Travel Tips Cheap and Free Rough Draft.
Sleeping in a vehicle- There are tons of places to sleep in your parked car! If you can cover yourself with a blanket its pretty much no problem. i have been woken up a few times from people worried that I was drunk or dead, but hey, it saves so much money! You'll see so many articles and videos of people’s “Car camping tips” where they put blankets up and get their windows tinted as dark as they can. Its definitely not necessary. When I first left I bought a pair of those child sun shades to hang up. After a week of using them I realized it probably draws more attention, and from taking them down and hanging them up I lost all of the dang suction cups.
Where to sleep? -
Parking lot. Places have parking lots. But you have to know the ones you'll be able to actually sleep in without getting woken up or even worse, getting a ticket.
Walmart/Sams club. Make sure beforehand that the Walmart is 24hrs. Yes there are some that aren't and it sucks! There is an app for that! It will tell you which walmarts you can park in and sleep over night. Yes, there are some that are 24hrs and still don't welcome travelers. Yes those people come in and use your restroom, but those are also the people who get hungry in the middle of the night, who decide that they should stock up supplies while they are there, and usually leave really early anyways! Download ((((()))))))) or go in and ask just to be safe! I park under the lights so I can read, but theres always spots without them if you can’t sleep with the traffic going past.
Park. Almost all city/public parks close, I don't recommend these unless you drove all night and want to rest during open hours. Close bathrooms, usually a safe environment, and almost always lots of shade!
Truck Stop/Rest Area. This is my second most used place to sleep while on the road, next to Walmart. These are almost always on your way! Some states have had issues where they weren't funded or closed. New Mexico’s rest areas close at a certain time. and the ones near big cities such as Denver only allow you to park for a certain amount of hours.
Casino. I LOVE to gamble! The Casinos love that I do too! Which is why they will let you stay with them. MONEY MONEY MONEY. I once parked an RV there for 5 days, they finally put a paper on my window saying how much they appreciate our business but because I was not a guest I needed to move in 24 hours. Guess what? There’s casinos everywhere! Parking Garage. Have you ever used Parking Panda? I’ll talk about that later. These can be dangerous to park in. But if you know what your doing and its not a monitored spot, OR if you've paid the parking hours in advance you might be okay. (I always sleep with a blanket covering me when I am in a public area)
Residential Neighborhood/Apartment Building lot. This is the best place I have found to sleep at in big cities like Denver or San Fransisco. Unfortunately It’s usually a gut feeling. If you really want to scope the area out you can. But sleeping is usually the last thing of the day I worry about (duh) and I park wherever there is a blank side of a two lane street. (Where the house is facing towards the other side of the street) Before I was in San Fran I looked up the safer neighborhoods (Its per incident and incident type, you can look up this info on google) Just stay safe and fit in!
Motel. So you're going to spend money on a room huh? Have you checked AirBnb first? Have you looked up free camping? free parking? Do you need a shower that bad? You know that for $5 in most towns you can go to the local swimming pool or get a day pass at the Gym. You can work out or swim and then shower! BE RESOURCEFUL DAMMIT! Or did your parents pay for the room? I really appreciate when mine do :) Do you know who else pays for hotel rooms? Churches. Yes. Most towns have a ministerial alliance. You don't know what that is? Look it up! This will NOT happen in a big city, they will refer you to a homeless shelter. But in smaller towns you just call around. They will give you motel rooms. They will give you gas vouchers. They will feed you! NEVER BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP. (Only do this one town per county, after all they are helping you to LEAVE) Do you know who ELSE will help you with a room? The local Police. Yes, they will run your name. Yes they expect you to go to the station and talk to you face to face. But if you feel the need. Ive done it plenty of times. (Sometimes its only a discount. I got a room in Mitchell SD after driving 13hours unable to make it to Rapid and in the middle of an Anxiety attack they got a room for me at a discount of only $35 which went under my friends name.) I don't recommend parking and sleeping in your car at a Hotel/Motel. Sometimes you can get away with it acting as someones guest, but having an out of state plate can make it difficult.
