Life on the road can be filled with beautiful views, great people, and, if you’re not careful, surprising expenses. So last week, we asked our readers to share their best frugal living tips. The responses rolled in, and we have to say: this is one thrifty, creative, and experienced group! From fuel hacks to leftovers, here are your best tried-and-true ways to RV without breaking the bank.
Power smarts
When it comes to saving on fuel and hookups, several readers say thinking outside the traditional RV box can really pay off.
“Buy an induction hot plate and use the RV park’s electricity instead of your propane. It will save you $s plus reduce the trips to refill your tanks,” wrote Jeffrey S. He also adds that induction is “so much faster and more efficient than propane. You will wonder why you never did this long ago.”
And then there’s the totally unplugged life—literally. Kent R. has taken DIY to a whole new level: “I self-built our van and installed solar and lithium-ion batteries, and as a result, we have never plugged in or paid for an RV park. This is our fourth year, and this year I didn’t even bring a cord to plug it in.”
Fill up for less
Fuel prices can be a big drag on the RV budget, but you have strategies!
Ernie P. keeps things simple: “Slow down to 55. When I drive 55, I get 8.5 mpg, when 60 or more mph, I get 7 mpg… At 7 more miles per gallon, that’s a savings of $2.85 per gallon. Say $20—enough to eat at Cracker Barrel.”
Others use tech and loyalty programs to save: “Most people know about the Love’s discount where you get $0.10 off per gallon on gas ($0.15 on diesel) by using their app,” said Ken S. “You can also get another $0.03 off on top of that by connecting your AAA membership.”
And if you’re a Kroger shopper? Steve H. says don’t forget your card! “We have a Kroger supermarket card… All offer discounts up to $1.00/gallon of fuel at their company gas stations… $1.00/gallon discount off 25 gallons of diesel fuel is well worth the effort!”
Many of our readers mentioned they use the apps GasBuddy and Upside to save on gas, too.
Food hacks that add up
What you eat and how you prepare it can make a huge difference in money spending… and saving.
Jean M. has meal prep down to an art: “As soon as my trip is scheduled, I start to plan my main meals. I shop, cook, package into two portion hard-sided containers, freeze, and repackage the frozen meals into baggies to fit the RV freezer.” She also uses leftovers during the year and says, “it adds more variety.”
Pat D. is right there with her: “We never eat all the veggies prepped or entire chicken breast/beef, spaghetti/pastas cooked, potatoes, etc. I throw all leftovers in a bag/carton in the freezer. Eventually, it’s mixed with broth and tomatoes and becomes great soup.”
And if you’re tired of buying bottled water on the road? Suvane B. has the fix: “We bought 40 18 oz. glass water bottles with sleeves and stainless steel screw-on caps. We refill them when at a campground, never having to buy plastic bottled water.”
Campground savvy
Where you stay is one of the biggest cost decisions you’ll make. Some readers say government campgrounds are a hidden gem (they are!).
Larry C. recommends: “Camp as much as possible at COE campgrounds. Most all have at least electric… Rates are usually about half the private CG rates, and if you are a senior, you get half the COE already cheap rate!” Here’s our favorite Corps of Engineers camping guidebook.
Others prefer to camp with purpose. “We volunteer as camp hosts in state and federal campgrounds,” said Carol S. “For a little bit of work, we get free full hookup sites. Can’t get any cheaper than that!”
And if you don’t mind staying in one place a little longer? Tom H. suggests: “Join a discount camping club. I personally am a member of Passport America. There are several others, especially for those who camp without full hookups. I travel to a discount RV park and stay for several days, preferably 7 days. You save on fuel costs, camping costs, and get to explore the area.”
Other RVers are mixing it up with a half-and-half approach. Margot H. shared, “BLM for two weeks, then RV park for two weeks. It saves gas, and it allows for a good mix of nature and convenience.”
Living frugal—in all the little ways
Some of our readers have built frugality into every corner of their RV lifestyle. Few outlined it better than Ken A., who offered up this smart, detailed list of how he and his family save:
“We save money by:
– Boondocking whenever possible
– Moochdocking when visiting family
– Harvest Hosts between places
(all the above enabled by our solar system)
– Use senior park passes and discounts
– Stay at county/state/COE/BLM
– Stay at Thousand Trails parks
– Store our RV on our own property
– Find cheap/free local entertainment
– Cook instead of eating out/fast food
– Gas Buddy/AAA/Love’s for gas
– Find and use e-coupons
– Do as much maintenance as I can
– Do research before purchasing
– And work from the road for extra $$$
Cheap (or free!) fun
Frugality doesn’t mean you have to skimp on fun. Darla V A. has found a creative way to sightsee on a budget: “We buy an annual membership to NARM… National Association of Reciprocal Museums. Costs $120 for a family membership and gets us into over 3000 museums.” She adds that on just one visit to NASA Houston, they saved $112. “We love all, but especially the small ones we might have missed.”
Have more frugal tips? Share them!
There you have it—a goldmine of frugal wisdom from RVers who know what it takes to stretch a dollar. These little tweaks can really add up!
Have a tip of your own? Keep the conversation going in the comments. Nobody ever said no to saving money, did they?
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY…
- Retirees share tips and tricks for frugal RVing
- Bottle savers for the frugal RVer: Get every last drop!
