When your home is on wheels, you’re on a tight budget, and gas prices are high, traveling can be difficult. Here are a bunch of ideas on how you can save on gas.
1. Slow Down
One of the best ways to get better gas mileage is to slow down your driving speed. The faster you drive, the more gas you use. So, if you are going 80 mph, you will use more gas than driving 60 mph. Set your cruise control at a speed that is comfortable for you and stick to it.
2. Reduce Vehicle Weight
The more weight you carry in your vehicle, the more gas you will use. Take a minimalist approach to your vehicle and only bring the essentials. Sell or donate items you don’t need and put some money in your pocket. Not only will you save on gas, but you’ll also feel better about your home and have more space.
3. Avoid Windy Days
If you’re driving on a day with a 40-mile-an-hour headwind, you’re tanking your gas mileage. When driving in strong winds, your vehicle must work harder to maintain a consistent speed, and you will use more gas. If you can avoid driving on windy days, you will save money and be more safe.
4. Get a Tune-Up
Regular maintenance on your vehicle can help improve fuel efficiency. Regularly check and replace air filters, ensure tires are properly inflated, and perform routine maintenance like oil changes and tune-ups.
5. Turn Off the A/C
Your dash A/C can make a big difference on your miles per gallon uh unless it’s absolutely essential don’t run your ac if you’re climbing hills be sure and turn it off that can really i can really pull a lot off your engine.
6. Avoid Steep Hills and Mountains
Traveling through mountains and hills will eat up your miles per gallon. When driving in hilly areas, take advantage of downhill slopes to gain momentum and reduce the need for excessive acceleration uphill. However, do so safely and within the speed limit.
7. Downsize Your Vehicle
If you’re in an RV that’s getting 8 miles to the gallon and you downsize to a van that’s getting 16 miles per gallon, you can cut your cost of gas in half right that day.
8. Get a Small Daily Driver
You might be thinking of buying a car that you tow. You really have to weigh the extra cost; if your RV gets 5 miles per gallon while pulling a rig that gets 25 miles per gallon, that balances out well. There are other options if you don’t have the money to buy a car and set it up to tow. A 50cc scooter is an idea, and many states don’t require a separate license to drive them. A bicycle would work to get around town, and an e-bike would be even more fun.
9. Use Smartphone Apps & Rewards Programs
Gas price comparison apps such as Gas Buddy are helpful tools for finding the cheapest fuel options along your route. On the Upside app, you earn cash back on gas and other purchases. Gas stations such as Maverik have rewards programs and lower prices per gallon when linked directly to your bank account.
10. Plan Your Travel. Travel Your Plan.
Plan your routes efficiently. Try to minimize unnecessary driving by planning your routes ahead of time. Combine multiple errands into one trip to reduce mileage. Avoid congested areas and heavy traffic whenever possible.
11. Stay in One Location Longer
We are nomads and want to move, so instead of traveling a great distance, only move the minimum distance required by law between campsites. In some areas, this may mean moving every 14 days, at least a 25-mile radius from the occupied site, for a period of 14 days. Dispersed Camping Guidelines vary; you must know and follow them.
You may also choose one state and explore it for a season. How often do we drive through a state and never know anything about it? Stay a while and get to know that state and the area well.
AAA lists average gas prices by state, so you can choose a state to be in based on gas prices alone if you’d like.
12. Take Major Highways
While back roads may be more scenic, frequent stops and slower speeds can negatively impact gas mileage. Finding a balance between enjoying the journey and maximizing fuel efficiency is essential.
13. Travel in a Group
One of the most important things we can all do is build community and travel in a group. Carpool when you want to go into town and share the cost of gas to reduce expenses. This not only benefits your budget but also fosters a sense of camaraderie and connection with fellow travelers.
14. Buy Land and Stay There
If you have it in your budget, buying a piece of land in an area you enjoy can provide a dedicated place to stay during the season. It offers stability and the opportunity to create a home base while minimizing travel costs.
15. Be a Campground Host
If you have to stay in one place a lot, why not get a job as a campground host and get paid? You will stay in the campground and can build up your money for that period of time. You’re not spending or driving much, so you’ll have money to pay for gas when you travel later.
There are a whole bunch of ideas. Most of them won’t be new to you but will jog your memory to get creative and think about possibilities to save money.
Your life does not have to suffer because of rising costs but can actually improve if you have the right attitude toward any adjustments you can make.
The Citi Card Master card gives 5% cash back on your first $500 per month. No annual fee. a no brainer if you pay it off every month without fail. Also, Maverick’s free loyalty program gives you another $.02 per gallon.
Great video. I lived a similar situation for about 25 years. I recently and sadly sold that property but hope to find another soon. My advice on the shed-dweliing is to install security bars or heavy duty wooden shutters on your windows and have a solid, windowless, heavy duty door for when you are not around. Also don’t forget to screen around the base to keep out critters. A few inches of gravel aound and under the structure can make it quite inhospitable to diggers.
I’d like to add a couple pieces of advice about the land. Do a title search or a hire a local company to do it for you. Go to the deed office and get the deeds to surrounding properties; read and understand them. Be sure your property is surveyed and the perimeter is well-marked in some way, it is worth it. Do not let anyone access any part of your property to get to their own property unless you diligently close off this access several times a year without remorse. Go to the deed office every couple of years and check for any new, infringing surveys on the property from any “neighbor”ing properties. It’s unfortunate but it happens that some people just can’t be happy with what they have, they’ve got to try to grab a piece of someone else’s. Good luck everyone!
I don’t agree with Betty’s advice. For me, it was better to make the place look like it had nothing worth stealing. We made entry fairly easy but left nothing of value there. The one time we had a break-in, they took the dishpan because there was nothing else. They didn’t bother after that.
Another way to save some money on Gas: Purchase Gift Cards (At major grocery stores, like Kroger (or whatever the equivalent of that is out west). Join the Kroger Points program (free). You sometimes get bonus points when you buy a Kroger gift card. You can then use the gift card to buy your own groceries, which gives you MORE points. Near Christmas/Holidays, they often do double points, so save up so you can buy lots of gift cards, even if they are for YOU to use. You can also buy smaller denomination gift cards (like $10 – $50) if you want to give them as gifts. THEN, at the pumps at the same grocery store line, you get not only the POINT MEMBERSHIP discount (generally $.03) but you get to use your monthly points which equate to up to $1.00 off per gallon.
This generally works great if you are in one general area with several of that same brand grocery store, but often it’s regional. Of course it doesn’t work if you do most of your shopping at Family Dollar and other mom & pop stores, but if you are in/near a city, this can get you some really good discounts on fuel.