Traveling on a BUDGET!!

[Monkeynme]

Hello Mama's! My DH and my two little girls (3 and 1) are going on a road trip from Orlando, FL to Austin, TX on Friday. We are very excited and going to try and camp most of the time. We are on a TIGHT budget and are trying to do as much as we can for as little as possible. I would love to hear if anyone has any travel tips, and or places worthy of visiting (for those ages) along the above mentioned route. I have heard that Austin is pretty AP friendly, but I was wondering if anyone had any experiences, or good places to haunt while we're there. Any tips are greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!
Blessings, Shannon

[sweetpeppers]

Do you have a van? You could try "boondocking" staying in parking lots overnight en route. That's what we do. Although we are only two.

[canuckgal]

We are going on a road trip this summer and have in the past. We do choose to stay in a hotel one night (it's a 2 day trip for us, we don't have the time or inclination to camp or room to bring our camping gear), but always choose one with a fridge. That way, I go to a grocery store when we get there and stock up on a few perishables (like yoghurt, deli meat, etc) so as to have a breakfast and a lunch for the road, and maybe even a supper if we get a deli salad and one of those whole chickens. I supplement that with homemade granola, cookies/bars, fruit, etc for the road, so we "eat out" at restaurants very little if at all. Bring a cooler for the vehicle.

We also stop off at small towns to eat our "picnic", and look for a schoolyard/playground so the kids can burn off some steam too.

[RiverSky]

I find that campgrounds can be pretty pricey sometimes. How much are you finding they will be? I know that right now, many hotels are hurting, and on the way to Austin, TX, I bet there will be TONS of cheap, cheap, cheap hotels ($20-30 range), but will have hot water and places to shower. Expedia, Hotwire, Book-It, Priceline are all great resources to find really cheap deals.

Of course, carrying loaves of bread, peanut butter, fruit, cut up raw veggies, etc., are nice cheap ways for everyone to eat on the way. If you bring your crockpot, you might find it easy to make a warm, inexpensive meal, too (if you are staying put for long enough). You can also use the crockpot overnight to make chili or a stew or soup, and put it in food thermoses to be eaten throughout the day. Have fun!

[PPK]

We travel with a 2 burner camp stove and that way can heat up water in the morning for cups of tea and breakfast and for dinner at night. I know they aren't intended for indoor use, but we usually stay at very very low cost hotels that we can set it up outside our door if its not in view of the office.