6 Ways to Save Money If You’re Driving This Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer for many Americans, and we’re ready to enjoy the season!

You might be swimming, soaking up sun, barbecuing or simply enjoying a three-day weekend at home with your family.

Or maybe you’re one of a record number of Americans who will take to the road this holiday weekend.

AAA estimates 38 million Americans will travel over the weekend, 9 out of 10 by car.

Cheap Gas = Cheap Road Trip

We suspect the falling price of gas is driving our nation’s drive to drive this weekend.

We tend to pessimistically predict a rise in gas prices during holiday travel spikes, but this year travelers are getting a bit of a break.

While this isn’t quite the sub-$2 price tag we saw on a gallon of gas a year ago, you can still get pretty far without breaking your budget. Check out this map to see how far a $50 road trip can take you with low gas prices.

And before you leave, use this map to find the cheapest gas in your state.

Other Ways to Save Money on a Road Trip

Once you’ve got gas covered, it’s still easy to waste money on small expenses during a road trip.

Follow these additional tips to save money when you travel this Memorial Day weekend:

Skip the tourist traps, and visit national parks instead. An $80 pass will get you into any U.S. national park all year.

If you’re feeling rugged, camp at those parks to save money on hotels.

If you’re not so outdoorsy, try alternative accommodations like couchsurfing or house-sitting to save money.

Don’t waste money on food. Bring a cooler, pack snacks and choose local eateries wisely to avoid blowing your whole budget on expensive tourist-trap restaurants.

Find free entertainment. Go on a photo walk or scenic hike, fly a kite or go to a board game cafe. In fact, we have an epic list of 25 budget-friendly, creative ways to have fun anywhere you go.

If you’d really rather stay home? Wow your family or friends by bringing a budget-friendly treat to the barbecue.

Happy Memorial Day, Penny Hoarders!

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more, attempting humor wherever it’s allowed (and sometimes where it’s not).

If you need money for Memrial Day weekend after all, come see us at Tri Count Title Pawn Athens, GA or Tri County Title Pawn Danielsville, Ga. When money is a problem, we are the solution.