Advice for 3-Day Drive? (As frugal as possible)

[EarlyStart]

I've been visiting family in Texas for the holidays, and I am driving all the way to Virginia over the next couple of days to get back to school. I'm still relatively new to the MMM lifestyle, and I'd appreciate any advice on how to make this as frugal a drive as possible.


So far I've brewed a lot of coffee to bring with me and I have a decent 'stache of snack food. This will help me avoid one of the more wasteful road expenses, food/beverage.  I'll do my best to find hotels around $40/night. I'll be driving non-aggressively to cut back on gas somewhat (and because I don't need to drive that way anyway).


Do you all have any other suggestions? Thanks.


Edit: I have thought about sleeping in the car, but I think good sleep is valuable if I'm driving alone. I've never ventured to do this just because I'll be moving 60 mph and should probably be alert. Still open to suggestions and other ways to get around this.

[bogart]

I hope you'll have a safe and enjoyable trip; it's a vast and beautiful country.

If you're of a mind to do so and have a car whose seats fold down or a tent, you could easily sleep in campgrounds rather than hotel/motels -- packing a sleeping pad (if you have one) and a sleeping bag or thick blanket.  I did this (admittedly in summertime) driving solo east to west coast many years ago, did not once eat in a restaurant, and had a lovely time.  I stayed in public campgrounds (state and national parks) and usually sought out a site next to what appeared to be a "retired couple" (i.e. older wife/husband pair) ... probably unnecessarily cautious, but it contributed to my feeling comfortable/happy and having a nice trip, so there you go. 

OTOH, if you don't already have access to at least adequate car camping gear (space to sleep, something to sleep on, a flashlight), this may not be worth fooling with, at least at this stage (i.e. something to consider if you do this often but no need to run out and start buying stuff, a money-saving approach I am always skeptical of).

You're probably already "on" this, but it's worth identifying a good gas app (I like Mapquest) and seeing which states you'll be in have cheaper gas prices.  Because taxes vary state by state, prices can vary dramatically, so if you can plan your fill-ups accordingly, that helps.

[EarlyStart]

I hope you'll have a safe and enjoyable trip; it's a vast and beautiful country.

If you're of a mind to do so and have a car whose seats fold down or a tent, you could easily sleep in campgrounds rather than hotel/motels -- packing a sleeping pad (if you have one) and a sleeping bag or thick blanket.  I did this (admittedly in summertime) driving solo east to west coast many years ago, did not once eat in a restaurant, and had a lovely time.  I stayed in public campgrounds (state and national parks) and usually sought out a site next to what appeared to be a "retired couple" (i.e. older wife/husband pair) ... probably unnecessarily cautious, but it contributed to my feeling comfortable/happy and having a nice trip, so there you go. 

OTOH, if you don't already have access to at least adequate car camping gear (space to sleep, something to sleep on, a flashlight), this may not be worth fooling with, at least at this stage (i.e. something to consider if you do this often but no need to run out and start buying stuff, a money-saving approach I am always skeptical of).

You're probably already "on" this, but it's worth identifying a good gas app (I like Mapquest) and seeing which states you'll be in have cheaper gas prices.  Because taxes vary state by state, prices can vary dramatically, so if you can plan your fill-ups accordingly, that helps.

Thanks for the response, bogart. I really do enjoy my drives. I love my music and podcasts. You can have the most obscure interests, and there's someone out there making a podcast about it. There is also some great scenery too, and some states are better than others.


You bring up a good point about campgrounds and the like, but as you mentioned, I do not have the gear that would make this a great option. I'm also hesitant about the "buy something to save money" approach. I did not think of the gas thing, which is a good point. I'll definitely be filling up in Texas because it's oil country.

[bogart]

This got me thinking.  Here are links to 2 maps that are kind of interesting: 
http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/

[EarlyStart]

This got me thinking.  Here are links to 2 maps that are kind of interesting: 
http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/

Those are pretty neat, thanks. It looks like Motel 6 options are pretty much $40 everywhere, which is the best I've found so far. I've also slept in worse places, by far. That's not exactly what I'd call "roughing it", but I'll keep trying for cheaper.

