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[quote=Anonymous]If you need a cart in the airport, give yourself about 5-10 minutes extra.  Have one person wait with the luggage while the other goes down to departures.  Look out on the sidewalk outside the baggage claim where the shuttles typically pick folks up for parking lots or hotel transport.  People cart their luggage out to the shuttle stop, then load their luggage on the shuttle and leave them there for the porters to return.  You can often find one there and save $5.

Bring an empty soda bottle or reuseable water bottle to the airport in your carryon.  After you pass through security, instead of buying water or a drink, take the bottle to the water fountain and reload.  Bring a wide necked bottle like most of the iced tea or powerade bottles.  After beverage service has gone around, when the airline attendant makes a second pass, ask for a can of soda and a cup of ice.  Pour the ice and soda into your wide-necked bottle and put it back into your carry on.  Now you have a drink for the car after you get the rental.

For the road trip part, look to see if you can find a membership club somewhere on your route after leaving the airport.  I have a Sam's club membership.  You can find a Sam's club and get a case of water for the road and some bulk snacks like Clif Bars or Breakfast bars, a bag of apples, or even a box of candy for a lot less than stopping at convenience stores.  The price per unit at membership clubs is almost half what the price per unit at convenience stores is (where most people get their snacks).  Also, note that so when you return the car, stop at the membership club if they have gas and refuel the car there.  Sam's clubs are usually the cheapest gas around.  We don't do the road trip part, but we travel regularly to another city (my spouse has a specialist doctor that we have to see several times a year) and we usually stop at the Sam's Club when we get to town to save a lot on what we'll need while there.

Do a little research of your route.  Look for buffets and restaurants that advertise days that kids eat free.  For instance we know that on our route to this other city that some restaurants always have kids eat free and others that only do it on certain days.  We plan travel and stops around the places where we can eat as a family cheaper with kids' discounts.

Second the gas buddy app.  Get it and figure out where the gas is cheapest along your route.  Always stop and top off at the cheaper stations.

Check to see if the state you are visiting has entertainment coupon books on-line.  Years ago, when we went to Hawaii for our honeymoon, I found an Entertainment book on e-bay for about $25.  We used several of the coupons in the book over two weeks and saved about $200.

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