Campsite. Free-$20 a night. Not bad! Usually your neighbors are pretty cool too. If its an honesty code site for paying. PAY IT! (I went to pay a campsite one time on my last few bucks, in the box somebody had left $4 in quarters in the envelope box for the next person to use. Score! DMR/BLM land. Have I told you about all of the wonderful resourceful apps you can use? Well FreeCamping is the one I use at least once a week. It will tell you from Walmart parking lots to free camping. In some states you can get an annual pass to the parks which have free campsites. (Washington DMR pass) I’m at one right now!! There is BLM land all over the country. Use it, and leave it the way you found it if not better.
AirBnb. What a wonderful app! People can rent out their room, their yard, their house, their castle! Anywhere and everywhere around the world. You can hang out with your host, you can keep to yourself. It’s amazing! Get on it right away. there are many people who tend to not accept people with no reviews. Make sure you use an updated picture and a well written bio! Same goes for Couchsurfing! Most people don't want just any traveler on Couchsurfing to crash at their place. They want to trade skills, they want to learn, or they want someone who has hosted people in the past. If you have nothing to offer stay off Couchsurfing!
Friends. Friends help each other out. Use your resources! That guy you hung out with last time you were in Sacramento? He probably offered you a place to stay next time you were in town! Woofing. Use the internet. You can Woof. You can stay on somebody land in exchange for services. You can help out a farm! Mmm, Cow pies! Homeless shelter. Leave these to the people stuck in that location. Unless you are hitchhiking and cant find a secure place to set up your tent I wouldn't bother with the lines anyways. Free Rooms At Casinos. Everybody likes free stuff right? Well I gambled at a Casino and received free rooms and dinner. 2 nights a week in fact. WTF?? Right! When you are just passing through. Stop in. Get a players card. Spend a few bucks. You might get some great offers in the mail. They want you back and they want your money!
Eating - I’m hungry, how about a meal!?
Churches. Like I said, get a food voucher!
EBT. Get it. Use it. (Some places I have had it and had issues. South Dakota, will cancel your benefits if they see transactions outside of their state if you are gone for 30 days. Texas, will only give it to you for three months, I was not able to apply as homeless, they needed an address.) Get it in CA,OR,WA, or CO. Anything east coast I can’t help with.
Missions. Waiting in line can be a pain. The food isn't that great. But if your starving those are the least of your worries.
Food Banks. We use these all the time to stock up. Some food banks will not let you get anything if you don't have proof of address. But they will usually at least hook you up with a travel bag of goodies. Before you say “Those are for people who are homeless or cant afford food.” The last I checked I live out of my car and work part time. They are there for everyone. Most people are too scared or have too large of an Ego to ask for help. Its not top shelf, it may be moldy. Its food that would have otherwise been thrown away. I currently have a tin of freeze dried raspberries in my car. Whats the date on them? Jan. 1999. They are great for flavoring my water!
Free fooding places. Don’t be scared to ask. You can get free food from Taco bell, and other fast food chains. Explain your situation and you'll usually get a couple things off of the dollar menu free. I worked on a food truck and some drunk girl came up and asked if we had any food we were tossing out, and yes we fed her.
Casinos. Those casinos will also send you food vouchers in the mail.
White Boxes. How many of those take home left overs do you eat? Probably no more than half right? Well you can always ask the people about to dump their trays at the mall, or walking down the boardwalk with a food box in their hand. They almost always say yes, and the great part? You never know what you're going to get! They planned on saving it, it wont be poisoned or anything. I don't bite what other people have, but a lot of the times its a wrap or sandwich that has been cut in half. I have also went to restaurants, ordered something cheap on the menu and when the people around us got up to leave grab their leftovers. (We got bomb curry in San Fransisco last year and also stood around the patio of a pizza place in Santa Cruz until people left and we took the extra slices.) Orchards I love driving the west coast, they are so cheap! I was traveling with a friend and a girl from Hungary and you can bet your bottom dollar we pulled over and filled our shirts with lemons and oranges!!
