Saving on the road

Keeping to a budget when travelling around is one way to make your money go further. YOURLifeChoices has some clever ideas for saving money on the road.

Painless Petrol

Paying for petrol can be painful, but without it you’ll be more ‘in the driveway’ and less ‘on the road’. MotorMouth is trying to give something back by keeping track of the cheapest petrol prices acrossAustralia. You can search by city, fuel type and petrol station companies such as BP and 7 Eleven. MotorMouth will then give you six results with the cheapest petrol in the area, the address of the petrol station and the time of day when the price was reported.

Simple Supermarkets

Supermarkets will often put deals up on their websites, so when you’ve got a Woolworths on one side and a Coles on the other, it’s worth getting out your smartphone and having a look.

Aldi is a European-owned supermarket which offers lower prices than normal supermarkets. Aldi doesn’t give you the same shopping experience – there are fewer staff, you have to pack your own bags and the shelves don’t look as attractive – but the money saved by cutting back on the niceties is reflected in the prices.

Costco offers items in bulk with significantly reduced prices. They sell a wide range of products, such as groceries, clothing and hardware; however there are only three stores in Australia. It might still be worth paying $60 for a year’s membership and stocking up on non-perishables before you hit the road.

Coles may not offer the cheapest prices, but they do have a very handy online ordering system. If you’re connected to the 3G network, you can do your shopping on the road, and then pick it up from one of the Click & Collect points on your way through town – less stopping, more shopping.

Keep in touch

Libraries and Wi-Fi cafes are both great places to get free internet access. Take a look at Drew’s article Technology on the go, where he explores a number of ways to stay in touch while travelling in Australia.

Setting up camp

There are many places in Australiato park your caravan which are both picturesque and cost-effective. More councils are setting up free camping grounds just outside of towns, and staying in national parks can be a very cheap way to park as long as you’re willing to forgo the luxuries. The Travel Australia website lists a selection of the top free and cheap camping grounds across Australia. If you’d like to hear what your fellow travellers think, Badger’s Australian Caravan Reports is a site where anyone can publish caravan park reviews.

Wwoofing 

Another great way to see the country on a budget is through the Willing workers on organic farms (Wwoof) organisation. A one-year membership for one person is $65, and it allows you to stay at one of its 2,200 properties aroundAustralia. In exchange for 4-6 hours of farm or garden work per day, you receive all meals and accommodation free of charge.