1. Start a road trip adventure fund!


Even if you don't have any plans, set a jar somewhere to collect spare cash and then, when the opportunity presents itself, you'll have a little spending money ready to take on the road!

I've shared this before but I found this to be an incredible way to get children to invest in their daily chores and to make the teenager a little more excited about babysitting his siblings!

2. Make a Road Trip Binder!


Keep all your important papers, maps and itinerary in one neat and tidy place.  This helpful tool can be created using office supplies from your local dollar store.

Learn how I made mine here.

3. Save space with travel pillows!


Space is precious when it come to a road trip.  We are hoping our children will be able to grab a few winks during the extra long stretches on the road but didn't want to sacrifice the space their three pillows would steal from more vital necessities {like shoes!}.

Travel pillows can be purchased for a reasonable price and use much less real estate than a regular pillow.

4. Have a road trip drink plan!

By taking our own refillable containers we will save money by filling up with water whenever we stop for gas.  I will also take a few cartons of juice for refills every once in a while.  And, of course, I'll top mine up with hotel coffee before we head on our way each morning.

5. Make a road trip snack plan!

The worst thing for your budget would be having to stop at a drive-thru or convenience store every time you got a little hungry.  Come up with a snack system that works for your family.  See how I'm handling the snack situation on our trip here.


6. Pack a lot of road trip games & activities!

No one likes to hear, "I'm bored!" We will be taking books, paper, pencil crayons, little games, road trip bingo & license plate bingo {Google these to find lots of options}, gaming devices, iPad, computer...the list could go on and on.  We have also signed out a good number of audio books and I've downloaded some movies for the kids to watch.

7. Organize your stuff!


There are a lot of options for how to organize your backseat.  With all the activities we're bringing with us on the road it was important that I came up with a solution so that things didn't become spread all over.  I didn't want to spend the asking price for a good store-bought organizer so I came up with my own by using up some worn out jeans.  Learn how I made it here.

8. Pack a road trip first aid kit!

Because you never know what's going to happen... 
Ours is packed with:

• Toilet paper
• Baby wipes
• Sunscreen
• After-sun lotion
• Gauze
• Medical tape
• Tea Tree oil
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Polysporin
• Thermometer
• Gravol
• Bandaids
• Advil
• Advil Junior
• Tums
• Hand sanitizer

9. Make a road trip garbage can out of a dollar store cereal box!

I'll be perfectly honest - we're not known for having the cleanest vehicle in the world.  I stumbled upon this brilliant idea floating around Pinterest one day and I had to adopt it.

A plastic cereal box makes a brilliant car garbage option!  I'll be keeping a roll of plastic bags in the bottom of it and we'll dump it every time we stop for gas.

No more candy wrappers or Kleenex on the floor!

10.  Don't forget the air freshener!


Have you ever spent hours cooped up in a car with a teenaged boy?  Yeah.  Don't forget the air freshener.  It might be the most important thing you take with you!

I've also heard the great idea of leaving an open box of dryer sheets in the car....

I'm sure there are hundreds of other road trip tips I could share {or wish were being shared with me before we leave}.  I'm feeling prepared.  All I have left to do is to finish the laundry, pack the suitcases and the cooler, fit everything in the car, ensure all human passengers are bathed, get a good night's sleep and then we HIT THE ROAD!  Perhaps I'll come home with a whole slew of new advice to pass on.  If nothing else, I'll come home with stories and I can't wait for those!

Happy trails, roadtrippers!