Have you ever been stone-cold broke on the road? As a student, I came very close and it wasn’t pretty. Getting a handle on it by using this road trip calculator can make all the difference!
For your MPG, do the following:
- Write down your odometer reading and the number of gallons you purchase the next time you fill-up.
- Time to fill the tank again? See how many miles you’ve driven since last time (subtract current reading from prior) and divide that by the number of gallons you purchased (assuming your gas tank indicator is at the same place (I suggest a quarter tank)).
See my article Road Trip Planning: Map It! to get an idea of how many miles you’ll be traveling.
For gas prices, there are a number of sites online including AAA that offer average gas prices. Pick ones for your route (3-4), add them together, and divide by the number of prices chosen to get your average.
Punch in your miles, mpg, and price of gas (these are the red-starred items in the calculator) and hit calculate if you just want to know how much you’ll be spending on gas.
The rest of the numbers depend on you and your needs. Read my money-saving articles to find out ways to save some of that green stuff you work so hard to earn!