With Thanksgiving coming up next week, you may be thinking about holiday travel. If you are going by car, the way that you pack it up can affect how much you pay in gasoline. Factors in saving money when traveling by car include not only how much you bring but also where you place it. Keep reading to find out how you can travel frugally just by how you pack.
The first step in packing your car the correct way to save money is to consider the passengers. The people come first, so you’ll have to make adjustments in your packing because of them. Generally more people means more stuff, but you should actually decrease the amount of baggage for every person that is coming along in the car to prevent the car from being overburdened with weight and the engine from having to work too hard. Most car manufacturers recommend no more than a total of 500 pounds of weight including people!
Distribute the weight in your car as evenly as possible when you pack. Carrying a balanced load will make your car much more efficient and even easier to drive.
Avoid placing any baggage on the roof or back of your car. while this may be convenient, it can cause a lot of wind drag on the car, which uses more gas on the trip. Anything bulky that is sticking up breaks the line of your car and causes resistance.
Check ahead of time at your destination to see what might be available. If there is a washer and dryer, then you can pack less and do laundry once while you are at your destination. Hair dryers, irons, towels and sheets are usually some things that people pack without needing to do so.
What are your favorite ways to save on holiday travel.
Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans.
Calculating Your Car’s Fuel Economy
3 Tips that Will Save You Money on Car Insurance
Tips for a Frugal Thanksgiving
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