Holiday Travel: Saving Money On The Way To Grandma's House-Part 3by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 09 Dec 2006 12:59 AM Holidays are expensive enough without having to deal with exorbitant gas prices. Whether you are traveling across the state or across the country to get to grandma's house this holiday season it's always a good idea to plan for emergencies. In keeping with "Holiday Travel" blog tradition (click here to see what you have missed so far) here are more tips on how to get to a loved one's house with money in your wallet and your sanity intact: Don't Forget The Mustard Four months ago I was driving to our playgroup's picnic when I realized (one exit shy of the park) that I had forgot to pack a bottle of mustard. It was my only contribution to the potluck lunch (besides a relish tray and ketchup) so I was forced to pull into a gas station convenience store to grab a bottle. If you are on a budget, it's not where you want to be buying mustard. I paid twice as much for a couple ounces of the yellow stuff and kicked myself all the way to the cash register. The morale: check, check, and recheck your supplies prior to pulling out of your driveway. Let's face it; with margins on gas taking a hit, gas stations are being forced to generate revenue from their convenience stores. In fact, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores, in 2005 "gross margins for in-store sales were 30%, while the margin on fuel was 7.2%." Simply put, most of the items on convenience store shelves are overpriced (save for those expired Ho-Ho's that are 3 for 99 cents). As for popular beverages, according to a study conducted by a convenience store retailing firm, you'll pay more for a 20-ounce soda at a gas station than you would for a 2-liter bottle in a supermarket, but far worse, the firm found "the average price for a liter of water at pump side marts in 2005 was $1.24, a markup of 55% over wholesale; and energy drinks cost 50% over wholesale." Get Your Vehicle Checked Before You Hit The Road Gone are the days that you could pull into any ol' gas station and receive advice from a skilled mechanic should your vehicle act up on the way to grandma's. Car lifts have been replaced with car washes, and the chances you'll be able to find anything more than a tire gauge (if that) at a local gas station are pretty slim. It's a good idea to take your car in for a tune-up prior to hitting the highway. According to the California Service Station and Automotive Repair Association, many service stations eliminated their repair shops because potential liability from a fix-it job gone wrong is a risk many station owners don't want to deal with. Related Articles: Holiday Travel: How To Save Money On The Way To Grandma's House--Part 2 Holiday Travel: How To Save Money On The Way To Grandma's House Winter Driving---Tips On How To Navigate Through Treacherous Travel Conditions Preparing For Your Road Trip: Part 1 Preparing For Your Road Trip: Part 3 The Gas Pill-Will It Really Relieve The Pain At The Pump? Pop Quiz: Test Your Fuel Savings IQ Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags driving, family travel, holiday driving, holiday travel tips, Travel Discuss this article
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