As a child, every year in August my family would pack-up the wood paneled station wagon and head off for an extended road trip through the American West. My parents were pretty much always frugal, but road trips were one notable exception and our family wasted a small fortune on these trips. With a little planning and foresight you can save considerably when on the road with these sixteen tips.

1. Make Sure the Car is Ready for the Open Road

You’re ready to hit the road but is your car ready? One potential money pit on road trips is if your car were to run into mechanical difficulties. Murphy’s law dictates this will happen in a small one stop-sign town, where the only mechanic for 200 miles will charge you an arm and a leg for the most basic of repairs.

Don’t let this happen to you. Before heading out on a long road trip schedule a quick tune-up. Let the mechanic know you’re heading out on a long road trip and they can double check all the items that may breakdown like belts, hoses, etc. Also have them check your oil and fluids and don’t forget the windshield wiper fluid, our windshield looked like an award winning bug collection during these trips.

2. Optimize your Fuel Efficiency

With gas prices so high you’ll want to do everything you can to improve your fuel efficiency. First, buy a $2 tire gauge and check to make sure your tires are properly inflated before heading out. Bring the tire gauge with you and check the pressure every couple hundred miles when you pull in for a fill-up.

Practice hypermiling techniques such as keeping a steady rate of speed on the highway, avoiding rapid acceleration or breaking. TipHero has put together a list of over 30 tips to help you improve your gas mileage.

3. Pack an Emergency Kit

Pack an emergency kit with first aid items like band aids, bandages, gauze, aspirin, sun screen, disinfectant wipes. You’ll be able to treat cuts and scrapes quickly and keep them from becoming bigger problems. You also won’t have to run out and buy these items at a convenience store.

4. Load up on Healthy Inexpensive Food

My long road trips with my parents sometimes felt like an endless parade of Denny’s and McDonald’s. Nowadays I stock-up on healthy food so I don’t have to eat out as much. I also find it more challenging to eat healthy on the road. I typically bring along several different types of fruits: bananas, apples, pears, and oranges, some bagels and deli meats for sandwiches, and granola and popcorn for snacks.

When I’m on the road I often eat only one meal a day out at a restaurant and that’s usually dinner. Bring along a little pick-nick basket and get out of the car and have a meal and a little bit of scenery. I’ve had some wonderful lunches on bluffs overlooking the pacific ocean.

5. Bring lots of Water

When I go out on long road trips I always bring along a couple gallon jugs of water and a few smaller water bottles. I also bring a funnel so transferring the water from the jug to the bottle is a snap. This keeps me from buying soda or water from convenience stores. If you get sick of drinking water bring along some packets of Crystal Light or Kool-Aide.

6. Goog 411

When you’re in a new town, rather than calling information, which will cost you $1.50-$2 a pop, take advantage of Google’s free information service. If you have an iphone they’ll even email you a map to the location. This is great if you want to find a particular business like a Wal-Mart or a Chinese restaurant in a town you’re unfamiliar with. For more details on Googl411 take a look at this post.

7. Buy an Entertainment Book for the City You are Visiting

If you’re going to spend the majority of your time in a major city like Orland or San Diego you might want to consider buying an entertainment book for the location you plan to visit. These books contain coupons for restaurants and attractions. Around May each year entertainment coupon books often go on sale for half price since half the year is over.

8. Search for Discounts beforehand

Before you head out, check online to see if there are any coupons or discounts for businesses and attractions in the destinations you are planning to visit.

9. Put an extra Car Key in your Wallet

Put an extra key in your wallet so you never lock yourself out of your car and have to call a locksmith.

10. For Cheap Souvenirs

I used to collect pins with the names of all the places we visited on our road trips. If you’re going to buy souvenirs or t-shirts I’ve often found that the shops that are farthest away from the crowds typically have the best prices because their rents are lower and they don’t have to charge higher prices to make it up.

11. Get all Your Maps Beforehand

I’ve made the mistake of not getting a map beforehand and having to stop off at a local gas station and shell out six bucks for a new map. If you or one of your friends have an AAA membership pick up free maps of your destination before your trip. You might also buy a cheap Rand McNally atlas from Wal-Mart or off Ebay or Amazon.

12. Bring Extra Batteries

Bring a few extra batteries with you in case some die. This way you won’t get stuck having to buy a small pack from a convenience story with a hefty mark-up.

13. Contact the Local CVB

Contact the local Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) of the destinations you are planning to visit. These are reservoirs of useful information. Most CVB’s have free 800 #s you can call to get information on things to do and see, discounts, and events. A lot of communities offer a variety of free events and attractions and the local CVB is the best place to find out about them.

14. Bring a Tent

Lodging is one of the biggest expense on road trips. Consider brining a tent and sleeping bags. You can camp for a fraction of the cost of a hotel room.

15. Odds & Ends

I always bring a little kit full of odds & ends that I might find need of during my trip. This usually includes duct tape, scissors, stamps, needle & thread and some twine. I just find it convenient to have these items on hand rather than having to make an unplanned stop to track down one of these items.

16. Go a Little Further Inland

When I’m traveling I find myself not going much further than the off-ramp to fill my car up or stop to pick up some food. Typically the most expensive gas stations and food options are near the off-ramps. Go a little farther into town to find better prices on gas or groceries.

Do you know of some ways to save on road trips. Please share them in the comments below.

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Photo credit: blmurch