This post was sponsored by State Farm®. Even though up here in the Northeast winter is still very much here, I am starting to feel the sun getting stronger, and with each passing storm the subsequent snow is melting much quicker than before. Still, it’s this time of year when many of us, me included, start to crave proper warmth and sunnier climes — aka the perfect time to plan a sun-soaked road trip! I teamed up with my friends at State Farm to write this blog post about what you should consider when planning your road trip. State Farm also has tons of saving and budgeting resources on their Let’s Start Today website to help your road trip go financially smooth. Whether you are going to plan to drive through Florida this spring or are planning for a summer road trip through a national park, you should check out my tips below to ensure it’s a make-you-smile style trip!
1. The Essential Road Trip Kit
Before you head off, make sure to check out my essential road trip kit. These are all the things I pack for a summer road trip:
o Backpack
o Sunglasses
o Water bottle
o Camera
o SD card reader
o Bat and ball
o Hand cream
o Sun cream
o Mints
o Wipes
o Toilet paper
o Tissues
o Bug spray
o Flashlight
o Phone charger
o Umbrella
o Hand sanitizer
o Medication
o Disposable toothbrush
o Snacks
o Garbage bag
o Charging cable
o Phone holster
o Sunshield
2. Saving & Budgeting
Before setting off it’s a good idea to save for your trip and plan your budget. I know, this can be one of the trickiest areas as it can be hard to know exactly what you’re going to need money for once you hit the road. Math has never been my area of expertise, but luckily State Farm is here to help. I found this information on budgeting for your goals and aspirations very helpful. If you’re in the market for a new car to take on your road trip, you may also find these auto calculators helpful for answering your car finance questions.
If you are going to take a road trip with your significant other, State Farm also has tips for handling finances as a couple — super useful as no-one wants to start a road trip with an argument, right?!
3. Playlists
No road trip is complete without a good playlist, so I’ve linked to some of my current favorites below:
– Chill vibes
– Summer throwbacks
– My current favorite musical soundtrack
– Sing-a-long tracks
4. Exercise
You may have seen that last December I started a new workout routine and overhauled my approach to eating and my diet. One thing I have tried really hard to do is to keep on track with my exercise goals even when I travel. From your messages on Instagram I know that this is something many of you struggle with — I hear ya! With that in mind, I thought it would be useful to share a mini workout routine that I do when I’m on the road and don’t have any exercise equipment. Remember, you can also check out the Fitness IG Story highlight in my bio to see more of my fitness content! Make sure you always warm up well, know your limits and also how to do exercises properly — get professional advice if you need it, and consult a doctor before undergoing any kind of exercise.
Stretches & Warm Up
– 20 x Jumping Jacks
– 20 x High Knees
– 20 x Mountain Climbers
Exercises
Three to four rounds of:
– 20 x Squats (if you have something heavy around like a bag/canned food you can use these for extra work)
– 20 x Push-ups (on knees if you have to)
– 20 x Triceps dips
– 20 x V ups (with a weight such as small bag, large bottle of water etc.)
– 15 x Burpees with a tuck jump
After, I warm down and stretch my whole body.
5. Know What to Do If the Worst Happens
I really hope that you don’t have a breakdown, or worse, get in a car crash. However, planning for what to do should the worst happen will likely ease stress at the time and help you get back on track more quickly. What I’ve learned from breaking down a few times is that it’s really important to understand your insurance coverage. It’s also good idea to always keep detailed insurance information like policy/reference numbers, call center numbers, etc. in your car at all times just in case you need it. A lot of insurance companies offer emergency road service coverage, and also some credit cards do too, so that’s something to look into before you leave. In addition to understanding your coverage, it’s a good idea to think through various on-the-go scenarios so you feel prepped – this article from State Farm on how to deal with parking lot accidents is just one example.
I hope that was helpful. Wishing you a safe, fun and colorful road trip!
This post was sponsored by State Farm – Here to help life go right.®
12 Comments
Yes yes yes! Love this post Will, can’t help looking forward to Summer road trips in the depths of Winter!
Happy Monday!
Michael
https://www.mileinmyglasses.com
@Michael – Right? Dreaming of summer days on the open road is what keeps us going!
Nice post Will. Great advice and I’m always blown away by how you find these amazing spots to shoot at.
@Ryan – Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Love that you included exercise advice because I travel all the time for my job and never know what I can do to try and stay healthy while travelling.
Also, I want your floaties! 😉 lol
@Samuel – So glad that was helpful for you. Safe travels!
Thanks for linking to that article on couples finances. Let’s just say it was timely and, um, needed…!
Have a great week Will.
Jess
@Jess – Glad it was helpful!
This post has been craving a road trip RN!!! Preferably to somewhere sunny like this. Ready for summer to arrive already!!
@Austin – Take me with you!
Hi Will…a helpful, informative and colorful blog post as always…keep it up!
@Ian – So kind! Thanks for the encouragement!