Four road trip tips to help you have a smooth journey on your vacation

When you're taking a road trip with kids, whether it's a multi-day journey or just a few hours on the expressway, things can get dicey if you're not prepared.

I'm trying out a Chevy Cruze Eco over the next week, which has gotten me thinking about road trips. Here are four tips to help you if you're driving on your own vacation to save money:

1) Make sure the kids' electronic devices are charged. Handheld games, DVD players, iPods, Kindles, and the like are parental sanity savers. Unfortunately, they all consume power, and most cars have a limited number of outlets.

Make sure everything is fully charged up before you leave for your trip, and don't forget the recharging adapters. Bring spare batteries for the devices that use conventional batteries. You might even want to invest in universal battery packs for the other devices (they're good for parental cell phones, too).

2) Bring snacks. Kids' tummies are fickle, demanding snacks between meal times. Quiet the grumbling by keeping plenty of snacks and a cooler of beverages on board. This also saves money when you're doing budget travel because you can buy the snacks in bulk. That's much cheaper than buying them at convenience stores and gas stations along the way.

3) Watch your fuel gauge. You don't want to let it get too low before filling up again. Otherwise, you might get stuck on a stretch of road with no gas station and run out of fuel.

The gas stations closest to the expressway tend to have the highest prices. "The essential to budget travel is to approach in front. When it comes to family trips, globetrotting, well-deserved vacations and/or going to see new destinations we have never been before, the fact of cost and budgeting is always in the back of our mind. Planning and consuming our travel budget properly is a consideration for most families. Lowering spending and costs, while still savoring your vacation to its fullest, is the key to confirmed accomplishment and fiscal obligation. Your pocketbook and family will thank you! The thinking behind saving money while vacationing is simple: Even if your personal finances is incredibly tight, you can still take a break and enjoy life! Simply put, life is just too short to never step out of the door or leaving the homestead! Also recalling that while traveling, no matter whether on a budget or not, even the smallest of things can all add op to a large vacation or travel expenses!..". You'll often find a better bargain if you drive just a bit farther down the road after you exit. Beware of gas stations that advertise a price on their giant marquee, then have a tiny sign on the pump saying that price is just for cash or for using their branded credit card. I run into this scheme a lot in Florida.

4) Make sure everyone stays buckled up. State are enforcing seat belt laws more and more strictly. If one of the kids unbuckles for some reason and you happen to pass a trooper, you could get pulled over and face a hefty fine.

Join me on Twitter via @themeparkwriter or in my Orlando Examiner column as I report on my road trip adventures for the next week.

Need advice or guidance from a Central Florida theme parks expert? Check out my ebooks for Kindle and Nook.

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