- 18 ways to use ‘single-use’ items more than once
- Where to save money on RV parts and supplies
- Living in an RV to save money: Full-time RV budget advice
- 7 easy ways to save money on a road trip
RVT1219
Very surprised that the TSD Open Roads diesel program didn’t make the list.
Also, for Darla’s suggestion for NARM, you can save on that membership by getting a membership directly with one of the participating museums. For a $100 donation to The American Civil War Museum, headquartered in Richmond Virginia I have access to their three museums in Virginia (Appomatix, Tredegar Iron Works, and the Confederate Whitehouse), a very good quarterly magazine, history seminars, and NARM membership!
About 8 years ago, I bought a Berkey water purification system. The house I was renting was changed from well water to city water. I felt like I was living in Flint, MI! The water was brown, foul smelling, and not safe to drink. The Berkey system gave me pure water again. I have moved since then, and my Berkey lives in my camper. I am able to get water from almost any source (4 of the Great Lakes, rivers, ponds, lakes, bad tasting campground water, and water from Florida), and have great tasting, pure water! I was so impressed with the Berkey system in the camper, I bought the Berkey Go for my retired Fed Ex van (now living its dream life as a camper van). Best investment ever!
Drive slower.
Do I really have to explain it? @@
My dad told me in 1965 that best mpg was at 50-55 mph. I checked it out last year. It’s still true.
I would say the best way to save money starts before you buy your RV. I would say most people buy more than they need. First thing I would save money on would be buy Gas not Diesel. I know most think they need the extra power to be the first one to get to the top of the hill but there is no trophy for the first one up to the top. Probably over 90 percent of do not need the extra power of a diesel, yes I have owned a diesel but never again and I am a retired diesel mechanic/truck driver. Of course if you have more money than your pockets will hold and don’t care about over all costs buy a diesel.
While I agree with Ernie P on saving gas by driving slower, the math didn’t make sense to me.
Hi, Warren. I couldn’t figure it out either when I proofed the post.😵💫 I thought maybe it was my “senior brain” unable to calculate the math so just left it and hoped someone could explain it.🤔 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Hi Diane: He used the term “miles per gallon” twice which doesn’t fit the situation. The 2nd use should be changed to read something like ” I get 7 more miles out of each gallon. That math will work out! (…or somethin’; like that!).
Hi, Doug. Thanks for the possible explanation. I thought maybe “tank” should be used in the equation somewhere, but then I don’t know how big the tank is so wasn’t sure if that would work. I didn’t see his original submission, and so also wondered if there was a typo in there somewhere, unless it was copied and pasted verbatim into the article. Oh, well. The point about the speed limit is still accurate, and that’s the main thing. Have a great day! 😀 –Diane
Yeah, saving over half is not logical.
Slower is cheaper, and not just fuel, less maintenance and accidents really matter.
Please see my response to Ernie P above
I understood the point he was trying to make, but the verbiage was confusing. We filled our bus the other day, 58 gallons at $2.58/gallon. By that reasoning the gas station owes me $15.00 – $16.00.
Almost forgot. Convenience is important to me too. I’m not going too far out of my way into unknown territory to save $5.00 to $10.00 on a tank of fuel. Maybe I’m just absolutely made of money.
I agree. 8.5-7=1.5 more MPG. I have no idea how the 7 more comes into play or how the $ savings was calculated.
Different vehicles have different shift points and power curves, so the most efficient speed isn’t the same for everyone.
Guess by now y’all are sick of hearing bout Dad but his methods work. Best mpg is 50-55, true now & in 1960s. He told me always drive 3 cars ahead, meaning if you see brake lights lift foot from gas pedal. Anytime my foot went directly from gas to brake pedal he’d hit me in the head. Downhill don’t brake, just lift foot from gas- + refill when gas tank is 1/2 empty -waiting longer drops mpg (?). Don’t know why.
My dad taught me all of those things, also.👍 And I’ll bet you also heard about “jack rabbit” starts when the light turns green? Have a great day, Ed and Mitzi. 😀 –Diane
I learned from camping w/DH & touring w/DGS-if you want to eat out lunch is much cheaper than dinner
Another discount app for saving on gas and restaurants is Upside. The discount varies, but often 10 cents per gallon. Have to look for a station that subscribes.
Thank you for the list, Emily! Surprised that you did not mention the Open Roads fuel card when talking about fuel savings. Perhaps would have made that section too long relative to the others. Another way that only now occurs to me is to research heavily before purchasing and get one of the better made RVs and keep it for a long time. Repair and upkeep costs may be considerably lower than those of other RVs. Alternately, buy an RV that has fewer bells and whistles and likely to have older technologies more easily repaired by owner, reducing trips to shop. Anyway, interesting tips. Have a great week and safe travels!
Thank you, Emily! Echoing Mikal, surprised by the Open Roads omission. Would including have made that section disproportionately long relative to the others? Have a great week and safe travels!
If you have a Sam’s Club or Costco membership, buy restaurant gift cards there. Many are on sale at about $80 for $100 in value, so already ahead by $20.
I get Golden Corral cards, $80 for $100 value. Then I earn reward points in their customer loyalty app: $1 spent = 1point, by scanning in my receipt into the app. At 100 points they give you a $10 reward.
So, for $80, I get $110 in meals! (tax of course extra).
We’re not having much luck finding RV dump stations on the road If im What apps do traveler use