0 You are almost out of gas?
Churches. Like I said before, gas vouchers.
Gas Station Donations. The is VERY rare. But in the middle of nowhere you can ask the gas station if they have a donation box or if they have any way of helping you down the road with a few bucks of gas. I’ve had this happen in northern WY.
Gas Canning. It doesn't hurt to ask!
Need Money?
I am not going to explain much because that’s my secret but some ways people who travel make money. (legally)
Busking. Have a skill? Don't have a skill? You can busk! Play your instrument. Be a statue. They all pay! Just respect the laws, and fellow buskers around you.
Flipping/Resale This one is my trick! Search how to make money on eBay on Youtube. Too much info to explain. (This has paid for most of my travel expenses)
5mile. Another great app to use. People don't know what their things are worth. But something you can flip for money quick. Garage sales are also fun to check out for things like that.
Fly a sign!!
Supplies?
Churches and salvation army’s will help you replace that blanket you left at the park when you were drunk.
Thrift Stores. Cheap supplies. Some even have sales special days. “All green tags 50% off on Tuesday!”
Discounts?
Free Events/Free Music. These are everywhere! Things that include free camping, free food, and free entertainment! Just like Summer Nights in Rapid City its a great time for an outsider even if they are low on cash. Check your area and the dates you will be there on Facebook or Google, You'll find tons. Bars host free karaoke, open mics, and trivia all over the country! Some have free shuffle board, corn hole, and darts. Just look around! Instead of just going to bed in my car I’ll go to a bar to play games or just be social. A lot of the time people buy us drinks too. (Idaho was a very friendly state) There are things for under 21 also, you just have to research.
Free Admission Days. Lots of museums, Zoos, botanical gardens, etc have Free Admission Days. Once a month, once a year, you just have to research! Some are even always free! (Museum of Geology - Rapid City, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art - Bentonville AR, etc.)
Groupon. Groupon almost always has hot deals for the area you are going to be in, they even sell discount concert tickets! I use groupon for all of my “Out of South Dakota” oil changes. I never pay more than $22 for them. You will also find things from a half off dinner coupon to windshield chip repair.
Parking Panda. (buy in advance) This is a great app/website to use when you have a trip already planned or are going to an event which will have crazy busy parking. (Concert, Gay Pride, Sports Game, Etc.) You can search for parking by location, date and time. They extend the parking hours for you too. Remember not all parking areas are 24hrs so you may have to fiddle with the times to get the closest or cheapest option. Another thing to note is that if it is a manned lot you just take a screenshot and give the guard a code to let you leave. Some you NEED to be able to print off a paper to set on your dashboard while you are parked there. (Most towns have a libray, use their printer for 15c. Ive also gotten things printed from my bank (Wells Fargo). Job services also have printers you can access. Be sure to read all of the “benifits”. We didn’t. One time, planning on sleeping in parking garage in San Fransisco. But when we got there we found out it was valet parking.
Visitor Centers. These are great for getting info, free town maps, and coupons! If you will be somewhere for more than a day stop at the local visitor center and ask for any booklets with coupons in them. A great way to save money!
Are you inspired yet? Here’s some things to help you get going!
Getting Started!
Quitting your current job? If its a large corporate try not to screw yourself over by not putting your two weeks in. otherwise you might not be able to work for them anywhere else. It’s best to leave when you still have a direct deposit check coming in. Its so nice to be on the road and know that you STILL have a paycheck to receive!
Want a seasonal job or one on the road? Get a CDL! Truckers are needed nation wide. You'll be able to see the country and get paid for it! Some great seasonal jobs are State Parks, Ski Resorts, Music Festivals (you can volunteer for these too!) and National Monuments. Theres plenty of other ideas out there as well.
Supplies- What to bring. Nothing is needed, but these things will make life a hell of a lot more enjoyable.
