My Cheap Road Trip: Ideas & Tips You can Use

A few weeks ago, a couple girlfriends and I drove down from Vancouver to Oregon for two nights and three days. We each shelled out less than $200 for a trip that was luxurious, adventurous and novel. It was so wonderful, I still look back with banana smiles.

This is a huge feat for me; the road trip was cheap, but it didn't feel cheap. 

The breakdown:

    Gas - $55
    Groceries - $15
    Lodging: $28
    Touristy stuff: $40
+  Dining out - $60
Total - $198


Buy Everything South of the Border
Canadians: take advantage of American prices and your cheap road trip will be, well, that much cheaper.

American gas prices, regardless of their recent increase, are still better than Canada's.  We arrived in America with an empty tank and immediately filled up.

We also stopped by the 24 hour Walmart at Tulalip to stock up on groceries for the next three days. We definitely weren't frugal when we were shopping -- coconut water, boxes of candy and 3 bags of ridiculously-difficult-to-locate-in-Canada Flaming Hot Cheetos were unnecessary! Nevertheless, we only spent $15 dollars each on drinks, snacks and seven meals. (We actually bought too much.)

American prices - oh how I love you.


Try New Things: There's a new stream of lodging out there
Have you heard of AirBnB? I somehow convinced my girlfriends that we should stay in a stranger's house for a night. They were cynical at first but were overjoyed to see that we had a whole house to ourselves (King size beds, full kitchen, complimentary wine, excellent audio speakers and groovy decorations) - merely ten minutes away from downtown Portland for $54 a night!  We felt like queens.

If you are really adventurous, you can sleep on a stranger's couch for free.

Or go camping for as little as $14! (We spent $29 for a more "luxurious location" though.)

With so many alternatives to lodging, I don't recommend motels or hostels. They seem to not be cheap enough these days.


It's Okay to Borrow 
The key to a cheap road trip is to have the right equipment. If you don't have it, ask for it. Swap your gas guzzler for an economy sized car with a relative. Ask your outdoorsy friends for a tent or two. Take the beach chairs your mom won as swag from a conference. Ask your friend who never uses his GPS, for his GPS. Does your retired neighbour have a collection of fishing rods? Ask to borrow one or two! All these things make your traveling experience a lot better, and is free.


Preparation is Key
Spending can add up if your forget your shampoo and underwear; you'll ultimately end up buying them on the road. If you're an organizing junkie, you can make a check list of what to pack on a spreadsheet. But you don't have to be that organized. Simply google/swag buck road trip check list, find a list you like, bookmark it. When the time to pack as come, go back to it and use it.

Did you imagine your road trip to be spontaneous? I used to. But if you want to save money, it's probably best to have an idea of where you are going, and how long you should stay there. Don't make a strict schedule - those are no fun. But have a flexible plan in mind, and write it down. Or else you'll be driving in circles. If you are coincidentally going to Oregon from Vancouver, perhaps the route we took could help you...




Overall, I know our road trip was cheap, but it wasn't the cheapest. For example, we chose a more luxurious camp site, bought too much food, and dined out three times:  Marrakesh in Portland, the Oregon Coast's most famous seafood chowder, and Crab Pot. I have no regrets however - I want to be comfortable and eat what I want when I'm on vacation!