[EarlyStart]

Early Start - Sounds like you already have everything planned out the cheapest and easiest way possible (and most Motel 6's are great and have been redone in a terrible, but clean and comfortable, IKEA style). My only suggestion would be to have someone go along with you to split expenses. This probably isn't doable since you are going one way, but a good idea for the future. And at this point I really wouldn't worry about spending a little extra money. You'll be going thru beautiful areas and spending a bit of time to enjoy them will be well worth it. Have fun!

Thanks! I really do enjoy the drives.

[HipGnosis]

The most frugal is couch surfing - there are web sites and  even an app for it.
Next would be camping, but as noted, you need some basic gear. 
Next would be a hostel.  See: http://www.hostels.com/usa.   I see there's one in Ark, Tenn and Louisiana.

Some basic road trip advice;
ALWAYS walk around and stretch EVERY time you stop.  Don't use drive-thrus.  Don't pay at the pump (unless you're going in for something else).
Bring a small pillow, a blanket and a flashlight.  The blanket can be folded and put under your tush or legs or behind your back (I find sitting in the exact same position for a day to be aggravating).  It can also be pinched in the door or window for a shade.
Food and drinks are a lot cheaper at grocery stores than at gas stations or fast food.  Bring containers and/or zip-locks. 
Travel size baby-wipes are very useful.
Bring a back-up credit card and don't keep it and your cash all in one place.
I do my best to avoid big cities near rush-hour.
If you don't want to drive straight through, use tripadvisor.com and roadsideamerica.com to find interesting and free or cheap places to stop for a bit along the way.

[Socmonkey]

You could also look into picking up a few items that need shipping off of UShip. I don't know how much space you have, but there might be a pet or something else small that needs to be delivered along your route.

[Paul der Krake]

Consider advertising your route on a carpooling website such as Zimride. It's hasn't caught on the maintstream in the US yet but who knows, that could subsidize your costs quite a bit.

Sleeping in the car is fine in the summer as you can leave the window cracked, been there done that, not so much in the winter unless you have a very good sleeping bag.

Stop at the very minimum every 3 hours. Have a timer to rate your level of attentiveness/tiredness from A+ to D every 30 minutes, and start making plans to stop whenever you dip below B. Don't hesitate to take one hour long nap here and there.

Plan your meals at the grocery store with things that don't need to be refrigerated such as fruits or peanut butter sandwiches. Don't feed yourself junk from the gas stations.

Avoid large cities between730 to 930 and 430 to 630.

Keep a one or two quarts of oil in the trunk, just in case. Purchase a tire pressure gage if you don't already have one. Don't forget to log your mileage and how many gallons you put in at each stop for an accurate fuel consumption report!

[iknownothing]

Just in case you haven't seen this yet:

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/07/26/hypermiling-expert-driving-to-save-25-50-on-gas/

Lots of good advice already about lodging and food, but didn't see much about the actual driving part. I really enjoy trying to get maximum fuel economy when I drive, and there are lots of techniques to help that, most are touched on in the article. Here are my personal favorites:

Inflate tires to right around their max. inflation pressure(listed on tire sidewall), not what the sticker on the car says.
Do not use cruise control! Not only does it make you less attentive and more likely to doze, but it also results in lower fuel economy.
When on the interstate, follow a safe distance behind a tractor trailer.
Remove any racks etc. from outside of car.

Good luck and have fun!

[Capsu78]

As for staying at Motel 6, I bring along a real towel from home if I think I might end up in one.  I have better dishrags at home than some of the towels I have had on the road...I could almost read through one I had last year, although the facility itself was clean and price appropriate.

Oh, and be careful if you are driving through fracking country.  I went through WV last year and went to a roadside motel around 6.  Came back from dinner and the place was completely packed.  Finding a room at any price would have been a chore and the least expensive places fill up first.

