulbs, fuses, butt connectors, multimeter
• Gas can/extra fuel
• Food and water if you end up stranded
• Satellite communication to call for help or SOS if off grid

Plan Lodging – Camping Tips

Our favorite way to justify an over the top travel rig is the money we save on lodging by camping for FREE!  Not only do we get to spend more time outdoors and off the grid, but we almost never pay for hotels.  Except for the occasional splurge in a city that we want to check out, or when free camping options aren’t available our trip lodging target is typically $0.

One of our most used resources when we are somewhere new and want to stop to sleep is Freecampsites.net.  It’s a user updated catalog of free spots to spend the night.  We’ve scored anywhere from shady parking lots to epic camps with mountain top 360 degree views with this website.  User beware, some reviews may be out of date, always check for local regulations and restrictions on overnighting in any area.

There’s other apps like iOverlander that I don’t have any experience with but have heard mixed reviews.  Word of mouth is another great way to score good camp spots.  Either from internet friends or locals with knowledge of those secret hidden gems.  Just remember to be respectful and avoid geotagging to keep them hidden. Part of the fun is the hunt of finding an untouched piece of paradise.

On road “camping”

When travelling on interstates attempting to cover as much distance as possible, Walmart parking lots (call ahead and ask, they’ll usually tell you the quietest/darkest area to park) and truck stops are the most convenient places to crash for a few hours.  They’re everywhere, near the highway, have bathrooms, coffee, and the lulling sound of idling diesel engines.  What more could you need in life?

Camp sites can be expensive or highly competitive to book in many of the most popular National Parks. Consider day tripping into the park, and primitive camping outside the park. A little extra travel can save the cost and headache of being only a few miles closer to your destination. Save even more by purchasing an annual America the Beautiful – National Park Pass that pays for itself in usually 3-4 park entries. It expires a FULL year later too, not in December. So you may even get a few big trips out of it!

Off road “camping”

When travelling in the backcountry, the US is chocked full of public lands.  Depending on the state and region there are state parks, recreation areas, national forests, and BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands within a short drive. Again, check the local regulations and restrictions for overnight stays, camp fire rules, etc.

The camping within them is often free, with amenities ranging from none at all to fire rings, pit toilets, potable water spigots, trash dumpsters, some even have real plumbing!  Because these lands are public, that means they are the responsibility of each and every one of us to maintain.  Pack it out and leave no trace!

Respect closed roads and facilities. Maybe even pack out other’s trash that you see along the trail. This will prevent future closures and the ability for many generations to enjoy these same great off the beaten path spots.

Plan Destinations – With a Budget

The destination is a greatest downfall in terms of vacation cost for most.  Advertising and the “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality entices us to go where everyone else goes.  This just means you’re paying for that advertising, and for the demand.  Competing with everyone else to book rooms, dinner reservations, and entertainment tickets.  I’m not saying skip Disneyland all together. But if that sort of vacation doesn’t bring value to your life then why would you spend so much money on it?

Destinations that are “out of season/offseason” are a great way to avoid battling crowds. You’ll wait in less lines, enjoy reduced rates, and most likely find a little more relaxation.  There’s many amazing free hiking trails, trees to hang a hammock on, and attractions out there. Or inexpensive rainy-day ideas like museums, tastings of any variety, read a book in the solace of nature, or just play cards in the tent. 

Visiting family and friends is another great cost-effective destination.  If you’re lucky they’ll have enough room for you to stay with them or pitch a tent in their backyard.  Even more lucky if they live near the beach or other attractions.  Just be careful with this one to not overstay your welcome and maybe you should provide the pizza or steaks and beer with some of the hotel expense you just dodged. It’s always great to spend more time with loved ones that you don’t see often enough!

Plan Meals – Mild to Wild

Tasting the local cuisine is an essential component of travel.  This doesn’t mean you need to eat every meal out at a restaurant.  There’s no shame in packing a cooler full of drinks, lunch meat, and fresh fruit.  We eat good ol’ PB&J or tuna packets and mixed nuts for most road trip lunches.

