Some Historical Data

I've put together some of the roadtrip costs I have going back a few years. There are some years that are missing, for various reasons (I'm presently searching for this info). Specifically, 1999 through 2002, which coincides with the years traveling in a 1999 Dodge Dakota.

I thought this might be an interesting list to see how costs have changed over the years.


1997 – Massachusetts to Yellowstone (2 weeks)

Vehicle: 1995 Plymouth Neon Sport
Mileage: 5012

Entertainment: $55.90 4.82%
Food: $311.51 26.87%
Lodging: $514.00 44.33%
Other: $34.40 2.97%
Shopping: $61.00 5.26%
Fuel: $182.65 15.75%
Total: $1,159.46

1998 – Massachusetts to Acadia (1 week)

Vehicle: 1996 Pontiac Trans Am

Entertainment: $10.00 1.88%
Food: $165.00 31.05%
Lodging: $137.00 25.78%
Other: $21.39 4.02%
Shopping: $147.00 27.66%
Fuel: $51.04 9.60%
Total: $531.43

1998 – Massachusetts to Shenandoah Valley (1 week)

Vehicle: 1996 Pontiac Trans Am

Entertainment: $55.00 11.14%
Food: $154.36 31.25%
Lodging: $117.00 23.69%
Other: $2.25 0.46%
Shopping: $103.68 20.99%
Fuel: $61.60 12.47%
Total: $493.89

2003 – Massachusetts to Shenandoah Valley to Cape Hatteras (2 weeks)

Vehicle: 2003 Volkswagen Jetta Wagon TDI

Entertainment: $77.62 4.53%
Food: $538.98 31.43%
Lodging: $637.00 37.14%
Other: $64.69 3.77%
Shopping: $373.37 21.77%
Fuel: $23.36 1.36%
Total: $1,715.02

2004 – Massachusetts to Kentucky (2 weeks)

Vehicle: 2003 Volkswagen Jetta Wagon TDI

Entertainment: $129.01 9.31%
Food: $429.81 31.03%
Lodging: $495.23 35.75%
Other: $6.10 0.44%
Shopping: $250.34 18.07%
Fuel: $74.65 5.39%
Total: $1,385.14

2005 – Massachusetts to Western Pennsylvania and Fredericksburg, VA (2 weeks)

Vehicle: 2005 Subaru Forester XT
Mileage: 1300

Entertainment: $89.00 5.59%
Food: $484.20 30.43%
Lodging: $609.30 38.29%
Other: $98.08 6.16%
Shopping: $50.96 3.20%
Fuel: $259.81 16.33%
Total: $1,591.35

2006 – Massachusetts to Ohio and Kentucky (2 weeks)

Vehicle: 2005 Subaru Forester XT
Mileage: 2652

Entertainment: $58.50 3.25%
Food: $488.92 27.13%
Lodging: $735.28 40.81%
Other: $12.85 0.71%
Shopping: $153.74 8.53%
Fuel: $352.54 19.57%
Total: $1,801.83

2007 – Massachusetts to Shenandoah Valley (1 week)

Vehicle: 2005 Subaru Forester XT
Mileage: 1684

Entertainment: $131.85 14.02%
Food: $286.69 30.50%
Lodging: $230.20 24.49%
Other: $17.90 1.90%
Shopping: $65.35 6.95%
Fuel: $208.13 22.14%
Total: $940.12


2008 – Massachusetts to Maryland Eastern Shore (1 week)

Vehicle: 2005 Subaru Forester XT
Mileage: 1322

Entertainment: $39.72 3.30%
Food: $459.01 38.13%
Lodging: $210.00 17.45%
Other: $180.10 14.96%
Shopping: $56.74 4.71%
Fuel: $258.19 21.45%
Total: $1,203.76

2009 – Massachusetts to Ohio, Pennsylvania (1 week solo)

Vehicle: 2008 Subaru Outback LLBean 3.0
Mileage: 1791

Entertainment: $35.75 5.02%
Food: $137.68 19.34%
Lodging: $339.68 47.70%
Other: $25.90 3.64%
Shopping: $0.00 0.00%
Fuel: $173.04 24.30%
Total: $712.05

2009 – Massachusetts to Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania (1 week)

Vehicle: 2008 Subaru Outback LLBean 3.0
Mileage: 1933.1

Entertainment: $103.33 5.56%
Food: $729.42 39.22%
Lodging: $657.60 35.36%
Other: $22.07 1.19%
Shopping: $137.49 7.39%
Fuel: $209.97 11.29%
Total: $1,859.88


2010 – Massachusetts to Kentucky (1 week solo)

Vehicle: 2008 Subaru Outback LLBean 3.0
Mileage: 2414.7


Fuel: $257.38 31.48%
Food: $245.69 30.05%
Lodging: $271.58 33.21%
Tolls $4.41 0.54%
Entertainment: $28.00 3.42%
Other: $10.59 1.30%
Total: $817.65


2010 – Massachusetts to Maryland Eastern Shore, Virginia Shenandoah Valley (1 week)

Vehicle: 2008 Subaru Outback LLBean 3.0
Mileage: 1927.8


Fuel: $232.62 14.46%
Food: $659.68 40.99%
Lodging: $461.00 28.65%
Tolls $15.98 0.99%
Entertainment: $104.66 6.50%
Other: $135.32 8.41%
Total: $1,609.26

Mass Tim,

That's a very cool report... I need to study it some more. But I find the % cost related to the fuel consumption and the relative cost of food interesting!

Yep, one thing I get out of that is the TDI got some awful good fuel mileage.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist

But I find the % cost related to the fuel consumption and the relative cost of food interesting!

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Some of these figures may be a bit low, since in the past I wasn't always counting the cost of food that we may have packed to bring with us; I would guess it would be in the $100 range. It's pretty easy to see from the food cost on which of these trips we did more dining than our own food prep!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by glc

Yep, one thing I get out of that is the TDI got some awful good fuel mileage.

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The TDI definitely did. The Neon would have been very close if it had an extra, overdriven gear.

Highway mileage (from memory) of these vehicles, over the course of their lifetimes:

Jetta - 47 mpg (5 speed manual)
Neon - 37 mpg (3 speed auto)
TransAm - 27 mpg (4 speed auto)
Forester - 27 mpg (4 speed auto)
Outback - 27 mpg (5 speed auto)
Dakota - 20 mpg (4 speed manual)

Here's one that goes WAY back....a trip from Matteson, IL, to Freehold, NJ, and return - - back in July/Aug 1966. Yes, you read that right. My mom did travel journals for years, and one year they made me a gift of a copy of the trips that I had been on. This included expenses, names of the places we stayed, comments that I made periodically. I was not quite 9 years old on this one.

Total mileage traveled: 2528 miles round trip

Gasoline: $53.52. Mom did not write down the prices per gallon - only what was spent and how many gallons that bought. Looks like around .38 or .39 per gallon.

Overnights (travel trailer): $46.00 for the time we were gone. Some nights we spent in state parks, other nights in rest areas along the turnpikes.

Groceries: $89.50. Bear in mind that my mom started out with a full pantry and fridge, but it was only about a 3 cu ft fridge (smaller than some kids have in their college dorm room).

I did not add up the amounts for my dad's commute into NYC on weekdays, for the reason of the trip was for him to attend a 2 week training session in the city.

One thing that amazed me (especially after looking up toll fees this morning: the entire PA turnpike, for 3 axles (car and single-axle travel trailer) was $7.35!!!!


Donna