[MrsPete]

If you enjoy listening to audio books, hit your local library ahead of time and choose a couple. 

We never actually take the disks along (because we're afraid of missing the due dates and owing fees); rather, my kids upload the books to their ipods, and we listen to them as a family.  It's no effort at all to delete the books later, since they aren't things we'd really want to keep.

Pack wet washcloths in ziplocks.  Put them on the dashboard and let the sun heat them up.  When you need a quick pick-me-up, use them to wash your face, hands, and neck -- it's a great wake-up. 

Do you have any credit card rewards coming to you?  Can you use them for restaurants gift certificates?  Or hotel gift certificates? 

[EarlyStart]

Thanks for all the replies above. I will have to look into the ride sharing and shipping sites ahead of time when I drive back next. The advice regarding safety and alertness was noted.


Today I made to some town in Arkansas, so gas has been very inexpensive on this part of the trek because I'm not far from oil production. Other than gas, I've spent less than $45 combined on my hotel room + dinner and ate/drank things that I brought. I'm pretty happy with that. It could be cheaper, but I haven't given up any comfort really. If I'm able to replicate these costs approximately all day tomorrow, I should have money left over from what I have budgeted for this drive that can go towards my investment 'stache. That's the goal.


Thanks again for all the suggestions. Some of those ideas are things I didn't even know existed.

[gimp]

I've done these... many times.

Here's how I do it, pick and choose what you're comfortable with.

On the interstate, I'll do 16 hours, leaving 7.5 to sleep. This is approximately a thousand miles. When my destination is at the end of the day, I'll push to 1200-1300. This reduces stops. (Okay, being honest, these days I do 1100-1200 by default. I've improved.)

Get a big pack of water bottles, usually 24 or 36 for under five bucks. Yes, bottled water is wasteful, except in this one instance. Either prepare some food to eat, or stop at grocery stores along the way. There are chains (lucky, safeway, etc) that sell this really big sandwich for $8 that lasts about a full day... or two. http://i.imgur.com/ER3QWea.jpeg

Easy mode: stop in motels. I like motel 6 or super 8 for how cheap they are. There are cheaper. Note that their prices in the middle of the country are seemingly random: tiny town $40, tiny town 60 miles later $70. Why? Because. Ask  if they have night rates (probably not.) Use AAA discounts if they offer them. If you show up at midnight, they know the room will otherwise go un-occupied, and are more willing to bargain. Politeness obviously is mandatory.

Hard mode: take a sleeping bag, stop in rest areas / scenic overlooks / random pull-outs. I did this for a whole week over thanksgiving, and for some days in Alaska / Canada / along the pacific. Nobody has ever bothered me even when stopping in places that have signs not permitting it. If anyone bothers you... "yes sir, sorry sir, I did not realize, I am leaving now, I will be out of your way momentarily." Get a 0 degree F sleeping bag for $50 on amazon, there is one that is excellent. The first shower/bath when you get back to civilization will be glorious.

This results in my expenses being gas + $5 a day, or less.

I've done, at this point... almost 30 separate days of 1000+ miles or 16+ hours on the road. I've lost track now. This part of the advice, while it does save you money, is not for everyone. My first cross-country drive, Boston to San Francisco bay area, I budgeted 8-10-9-7-7-7 hour days, because I figured the first day wasn't a full day, then a full day, then I would get tired. I ended up doing 8-10-14-16. Turns out that once you're out of populated areas, driving becomes really easy if you're good at sitting still and paying attention. My record is 18+21 hours back to back. Try it but don't push it to save a few dollars. You may end up making Texas to Virginia in two days. I made El Paso to just north of DC in two days. But if you start feeling like you're losing it, just pay the $60 for a motel and get a good night's sleep.

The thing nobody tells you about driving that direction is that you lose two hours of time. Factor that into your math.

[EarlyStart]

I've done these... many times.

Here's how I do it, pick and choose what you're comfortable with.

On the interstate, I'll do 16 hours, leaving 7.5 to sleep. This is approximately a thousand miles. When my destination is at the end of the day, I'll push to 1200-1300. This reduces stops. (Okay, being honest, these days I do 1100-1200 by default. I've improved.)

