While driving can be an affordable way to travel, you can easily go over budget when enjoying a road trip. Luckily, thanks to your smartphone’s app store, you’ve got plenty of ways to save money on your travel expenses. Here’s a look at a few apps to download if you’re looking to pinch pennies on your summer vacation.
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Fuel
Photo: The News Wheel
Fuel costs can add up quickly when you’re hitting the open road. Find the cheapest fuel with GasBuddy, an app that helps you find the lowest prices in your area. You can even pay for your gas with the app to save up to 25 cents per gallon. But the savings don’t stop there — GasBuddy can also help you find discounts on parking, if you’re heading to an event. And if your passengers are feeling a little bored on the road, they can even take GasBuddy surveys to earn free fuel.
Photo: neshom via Pixabay License
Although we’ve got a few strategies to help you save money on food while road tripping, you can also add some apps to your toolbox of tricks. Download the apps for your favorite casual dining chains to get reward points for every purchase. You can also use LocalFlavor, Groupon, Living Social, or Restaurants.com to find discounted offers on vouchers for local eateries.
Accommodations
Photo: Pxhere via CC
Roomer lets you find hotel rooms for as much as 80 percent off their original price, according to Scott’s Cheap Flights. You might be wondering how — well, that’s because you can also use the app to sell off a non-refundable hotel booking (at a deeply discounted rate, natch). Still, if you’ve booked a room you can’t use and would like to get some money back for it, you can recoup a little cash with Roomer.
If you’re more of a spontaneous traveler, try HotelTonight. This app helps you find same-day bookings at low rates. Plus, it’s got photos and reviews, so you know what to expect before you arrive.
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For more pointers on saving money on your next adventure, check out our tips for road-tripping college students on a budget.
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.
