Summer vacation is the best time of year for travel for most families. The kids are off school, Mom and Dad are ready for a vacation, and travel is a little easier with the (mostly) great weather.
One of the most affordable options for a summer vacation is a good old-fashioned road trip. Whether your drive takes you to a metropolitan area or to a beach retreat spending time together will create lifelong memories.
Fuel Your Trip for Less:
When you travel you’re sure to use gas quite often, so a little planning and some tips will help you save big on fueling your trip.
- Save big on gas: Use this calculator from Fuel.Gov (link: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/trip/#? )to figure out the cost of gas for your car.
- Find fuel for less: Keep an eye on fuel prices when you need to fill up. You can track prices on the road via apps like Gas Buddy (link: http://www.gasbuddy.com/). This will help you find the most cost-effective place to stop on the road.
- Earn Cashback at the pump: This summer, Discover is focused on helping cardmembers fuel up for less. Now through September 30, 2014, Discover cardmembers can sign up to earn 5% Cashback Bonus on up to $1,500 in gas purchases.
Plan Ahead for Savings:
Planning ahead will save you big money and help your trip go smoothly.
- Map your stops: My husband is the master road trip planner who maps out meals and bathroom breaks while we’re on the road. We may stop at Starbucks for coffee, snacks, and clean restrooms or a fun off the beaten path attraction, but it helps to have regular breaks especially if you’re traveling with young kids.
- Pack Plenty of Food: Before you leave stock up on shelf stable items like granola bars, snacks, and things like beef jerky. Make sure to empty the fridge of fresh fruit and veggies and eat them as you travel. You can even pack shelf stable milk boxes and pack a small cooler full of perishables that are easy to eat on the go like yogurt.
- Bring the Fun: Be sure to have plenty of things to do in the car for everyone. Screens are all well and good, but you also need alternative activities like coloring books (yes, even for the adults in the car!), car bingo, or a good old deck of playing cards. For little kids consider packing a few new toys for the car ride.
Use your Credit Card when you Travel
Bringing credit cards along when you travel can seem daunting, but they are essential when you’re traveling. By keeping them with you, even if you run out of cash you know you’ll be able to pay for any unexpected costs.
- Keep your Cash: When booking a hotel use your credit card to book and pay for your room to avoid tying up hundreds to thousands of dollars on your debit card.
- Protect your Cash: Using a credit card when you travel to make purchases will help you track spending, earn rewards, and has the added benefit of protecting you should you lose it.
- Discover offers tons of ways for members to stay protected. Discover Card benefits include:
- Roadside Dispatch: Cardmembers can call Discover whether they need a jump-start, tire change, or locksmith. Discover will dispatch the closest service at any hour of the day or night.
- Travel Assistance: No matter what you need Discover automatically covers you on the go. Lost bags, missed flight? No problem with their 24/7 Travel Assistance.
- Save on Auto Rental Insurance: You’re automatically covered with secondary collision damage insurance just for using your Discover Card to pay for your rental car.
What advice do you have for saving on summer travel?
Kelly
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Discover as part of the Discover Preferred Blogger Network. All opinions are my own.
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