Get a big pack of water bottles, usually 24 or 36 for under five bucks. Yes, bottled water is wasteful, except in this one instance. Either prepare some food to eat, or stop at grocery stores along the way. There are chains (lucky, safeway, etc) that sell this really big sandwich for $8 that lasts about a full day... or two. http://i.imgur.com/ER3QWea.jpeg

Easy mode: stop in motels. I like motel 6 or super 8 for how cheap they are. There are cheaper. Note that their prices in the middle of the country are seemingly random: tiny town $40, tiny town 60 miles later $70. Why? Because. Ask  if they have night rates (probably not.) Use AAA discounts if they offer them. If you show up at midnight, they know the room will otherwise go un-occupied, and are more willing to bargain. Politeness obviously is mandatory.

Hard mode: take a sleeping bag, stop in rest areas / scenic overlooks / random pull-outs. I did this for a whole week over thanksgiving, and for some days in Alaska / Canada / along the pacific. Nobody has ever bothered me even when stopping in places that have signs not permitting it. If anyone bothers you... "yes sir, sorry sir, I did not realize, I am leaving now, I will be out of your way momentarily." Get a 0 degree F sleeping bag for $50 on amazon, there is one that is excellent. The first shower/bath when you get back to civilization will be glorious.

This results in my expenses being gas + $5 a day, or less.

I've done, at this point... almost 30 separate days of 1000+ miles or 16+ hours on the road. I've lost track now. This part of the advice, while it does save you money, is not for everyone. My first cross-country drive, Boston to San Francisco bay area, I budgeted 8-10-9-7-7-7 hour days, because I figured the first day wasn't a full day, then a full day, then I would get tired. I ended up doing 8-10-14-16. Turns out that once you're out of populated areas, driving becomes really easy if you're good at sitting still and paying attention. My record is 18+21 hours back to back. Try it but don't push it to save a few dollars. You may end up making Texas to Virginia in two days. I made El Paso to just north of DC in two days. But if you start feeling like you're losing it, just pay the $60 for a motel and get a good night's sleep.

The thing nobody tells you about driving that direction is that you lose two hours of time. Factor that into your math.

Wow, you really have this down. By your description, I'd say I'm doing "easy mode". Today was gas + $45 (dinner and hotel combined). Coffee and everything I ate during the day was stuff I brought with me. I get nervous driving 60-70 mph when I'm truly exhausted, but I've knocked it out in two days when I had a copilot. I have 14 hours, 16 minutes left to drive, so maybe I'll get it all done tomorrow.

More than anything, I'm just trying to learn the various efficient ways of doing things differently so that I can do better from here on out. This one trip isn't make or break, although it would be nice to have a little extra 'stache contribution this month.

[gimp]

If you have 14 hours left, do the trucker strategy. (Okay, the one they're supposed to do, not necessarily the one they do.)

Wake up before sunrise, grab a coffee, go for seven hours. Eat some food, lollygag for an hour or two. Do the next seven hours. (Or better yet, so 8+6 or even 8.5+5.5. Just go until you feel a powerful need to eat and you're getting a bit tired, then rest.) If you want, "reward" yourself with coffee or a coke with two hours left from home. That extra 16 minutes, pretend it doesn't exist.

And if you're not yet in Missouri... they really mean 70 when they say speed limit of 70. And of course Virginia cops will be all too happy to pull you over, I only drove +3mph through there (granted, the night before new year's eve, so there was a cop who had already pulled someone over every 15 minutes, and one fucked with me, but that's a funny story for another time.)

Cruise control is one of the best things in the world. So is a supercharged v6 that gladly eats for breakfast the biggest mountains on any interstate without dropping more than a mile off set cruise control speed. Still, though, cruise control on any car will be wonderful.

[clarkfan1979]

I've had better luck with Super 8 than Motel 6.

[LadyDriver]

Truck stops will give you free ice/hot water in your own mug.