Also plan ahead so that you can enjoy some iconic meals as splurges.  Lobster rolls in coastal Maine, garbage plates in Rochester NY, craft beer and Juicy Lucy burgers in Asheville NC, barbeque in Memphis TN, tacos in Baja Mexico, wine and cheese in Napa Valley CA. We usually trust the reviews on google maps, yelp, open table, etc. As with most things in life you usually get what you pay for, so save up on a few cheap meals to turn around and truly immerse in the local cuisine at least once.

The rest of your meals can be simple and cold or prepackaged if you don’t have any cooking gear.  Now if you’re camping and have a heat source you can have a lot of fun with trying different recipes.   Open fire cooking with foil wraps, cast iron, dutch ovens, or cowboy steak right on the coals is a culinary experience in and of itself.

A motorcycle camping trip favorite is seasoned black beans, rice, diced tomatoes with green chilis, and American cheese on tortillas.  Cheap, enough for a few people, no refrigeration required (is American cheese actually cheese?), easy, one pan, filling. While it doesn’t sound that appetizing, after a long day of riding, a hot meal in the middle of nowhere with a great view and great conversation enhances the flavor considerably.

Plan Fuel Costs – Saving a Little On a Lot

Since our typical camping/road trip minimizes the food, entertainment, and lodging costs, the remaining big-ticket item is fuel.  There’s no way around this with a camping vehicle that gets a maximum of 15 miles per gallon under ideal conditions.  Knowing this detail combined with estimated planned route length in miles, we can easily calculate gallons of fuel to be consumed.  Using the gasbuddy app we can look up fuel costs per gallon in different areas and get a ballpark budget for fuel, as well as hunt for cheaper fuel sources.

Some trips have been close to $1,000 in just gasoline but that’s pretty inexpensive for an almost 4,000 mile 3 week epic cross country adventure.  When possible, we’ll top off in cheaper areas before crossing into regions with higher gas costs.  We’ve been faced with a near empty tank when the only gas station had 86 octane for $7 a gallon!  If we really needed it we would have gotten just enough fuel to get to the next cheaper station. In that case we had an extra 4 gallons in auxiliary storage tanks so we passed and made it to where gas was under $3 a gallon for a Frugal Fill up (we do dad jokes here too)!

Fuel Rewards

Lastly, we utilize a few different fuel rewards systems to save a little extra at the pump.  Our local grocery store offers “fuel points” for every dollar spent.  The points can then be applied at their gas stations for 10c/gallon off for every $100 spent on groceries with no limit.  Or they can be redeemed at any Shell station up to 10c off per transaction.

There’s usually a fuel points multiplier promotion for purchase of gift cards too, offering anywhere from 2x to 5x fuel points. It’s a little extra hassle but you can buy gift cards for stores that you know you would have spent the money at anyway. Or give them as…gifts. Enjoy the cheaper gas at no extra expense to you.

Then couple that with Shell fuel rewards account that has 3c off everyday with some random 5c and 10c off promotions depending on total purchases per month.  I’m sure there’s other points and rewards systems out there that are similar, or even better.  The only downfall with the Shell rewards is it’s capped at 20 gallons per transaction, which is a pain if you need 20.1 gallons to top off your tank.

Credit Card Offers

Discover credit cards (<– $50 bonus for signing up through my referral link!) have revolving categories for 5% cash back on purchases every quarter.  Lucky for us 2^nd quarter is a big travel time and coincides with the cash back offer on fuel!  It only applies to the first $1,500 ($75 cash back) but still a great savings at 10-20c a gallon depending on fuel prices. We also utilize the other 3 quarters of revolving categories, although not road trip related.

Get to Planning!

Vacations always wear me down because at home I can sit and have $0 spend days.  Which is totally not true.  There’s a cost of living associated with every day, we just pay those bills monthly and buy groceries weekly, so it doesn’t feel like we’re spending daily.  Every day on vacation there’s gas, food, lodging, entertainment, souvenirs, etc. the paper trail gets deep pretty quickly.

Armed with these tips, a budget, a bunch of planning, and the ability to be flexible, your road trip can be a great success.  It doesn’t have to be expensive or stressful at all.  Always remember, if you’re not having fun, broke your rig, or run out of your budgeted money you can always change course or go home early.  Just know that when you’re back at your desk and you’d kill to be on a mountain top again that you can regroup and get back there even more prepared the next time.