This coming week, I need to take a 19 day road trip throughout the southeastern US, returning home in time for Easter.
It's a trip for some personal business, so all expenses are mine. Since it's a work related trip, ugh, not a vacation, I am not totally thrilled, but it has to be done.
To lighten the load, I looked for ways to minimize expenses. It's not a hardship, it's a hobby for me to see how much I can lower my expenses.
Thought I'd share.
Lodging: 12 nights are covered by hotel points...there are indirect expenses with earning points, but it's much cheaper than if paid out of pocket.
4 nights, paying out of pocket for an AirBnB...it's a suite, so cheaper than an apartment.
3 nights, staying at a Hilton Vacations property near Disney World....of course we have to attend an interval ownership presentation, but my understanding is that it's not as bad as a time share because it's points related...nevertheless, pray for me HAHAHA. I can be tough with people, but don't want to have to be lol.
Meals: 13 meals covered by MS. We tend to eat only one meal per day - and grab bagels or fruit from the hotel breakfast buffet - so like 1.5 meals....so will need to pay for meals for the other days. Will probably buy some nice wine to have on hand at night with some cheese and crackers while relaxing or doing paperwork.
Gas: currently, car is full of gas obtained through gas shops...of course will have to refill & pay out of pocket...if not a pain in the butt, may look for other gas shops along the way.
There will be some tollroads, so some expense there, but minor.
Return trip, the Florida to Virginia portion will be covered by Amtrak Auto Train...paid for with Amtrak points...big savings on lodging and gas and meals - Amtrak includes meals when you are staying in a room versus a seat.
Will also be earning cash back and points on the expenses I will have...so some payback there.
I can't think of any other way to slice up this pie. I know CoolMusic is the expert here, maybe he will chime in.

Peace & Road Trips.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/2025 11:17PM by BarefootBliss.

Tip #1 - Enjoy your trip. It sounds like you have done a great job in reducing your travel expenses. Any other shopping related stuff would just eat up your valuable free time. Enjoy yourself. Although ... it is the end of the quarter. If an easy $100 last minute job that is just right on the way and you would be a fool to pass it up, etc. etc., lol.

Hm, I don't have any tips for reducing expenses. I've never done a long road-trip alone. Two words though, pee cup!

But maybe prepare with things like power banks for electronics and having cash on hand. If you have hotel/travel credit cards that you'll be using at the properties, have them on you or on your digital wallet. My girlfriend is the planner and traveler, and I rely on her during trips.

I remember riding an Amtrak train from Baltimore to NYC when I was younger. It was fun!

Well, I am only driving alone for part of the trip...I am picking up a fellow traveler on the way lol.

No ideas but I found this smile worthy "Will probably buy some nice wine to have on hand at night with some cheese and crackers while relaxing or doing paperwork."
Husband & I went to buy ice cream cones once at a local shoppe. At $6.00 each we decided to go to grocery store next to hotel. We found the same brand of ice cream and for $6.00 bought 1/2 gallon to take back to hotel room.

Looks like a great plan to me.

While I like to enjoy myself on my roadtrips, hitting fave restaurants and brewpubs, given current cost levels of everything, finding ways to save anywhere can add up in the long run.

I finally paid off a low-interest balance transfer on my Best Western MasterCard, so I am back to patronizing BW properties whenever possible. Already got one free night, for the lowest possible points redeemed. Overall hotel costs are a bit more than my previous Hotwire routine, but I need the extra tax write-off for 2025 thanks to a sizable windfall that hit last month.

My best tip is keep the Presto app open while driving. Last big road trip I did a couple of spring breaks ago I was able to snag a bunch of gas stations in the dark which added nicely to the bottom line while providing plenty of opportunities for Cooper the Boston Terrier to go potty.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2025 01:38PM by CoolMusic.

Just don’t forget the pee cup BF. Your traveling companion won’t mind. Maybe bring some diapers for backup. That’s all I’ve got.

Just keep in mind the fact I continuously forget...the shops are easy...the reports are what take forever!

I'm toying with the idea of extending one of my day-trips into a multi-day affair. Its either drive 16 hours round trip or take my time and drive 20 hours over 2 days with a sleep-over in between. The reason I'm headed to the extreme edge of Texas is to visit a family gravesite and I'm trying to fill in some high value shops while I'm out there. If I wasn't doing the shops, it would be a 10 hour drive round trip anyway

I know, I've done that too in the past...forgot about Part II of the job lol....
So far, I've consciously only picked shops I've done before so that I know the reports aren't beastly.

