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With the entire holiday season ahead of us you might have a trip or two in the near future. I know we’re gearing up for a long road trip this Christmas… Alabama to California is no easy feet! Since I’m busy setting up the car for our road trip I thought I would share a few of my tips and tricks with all of you!
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Tip 1: Oil Change!
I am definitely one of those gals that goes a litttle to long between oil changes, I’m not proud of it but there you go. It just kind of slips my mind! Now I’m not talking years or anything but I tend to go a month or two beyond the change by date. So when we go on a road trip I definitely have to check the oil… we definitely wouldn’t want a break down halfway across the country! I don’t know about y’all but for us that means a quick stop for new Pennzoil® Platinum Full Synthetic Motor Oil.
When we moved to LA (that’s lower Alabama) I had a heck of a time re-searching a great place for an oil change… and then I realized I already had a great place! Now that Walmart’s Automotive Care Center has started carrying Pennzoil® in the Southeast (think Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee) we have the perfect place for oil changes! It’s so easy and I love being able to drive in and out without having to wait for hours in the little waiting room. Plus even if you do have 20 minutes to kill you can go grocery shopping… two birds with one stone baby!
While not having a 3 hour wait time is kind of the best-thing-ever I also love their prices, under $50 for a great oil change? Yes, please! I hate paying for things that aren’t shoes so I’m definitely in love with the price tag… plus our Walmart was having a special last week… the Pennzoil® Platinum Full Synthetic is on Rollback ($49.88 Rollback to $44.88) through December 27, 2016! That means 5 dollars can go towards shoes…
Of course, the extra shopping time is always great when prepping for a road trip… I mean that’s just extra time to get snacks (or last minute Christmas presents if you’re going on a holiday trip like me!). Now I don’t know much about motor oil but Daddy always says to get Pennzoil®, apparently it helps your car preform better in both hot and cold temps which is great for a road trip across country. I mean it’s still warm here but we’re heading through a few cold states along the way… I am bringing my fuzzy boots after all!
Tip 2: Make-shift Trash Can!
Here’s my favorite tip… use a plastic cereal container with a plastic bag for a make-shift trash can! You can close the lid so your trash doesn’t spill all over your car plus it keeps things neat and tidy for your trip! The best part is that everyone knows exactly where trash goes #thismeansyouhunny! I don’t know about y’all but my hubby is a thrower as in he’s done with trash so he throws it! When I break out the trash can he actually makes it in the bin… every time.
Score!
Tip 3: Snack Station!
Okay I lied the snack station might be my favorite (can I have two favorites?). I like to have lots of little things for road trips so instead of throwing them all in the backseat and spending tons of time searching through the suitcases when I want a piece of candy or a napkin I like to take an over the door shoe holder and tie it to the back of the passenger seat.
This way everything is close at hand and easily accessible. I never need to go searching for something because it’s right there! Now the line-up might change over the trip (we still have to find the hubby’s little game system… he likes to play while I drive) but the line-up as of right now is as follows: Napkins, Candy, Snacks, Head Ache Medicine, Motion Sickness Pills, my to-do notebook for the trip (and blog), tissues etc. We’ll see what else gets added over time!
Tip 4: Emergency Kit!
This tip might be a little more up the hubby’s ally but it’s very similar to my snack station… although it belongs in the trunk and is an emergency kit instead! I like to include all the fun tools Dad use to put in the trunk in high school: hammer, wrench, pliers, first aid kit, fix-a-flat, gloves, jumper cables, even a bottle of Pennzoil® (although we shouldn’t need it since we just got the oil changed! That Rollback pricing is just too good to pass up!) I like to have an extra bottle though… just in case!
Tip 5: Loose Change Bucket!
Road trips = Gas stations, fast food, and lots of quick stops along the way. All of that results in loose change! Now I use to be a fan of the loose change in the cup-holder idea but honestly that just gets a little cluttered… so then I tried putting it in the glove compartment but that gets too messy! So I moved on to a little tiny loose change bucket. It’s not rocket science…. I take an empty container (gum containers work well) and keep it in the middle compartment.
Now when you get your change just toss it in the bucket! You have one centralized location for all your change that is easy to move and doesn’t clutter up your space… score!
Tip 6: Check Your Tires!
One of the absolute worst things that can happen on a road trip is a flat tire… I mean sitting by the side of the road switching a tire stinks for everyone. Save yourself the hassle and check the tire pressure in all four tires before you hit the road… putting air in a tire takes a quarter and 5 seconds. Fixing a flat can take hours.
Tip 7: Crumb Catcher!
I don’t know about y’all but I am a messssy eater… and that does not translate well to road tripping! I learned a long time ago that vacuuming out the cup holders is absolutely no fun, it’s entirely too much work for no reward. Instead I put little tiny cupcake holders in the cup holders! They catch the crumbs and only cost pennies so you can throw the entire mess away at the end of the trip (or the end of lunch… whatever’s necessary).
Hey, a road trip from LA to California doesn’t sound that bad…until you mention that LA stands for Lower Alabama! That will be one epic roadtrip for sure. Thanks for sharing all of these tips! #client
Love your tips. I add bottled water to the list when I travel.