I suggest a car, and if it is your first time. you know what they say. “Two heads are better than one!” Bring a friend. But make sure you have enough room to hold your things and still stretch out and sleep. Make sure everything is good to go, Oil change, Tires, AC/Heat, etc. If you are hitch hiking for the first time please don’t go alone.
Clothes. A nice pair for interviews or special events. Bring a swimming suit (Even if you don't swim, if you are going to bathe in a river near people you should keep covered crazy! I wear a lot of quick dry clothing and baggy clothing (to fit things in my pockets) Make sure to pack for all weather. Shorts, Tank top, Windbreaker/Raincoat, Jacket, Carheart. Long socks and comfortable boots. Steel toe are a plus. Shower shoes are a great thing to have on you (Snooks/flipflops) I use those almost daily.
Tools. Some of the ones I always have with me. Hatchet. (Cut firewood, Used to hammer my tent stakes.) Propane stove. (With a chef knife, travel cutting board, and a serving spoon.) Walking stick. (A friend made it for me, otherwise totally not necessary.) Duct Tape. Tire pressure Gauge. Road Atlas. Lantern. (I have a solar lantern and a rechargeable one.) Flashlight/Headlamp. (I have 2 flashlights in my bag, One headlamp, and 4 flashlights throughout my car.) I also have a few screwdrivers and wrenches (One that fits my car battery) A knife with a belt and sheath is a MUST HAVE. (Make sure you check the carry laws in each state) Gas Can. (I use a 5 gallon) Tent/Hammock (I use both) Cordage. You can never have too much rope! Clothesline, Hanging your hammock, Making your own shade, Etc. A Trap. (You can put your tent on it to keep it from getting wet. you can build your own shade, you can move things with it, you can line the inside of your tunk, its practically endless.) Bliss. (A bowl, i have one that has a locking lid and doubles as a cooking pot. for 3.99 you can get a multi tool at walmart that has a fork knife and spoon on it.) Blanket. It takes up less room if you line your back seat with it. Have a small travel one also for laying in the grass or on the beach. Pillow. Always nice to have. Sewing Kit. (I use mine at least once a week, weather its to fix up my jeans from falling or putting a cool ass patch on them.) (Some people just carry a needle and use their dental floss to sew, it also has other uses like cordage and cutting things.) Compass. Phone Chargers/Other Chargers.
Toiletries. Biodegradable Soap. (For washing clothes and yourself in natural water. Please respect the environment.) Portable Shampoo and Conditioner. (i have 2 large bottles i use to refill them, so if i shower at a truck stop or shower house i don't have to lug that extra weight. Towel. Bug Spray. (A friend told me Mexican Vanilla works WAY better than regular bug sprays) Sunscreen.
Extras. Things you enjoy! (I have a ton of books that i carry and leave all over at rest areas and parks, or trade to people when I am finished.) A Musical Instrument. (A great thing to have, to jam or busk. I play my guitar every single day.) I also have a coloring book for stressful days.
Good investments that aren't exactly necessary- A scrubba washbag. (I use this to wash all of my clothes. It saves money from laundry matts.) Life Straw or Filter Bottle/Pump Proxide I get cut a lot! Put a small bottle in your first aid kit, or haul a bottle its only .99c! First Aid Kit. A Passport!! Lockbox. (For your valuables.) 0 degree sleeping bag. (I LOVE Mine!) Waterproof Phone Sleeve. (You can get these online or at Dick’s/Scheels/Cabalas) Fishing Pole. (I carry a travel size.) Seeping Pad. (Mine rolls up and you just fill it with air.) Lawn Chair. (If you're one of the picky ones)
Its a fact! The first time you leave you will over pack. that is almost always guaranteed. do it. pack what you THINK SO MUCH that you will need or use. more to give away in the future. I was mailing boxes back home of all of the extra crap that I acquired or already had. I spent $120 to mail 5 boxes from South Lake Tahoe to SD because I thought I needed all of this junk working at a ski resort. If you haven't used it in a month, you probably don't need it. And you can guess the only thing I use once a month (EWWW) But seriously, I use everything I have or I don't have it.