Minime, that's a good one lol....my Mom would probably be the last person who changed my diaper hahaha and that was a long time ago....but I have heard of people bringing them on long road trips lol.
Remember the story of that astronaut in Texas who drove nonstop to Florida on a revenge tour? the cops found her wearing diapers...that was quite the story. lol

Often times, toll roads can be avoided with minimal extra travel. You can click "avoid tolls" on Google Maps and see what you can find, especially if you look in advance on a computer. It depends on the situation, of course. For example, I just avoided paying a bridge toll in Florida by getting on the bridge after the toll booth. Same actual amount of miles, and 4 minutes longer travel. Most people are too lazy, don't care, or just can't handle not being on a limited-access freeway. In addition, toll roads are usually quite boring and are restrictive. Getting around them offers better scenery and opportunities.

To save on gas, you can use Costco gift cards to buy gas. If you have Walmart+, you can get Sam's Club gas and discounts at Murphy and Walmart stations, of which there are many in the southeast. Obviously, if you have a membership Costco, Sam's Club, or BJ's, you can get their gas. Check credit cards to see if you have any cash back deals for certain gas stations. And of course, there are many other ways to save on gas.

The main way to save on gas is to look at gas prices and find the cheapest gas areas along your route, as prices can vary significantly.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2025 01:46PM by JimmyP.

I have particular shops that I like to do, since they are fast and mindless. So, I will write down a series of zip codes along my route and check the boards (days or weeks) of my favorite MSCs before I leave. I will also check issecretshop and presto. Generally, I have no desire to learn a new shop on the road.

Anytime I take a trip, my BFF asks, "How many shops did you fit in?"

I know, right. Mine asks the same."Are we making any stops?" Never let a trip go to waste, lol.

Here's my tip...forget MSing, your real wealth is not from working for someone else. Like Warren Buffett famously said, “If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die”.

Invest in the S&P500, gain about 10% per year on average and sleep well. Not to brag, It's how I was able to retire early. (It will take a few decades) I just took a break from entering our tax info into software to write this...

The orange tie app has Subway shops for a free sandwich.

You could also check out the app that has the landscape audits to see if they have anything in the hard to fill rural areas along your way. Most of the landscape locations take less than 15 minutes to walk/drive around and pay $12-$45 depending on how long they’ve been on the board.

If you have DoorDash, you could pick up an order or two in any of the cities you drive through,. Some of the dashes pay $20 or more, depending on how busy they are.

Upside will save you a few cents per gallon on gas at select stations or check the discounts on nearby restaurants.

Good luck and above all else, have fun!

While your tip is valid, it does not answer the question. BTW, why are you MSing if this is your pro tip?

@maverick1 wrote:

Here's my tip...forget MSing, your real wealth is not from working for someone else. Like Warren Buffett famously said, “If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die”.

Invest in the S&P500, gain about 10% per year on average and sleep well. Not to brag, It's how I was able to retire early. (It will take a few decades) I just took a break from entering our tax info into software to write this...

@gigishopper wrote:

While your tip is valid, it does not answer the question. BTW, why are you MSing if this is your pro tip?

@maverick1 wrote:

Here's my tip...forget MSing, your real wealth is not from working for someone else. Like Warren Buffett famously said, “If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die”.

Invest in the S&P500, gain about 10% per year on average and sleep well. Not to brag, It's how I was able to retire early. (It will take a few decades) I just took a break from entering our tax info into software to write this...

I view MSing like using digital coupons at the store. If it doesn't take much effort, I'm in for lower prices.

Look up, Bill Gates Recalls The Time Fellow Billionaire Warren Buffett Treated Him To Lunch At McDonald's And Paid Using Coupons — 'You Offered To Pay, Dug Into Your Pocket And Pulled Out ... Coupons!'
[finance.yahoo.com]

@JimmyP wrote:

The main way to save on gas is to look at gas prices and find the cheapest gas areas along your route, as prices can vary significantly.

I highly recommend the GasBuddy app for this. It gives a nice, broad overview of stations/pricing based on current location or previously searched areas.

By actively participating and reporting prices at the gas stations you visit you can earn entries for monthly drawings for gas gift cards.

Costco is my go to for price, but I also do loyalty programs with Chevron, Exxon (10¢ off per gallon with every purchase, and you can redeem points for gas) and P66 (10¢ - 15¢ off per gallon).

I'm still trying to figure out Chevron's new setup. Was hoping to use their rewards for out-of-pocket gas on my most recent remote loop, but they didn't show up when I tried to pay at the pump.

With Costco being VISA only, I will frequent the other brands even if they are slightly higher just to spread my credit card payments around more evenly.

