Costco Members Should Take Advantage Of This Budgeting Hack For Road Trips

Cruising the freeway with a few friends, the car packed up, and music blasting through the speakers is a very American experience. The U.S. is famous for its unique car culture and is well-known to be a road-tripping dream. The nation is absolutely loaded with natural wonders and scenic road trips you need to take before you die. As airfare prices have risen, many Americans say they prefer loading up the vehicle and hitting the road. There's a freedom and spontaneity to traveling in your own car. You can skip the airport hassle, avoid strict timetables, and it's a lot easier to travel with pets. All that has led to an increase in road tripping and Americans driving more miles than ever, with 2024 setting a new annual record for the number of miles driven on U.S. roads: 3.28 trillion! 

There are many hacks that make road trips easier, like having a quality phone stand on the dash or downloading plenty of offline media for when the cell service drops. There are also ways to help your dollars stretch. For Costco members, a great budget hack is to find Costco locations along your road trip route so you can take advantage of affordable gas prices and snacks while on the road. For nonmembers who enjoy traveling by car, it could be worth checking out a membership. The savings in gas alone throughout the year might cover the membership fee. While planning your next interstate highway adventure, adding in Costco stops during the journey has numerous advantages.

A quick refresher on the Costco model: It's a membership-based warehouse chain, meaning it sells goods in bulk for discounted prices, and you must be a member to shop there. The $65 annual membership fee opens up a world of products and services, from groceries to couches and contact lenses to travel packages. There are more than 630 stores scattered around America and 870 worldwide. They're everywhere, which is one of the reasons it's advantageous to be a member when road tripping. 

For example, the iconic Historic Route 66 — a road trip route great for discovering America's best distilleries — goes from Chicago to Los Angeles and is more than 2,000 miles long. Costco members could plan to stop at stores along the drive in spots like St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, and more. Fuel is a large expense when road tripping, so you could fill up on gas that is often 20 cents per gallon below the market average. While there, you could stock up on the plethora of affordable snacks on offer, or even grab a meal. The famous hot dog with a soda is only $1.50 and hasn't increased in price since 1985.

The last bonus isn't budgetary, but it's important for road trips. One of the biggest sacrifices on the road can be the lack of proper restrooms. Small gas stations and truck stops can have lines or less than ideal cleanliness. So, while pumping gas and grabbing a bite, one might as well utilize Costco's spacious bathrooms. Fuel up the car, fuel up the passengers, stretch the legs, and get back on the road refreshed and with a few extra dollars in your pocket for a Route 66 T-shirt at the next destination.