You don't say where in TX to where in VA but at this time of year do not mess with little roads in VA. I am nearing a million miles of safe driving and I81 when it can be icy is my least favorite place to drive in the country.

Take a few safety items, water and a blanket with you. If you get stranded, you will be glad to have it.

If this is a 1200 mile drive, and cheap is the priority, I would do it in 2 days. 600 miles per day, 11 hrs of driving. Just keep your left door closed and you will not spend too much money or time.

[Capsu78]

Gimp,
Your comment was interesting as I too have driven over a million miles.  I have crossed countried solo twice from Philly area to the Bay Area , and did some 18 hour runs.  I must saw that as a 21 YO, it was quasi boring but adventurous. By the time I did it when I was 32, I got about half way through Wyoming and said "Why did I do this?"  Now I would not do it without another driver and no real time table.
Point of my post-  Sleep deprived driving is a major factor in traffic accidents and there have been times when I realized my attentiveness ws not what it should have been.  I keep things down to 5-600 miles nowadays...or I don't drive.  One of my cross country trips, I didn't even tell my parents because they would have worried sick the entire time of my drive. 

[LadyDriver]

If you have 14 hours left, do the trucker strategy. (Okay, the one they're supposed to do, not necessarily the one they do.)

If truckers actually drove like this, they would be put out of service the first time their logs were checked. No more than 11 hours driving before you take at least a 10 hour break, if you are driving the trucker way.

[gimp]

Frugal != cheap, and driving 55 mph on a highway with 75, 70, and 65 mph speed limits is a dangerous activity.

Honestly, looking at the regulations at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations, it is confusing...

"11-Hour Driving Limit
May drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty."

"14-Hour Limit
May not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, following 10 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty time does not extend the 14-hour period."

Realistically, they drive as long as they can, and sometimes longer. 14 hours, 16, even more, are all common, regulations or no.

Capsu, perhaps when I am older I will also feel the pain. I'm 24 now, and did my first at 22. I find the drives very peaceful. Even Anchorage to Seattle in two days was pretty good, and I felt I had a few hours left in me afterwards, though I was happy to sleep (honestly, I made a bad estimate - neither GPS nor google have an accurate estimate, so I figured more of the drive would be faster-than-default-estimate (45 mph?) than actually ended up being the case.) I definitely choose to do it for the fun. I was too tired only one of the days, and only pushed the last few miles to make it to a hotel; now it's much easier with being able to pull over pretty much anywhere to sleep in the car. It's also very convenient to get the best morning or evening light if I want to take photos - for example, I slept a half mile from mile marker 13 north of monument valley, so getting the perfect shot was trivial.

People definitely look at me funny when I mention this... an unimaginable chore for a lot of people. Especially the car sleeping part. So it goes. You get the best results when you do what others can't or won't.

I hope EarlyStart got an early start and made it nicely to Virginia by now :)

[LadyDriver]

Honestly, looking at the regulations at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations, it is confusing...

"11-Hour Driving Limit
May drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty."

"14-Hour Limit
May not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, following 10 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty time does not extend the 14-hour period."

Realistically, they drive as long as they can, and sometimes longer. 14 hours, 16, even more, are all common, regulations or no.

Last comment because we are now officially OT: the max of 14 hrs "on duty" encompasses "on duty driving" and "on duty not driving". On duty not driving is work stuff that is not behind the wheel. Loading, unloading, paperwork, pre trip inspections, DOT inspections, meetings and all other work truckers do that isn't driving. Truckers still are not allowed to drive more than 11 hrs before we have to have 10 hours off. If we get caught driving out of hours, we will at least be put out of service and may face other penalties.

There are 2,000,000 commercial drivers employed at any one time in the US. The vast majority obey the law. The days of "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Convoy" are mostly a thing of the past.

[EarlyStart]

Frugal != cheap, and driving 55 mph on a highway with 75, 70, and 65 mph speed limits is a dangerous activity.

Honestly, looking at the regulations at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations, it is confusing...

