Road Trip Economics

Having just returned from a two week trip cross-country (post coming soon), I find many of the people I encounter seem to have two misconceptions –  1. It cost alot of money 2. It would be impossible if not self employed. So I thought I’d break down the actual numbers:

The Numbers:

• 3761 – Miles Traveled
• 17 – States Visited
• 12 – Days On The Road 
• 8 – Days I Would Have Had to Take Off if I Had a “Real” Job

Expenses: 

• $450 – Dinners/Drinking/Beers
• $365 – Gas Money
• $300 – Lunches w/ Beers
• $285 – Speeding Tickets (3 – ouch)
• $265 – Hotels
• $70   – Park Entrance Fees
• $40   – Oil Change                  

• $1,775 – GRAND TOTAL
•        /2 
• $ 887.5 – PER PERSON. 

Not bad right? But I know what you are thinking:

• Yes, we stayed with folks we know for 5 or so nights. But we also didn’t camp at all which would have made our accommodations closer to $8-$15 a night vs. $40-50 at a hotel.
• Yes, the costs were split between two of us. What’s that? You don’t have a friend who would be game for a road trip? I’d consider that fact alone a much bigger cause for concern than the extra $887 you’ll need to come up with to do the trip solo. 
• Yes, we got over 30 MPG in our Civic. But we also got 300 dollars worth of tickets we likely wouldn’t have gotten in a truck/suv/slower gas guzzler. 

It has been said before, but I find most people vastly overestimate travel costs while using it as the main excuse to stay home, see nothing new and end the year with unused vacation days.

The travel agency of YOU is offering up a grand tour of America for roughly $500 a week. America is waiting. Your move.