9 ways to manage a cheap college roadtrip

[liz21107]

Wow, really great article! Thanks for posting!

[MrsPete]

I also agree that doing things cheaply because you're worried about money at the expense of a good time isn't a good idea. I'm not advocating sacrificing everything in order to save a dollar.

That's exactly what I'm hearing! Honestly, I am the cheapest person I know; however, I do insist upon good value for the dollar, not just the lowest price. I'm fine with the ideas like eating healthy meals from the cooler, ordering kids meals and water for myself, driving a tiny car, choosing restaurants based upon the availability of BYGOF coupons, completely skipping souveniers, getting a credit card because it gives you a free hotel night (then canceling it after one use), and more! But taking time off work, saving money for a trip, planning the route carefully, driving for days . . . then NOT spending a couple more dollars to go into the unique museums and historic sites doesn't make sense to me. It's kind of like dressing up nicely for dinner, going to a fancy restaurant, and when you get there saying, "Nah, I won't go in. I'll just sit here and smell the food."I'm not advocating being careless and spendy just because you're on vacation, but I'm sure that many road trip activities are well worth the couple dollars that they add to the bottom line. Sure there are LOADS of things that are wonderful and 100% free (like ranger-led programs in the state and national parks), but lots of other things are very inexpensive, yet very educational and fun.

It's really all a matter of attitude. Some people say "not being comfortable tonight will ruin my entire trip.' Others say "It's just one night; I can handle it. Tomorrow we see the mountains!"

Nope, it's the human body's physiological need for sleep! In fact, when you're talking about driving long distances the next day, it's really a safety issue. No amount of good attitude can overcome multiple days without good sleep and good meals, especially -- as you admit -- when you're talking about a family.

For instance, we didn't go to the top of the St. Louis Arch. Maybe we missed an experience, but we got to St. Louis late evening and enjoyed ourselves just walking around the city . . . Who's to say it's better to go to the top of the st. louis arch than to walk around St. Louis? Who's to say one is more fun than the other?

Having been to the top of the arch, I can tell you that it's pretty incredible, as is the Museum of Westward Expansion in its base. I don't want to go on a road just to cover miles and walk around breathing different air; I want to see things and learn things. Perhaps we don't all have the same expectations.

As far as the safety of sleeping in a stranger's house, that's why I like couch surfing. It has many safety devices in place, such as address validation and also the ability to rate others. You can go to a user's profile and see what other users have to say about him or her. I guess it operates much like ebay in this way . . . it's very, very, very unlikely that one person created 500 separate identities, including elaborate profiles and pictures, just in order to validate their one fake identity. It's risky, yes, but I feel more at risk asking a stranger directions in a populated place in broad daylight on the streets of milwaukee than staying at a validated couch surfer's home for a night.

Having worked in the criminal justice system, I can assure you that some people literally dedicate their lives to just this type of thing -- they're sociopaths, and the internet is a wonderful tool for them! Some of these people have spent weeks, even months, searching out and stalking one individual, laying a trap for that individual, even preparing instruments for plans/crimes. Certainly we normal people don't have the motive to do such a thing, but those people are out there. It's quite possible for a person to create multiple identities online -- the risk is not worth saving a few dollars.

Yes, asking strangers directions (or similar actions) can be dangerous too -- in fact, on our last trip my husband was attacked by a street vendor because he wouldn't give him a dollar -- but that's nowhere on the same scale as going into a stranger's house, closing your eyes, and going to sleep for the night. Weirdos do walk amongst us, and some of them do a very good job of passing themselves off as normal. Have you heard the term Corporate Sociopath? It's fairly new.

[PNW Judy]

At my age, I'm not inclined to do it. But I can see where it would have appeal for the younger set.

I think there is always some level of risk in life. But I toured England and Scandinavia in my youth staying at bed-and-breakfasts most every night. By far the most common situation we found were rooms in private homes where people were renting out the kids room for the night. Very unlike the typical American-style B&B.

So, in essence, except for the fact that we had an actual bed instead of a couch, I see no difference between this and couch-surfing. We were in someone's private home. Nobody but us knew where we were so if we had met with someone with evil intentions, nobody would have had a clue where or why we disappeared. Yet I never felt unsafe in any of these situations.

I also think that if a lot of people were meeting up with bad elements who were robbing/raping/murdering/etc. the people who were staying with them, that the word would get out.

Ya know, a lot of people are members of services that match them up with people who they can switch homes with. I could stay in Laura's home in Louisiana, for example, while she came to stay in my home in Washington state. These services are striving and several folks I know who have done it, have had some great experiences with it. But, to me, handing a stranger the keys to my home while I'm gone is almost more dicey than staying in a stranger's home myself. I think the potential for someone to clean out your jewelry and silver, etc. using one of these home exchange programs would be greater than meeting with a murderer, but yet it doesn't seem to be happening and the folks involved keep participating with pleasure.

So, really, I think the potential danger tends to be fairly slight. So, I say if you don't mind sleeping on someone else's couch, go for it. It could lead to a new friendship, too.