"11-Hour Driving Limit
May drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty."

"14-Hour Limit
May not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, following 10 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty time does not extend the 14-hour period."

Realistically, they drive as long as they can, and sometimes longer. 14 hours, 16, even more, are all common, regulations or no.

Capsu, perhaps when I am older I will also feel the pain. I'm 24 now, and did my first at 22. I find the drives very peaceful. Even Anchorage to Seattle in two days was pretty good, and I felt I had a few hours left in me afterwards, though I was happy to sleep (honestly, I made a bad estimate - neither GPS nor google have an accurate estimate, so I figured more of the drive would be faster-than-default-estimate (45 mph?) than actually ended up being the case.) I definitely choose to do it for the fun. I was too tired only one of the days, and only pushed the last few miles to make it to a hotel; now it's much easier with being able to pull over pretty much anywhere to sleep in the car. It's also very convenient to get the best morning or evening light if I want to take photos - for example, I slept a half mile from mile marker 13 north of monument valley, so getting the perfect shot was trivial.

People definitely look at me funny when I mention this... an unimaginable chore for a lot of people. Especially the car sleeping part. So it goes. You get the best results when you do what others can't or won't.

I hope EarlyStart got an early start and made it nicely to Virginia by now :)

Thanks for the interesting feedback, guys. I didn't know truckers had rules on driving times. I finished the drive in a total of two days and only stayed the first night in a hotel. Last night I stopped at a rest stop to nap, drove another two hours, stopped at a walmart to nap, and finished the remaining two hours. Besides gas, I probably spent a total of $55 or so. I just contributed $212 towards investments that was allotted for this drive which I didn't need to spend after all. This was a good learning experience. I really hate sleeping in the car though, so I probably won't do that again. This would mean spending an additional $35 or so, but it might be worth it to avoid screwing up my sleep cycle (not a make-or-break decision one way or the other). This has been interesting. Thanks for the discussion and tips. I'm learning a little more every day.

[gimp]

Well done.

[DollarBill]

You could also look into picking up a few items that need shipping off of UShip. I don't know how much space you have, but there might be a pet or something else small that needs to be delivered along your route.

You beat me to it! Any friends or family along the way?

I didn't get to make it to the bottom where you said you already made the trip...lol

[Goldielocks]

Awesome!  My tip was to do it in two days

I find 16 to 24 hrs with two driver to be our maximum. Granted I am the second driver and only drive the 1 am to 5 am shift. Not sure I could do two 11 hr days back to back willingly. And alone

It was easier before I turned 40

[JDM]

Couchsurfing.org, car camping, or camping for free places to stay!

[EarlyStart]

Awesome!  My tip was to do it in two days

I find 16 to 24 hrs with two driver to be our maximum. Granted I am the second driver and only drive the 1 am to 5 am shift. Not sure I could do two 11 hr days back to back willingly. And alone

It was easier before I turned 40

Yeah, looking back I crossed my own line. I'd spend the extra $35 for another night in a hotel if I could do it again. Still, the food/coffee/overpriced hotels were what used to destroy my pocketbook. One more night in a hotel still would make it a cheap trip as far as I'm concerned. I guess I had to cross the line to find out where it is.

[gimp]

It's good to know where your line is. I may have contributed a little to overconfidence - sorry.

[TomTX]

Glad you made it in 2 days.  I have done Delaware to Austin TX in 2 longish days, single driver

[EarlyStart]

It's good to know where your line is. I may have contributed a little to overconfidence - sorry.

I'm absolutely responsible for my own decisions. I'm also the type of person who has to cross their own line to find out where it is. No harm, no foul. Thanks for your help.

[TomTX]

Glad you made it in 2 days.  I have done Delaware to Austin TX in 2 longish days, single driver

I was kind of sad she made it so fast as I would have liked her to slow down a bit make it a little adventure along the way. The extra day would have cost more but sometimes it can be worth it. Always next time though!

I know! How often can you spend a day in a Chinese labor camp?