Frugality on Wheels: How Save Money While Traveling for Work

During the day I work as a systems administrator for the state of South Dakota. As part of providing support for a dozen different locations, I get to do my fair share of traveling. This week I did over 800 miles of driving alone. Traveling for work can be a losing proposition if you're not careful. Eating out all of the time, staying in a hotel, snacking on the road, takes it's toll, physically, psychologically, and in your wallet. If you travel a lot for work, here are some tried and true methods to save money when you're on the road for work.

Mileage or a Company Vehicle - Many individuals who travel for work have the option of taking their own car and getting paid a certain amount of money for every mile they drive, or just taking a company vehicle. Take the time and figure out whether or not the mileage compensation is worth the gas costs, oil costs, and depreciation of your vehicle. In many cases it is especially when it comes to smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles. There are however some cases that you could be paying for the privilege of using your own vehicle, which you definitely do not want to do!

Bring a Cooler - Many people have a terrible habit of snacking themselves into diabetes while traveling on the road. There are people who drink 5 or 6 soda's a day, eat several candy bars and bags of chips while on the road. This is a very expensive habit, both financially and to your health. Instead bring a long a cooler full of snacks for the road. Be sure to include some healthy things to eat, such as fruits and vegetables. You're probably eating enough junk food on your trip anyway, so make a positive decision for your diet while on the road.

Lodging - Most companies will reimburse you for your lodging. Some of them will even pay you when you don't stay at a motel. If you work at a company that pays you a set amount for lodging, you can cash in here. Use sites such as Priceline.com and Hotels.com to get yourself the best rate on a hotel room. Often times you can come out well ahead if you can find a good deal. If you know someone in the area and can stay at their house, you come out ahead even greater. If you do stay in a hotel room, chances are your company won't pay for room service or movies purchased from the TV, so avoid them! Bring your laptop computer and a few DVD's if you need some entertainment.

Entertainment - If you're gone for more than a few days for work, chances are you'll have some free time at night to take in the town. This can add up really quickly if you're not careful. If you visit all of the fancy restaurants and go to all of the locations that tourists commonly go, you're going to spend quite a bit of money. Before traveling, look at the website for the city you are traveling to. Chances are they'll have an events calendar with lots of inexpensive or free entertainment options.

Buy Groceries When Appropriate - If you're going to be somewhere for more than a few days, go to a grocery store and buy some basic food items. Don't go out to eat for every meal, that gets very expensive very quickly!

Even if your company is paying you cash for your expenses while on vacation, that doesn't mean you have to spend it all. If you're frugal and watch what you're doing, you can often come back with a bonus in addition to your normal salary!