And speaking of cards and road trips, my Verizon VISA is the first choice as they pay 4% on gas stations. I use this card exclusively when doing the P66 shops as I will buy as little as 10¢ of gas on the app and then buy big in the store. The 4% helps offset when I wind up exceeding reimbursement.

I think the Costco VISA kicks back 5% on gas there, but it's a Citibank product and I'm clawing my way back into their good graces. I was able to get a card from them to do a 0% balances transfer. Once I pay that off in August '26 I'll do another application for a Costco card.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/2025 04:42AM by CoolMusic.

<<Here's my tip...forget MSing, your real wealth is not from working for someone else.>>

I don't work for anyone else but myself.... also maybe you missed the part of the post where I mentioned I do this for a hobby...

Thanks Cool Music.
Just dropping in to mention that the Wyndham Business Earner Card (Barclays) pays 8% on gas purchases..highest I've seen, but only worthwhile if you want Wyndham points. I find some Wyndham tiers to be good...staying at Wyndham Hom and Tryp next month.

If you've accumulated free drinks, etc in rewards apps, use those up while you're on the road. I have a free coffee/soft drink at a few different gas station chains, and enough rewards for at least a free meal at a pizza chain. Fetch Rewards app has different offers for different restaurants - usually chains or fast food places but could be worth looking at those too.

Regarding reward points accumulating with various programs, I've let many just accumulate and didn't pay much attention to it. However, I've made an effort to redeem them all recently. Also, while taking time every week to clean and throw stuff away, I've stumbled upon old gift cards and bank accounts. I'm pleasantly surprised with how long this has been lasting and all of the old things I forgot about.

Edited to add: I consider mystery shopping as one means to not touch a portion of my primary earnings. In my younger years, it did help. These days, it's more of a meals and entertainment budget now, while helping to minimize monthly expenses.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/2025 04:56AM by Okie.

@ Barefoot

That 8% is enticing, but I'm just now back to doing Best Westerns after having my branded card tied up for a couple years with a low rate balance transfer.

Even after not staying there for ages they maintained my rewards status.

Given some of the podunk places I go to, I can score free rooms for lower point totals. Last one on an overnight run for some high-paying P66 darkness jobs was only 8000 points, and it was a really nice motel.

<<<Regarding reward points accumulating with various programs, I've let many just accumulate and didn't pay much attention to it.>>>
I get it. The accumulation has often been a game or challenge for me.
Recently, I realized I'm nuts and need to use them.
So here I am lol.

Personally, I'm just lazy! Unfortunately, the years of laziness has come back to bite me. It's like tech debt.

Top roadtrip savings tip for the inevitable fast food - use the loyalty apps! I usually try to save my points when I know there is a roadtrip coming up. I can roll through and get free food right now from several locations.

As a mystery shopper fotopay app has opportunities to submit a picture of your fast food at a few places with no report or receipt required across the country, so you might check it when you stop to see if anything is available there. If I saw one of the chains I usually shop, I might check the company’s board to see if there is an easy shop there. I might also check ISS.

I do like the Foto app and I am trying to get into the routine to check it. I picked up three last weekend that were literally a picture of the storefront. Two were beside other shops I was doing and the third was the exact location of where my shop was.

@rargirl wrote:

Top roadtrip savings tip for the inevitable fast food - use the loyalty apps! I usually try to save my points when I know there is a roadtrip coming up. I can roll through and get free food right now from several locations.

As a mystery shopper fotopay app has opportunities to submit a picture of your fast food at a few places with no report or receipt required across the country, so you might check it when you stop to see if anything is available there. If I saw one of the chains I usually shop, I might check the company’s board to see if there is an easy shop there. I might also check ISS.

This may be creepy. I apologize if it is. But on Fotopay, most of the members on the leaderboard have their picture. I thought rargirl might be the one with the big smile!

I've gone through the easy non-purchase ones with a grocery store, coffee shop, and infamous sub shop. At least in my area, it doesn't seem like it re-appears after it gets done.

You might have spotted me. In the app I am grinning broadly while standing in front of a cellular phone store in the mystery shopper tradition. There are others with a similar photo which cracks me up.

rargirl (or others)
Which loyalty apps have value for you?
I have only 3 I use: Starbucks, Dunkin and McDonalds.
My quickie review:
McDonalds - can be useful for free beverages. I don't eat much of their food, but sometimes breakfast sammiches are good, and they offer 2 for 1.
Starbucks - they've stripped their previous rewards program out. I still swipe when I buy, but points expire so quickly, I often lose them.....so not that valuable for me.
Dunkin - they've also devalued their program. Takes quite a while & many purchases for me to earn a drink...so nothing to get excited about lol.