Your annual road trip to Grandma’s with your family is not the time to be wasting money on unnecessary items or services. Road trips the type of vacation where saving money is possible and easy to do. Follow these simple steps and your Thanksgiving road trip will be one of the best and cheapest you have ever taken.

One of the biggest areas where money can be saved is on food. Pack snacks and maybe even a picnic meal or two before leaving home. Rest stops are great to stretch your legs and enjoy a picnic lunch.

If you are going to make stops to eat out along your trip, keep in mind that many restaurants offer either discount prices for children. Some offer deals where kids eat for free. Research this prior to the start of your trip. Know where they are, what they offer and the savings can add up.

Filling the car with gasoline can be the most costly expense of your trip this year. With sky-high gas prices, the gas pump is definitely the place to try to save money. When filling use a credit card that offers rebates on the amount of gas purchased. Typically, nationwide gas station chains such as Mobil or Shell offer credit card rebates to frequent customers. Keep in mind if you are using Mobil you will have to find and only use Mobil stations on the road in order to use your rebate.

During some longer road trips an overnight stop and lodging might be required. Research lodging choices ahead of time. Use online resources prior to your road trip to find a quality hotel or motel that offers reasonable nightly rates. With children look for places that offer “children stay free” promotions.

Look to book a hotel that offers the most complimentary services. Many hotels offer complimentary continental breakfasts and some have snack bars set up as well. Hotels can also be useful in offering coupons and discount rates for local attractions and eateries, as well.

Finally, be safe. Traffic accidents increase over the holidays with lots of people on the road. Drive the posted speed limits. Take a first aid kit, extra safety supplies and drinking water, drive safely and make it fun!