*This is a sponsored post for AutoZone*

My family has been road tripping a lot the past few months. First we headed to Tennessee to vacation in the Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg, TN. This was a 13 hour car trip for us with stops! Next we headed to Kansas City to meet family for a few days which is just a four hour drive up the road.

Next month we are headed to Iowa which is a 9 hour drive. We usually go to the beach once a year or every other year which ends up being anywhere between 13 and 15 hours with stops. I’d say we’re pretty good at this road trip thing.

I wanted to share a few Road Trip Tips with you today that I do in preparation for our Road Trips.

Tips for Your Next Road Trip

Leave with a Clean Car

A clean car to me is a happy car. Wash your car at the car wash or give it a quick scrub down at home before you leave. When I was at AutoZone grabbing a few things for our Road Trip I saw this great deal! You could get a bucket and the other 6 items shown here for $20 (promotions may vary). You saved over $16 if you had bought them separately!

You can also save $5 off your purchase of $25 or more at AutoZone valid now through 8/2/16. Just go to the link and get your savings!

Save $5 at AutoZone

The last time we washed our car in the driveway I got my kids involved and they did a great job on the lower parts of the car while I washed the upper parts. It saved me time and allowed them to earn some spending money for the trip! Plus they told me it was so fun, they wanted to do it again soon. I let them spray the hose a lot so that made it fun for them!

Get your Car Checked out at AutoZone

Did you know your local AutoZone can give your car a complete starting and charging systems test in-store? This is a great idea before you leave on vacation just to give you peace of mind.

All you have to do is go to your local AutoZone and tell them you’re going on a road trip and would like to have them do their free systems test. It’s quick and easy.

Put an Atlas or a State Map in your Car

I know most of us depend on the GPS, Google Maps, On-Star or something similar to these for directions, but there are times when that good old paper map is just what you need. Plus, kids love seeing where you’re going. It’s good for kids to understand roads & directions and this is a good way to teach them about it.

I got my Dad this Atlas for his birthday. He loves using a good Atlas to look up landmarks and his travel route when he goes on a Road Trip.  Plus, it’s a good idea to have one in case one of our electronic devices isn’t working that we depend on so heavily for directions while traveling.

Use a Car Organizer

We keep a small cube in between the bucket seats in the car for the kid’s headphones, extra headphone batteries, DVDs, hand wipes, books, coloring books, crayons, etc. It helps keep things organized and is easy for the kids to access.

We also keep a few old plastic grocery sacks in the door of the car for trash, that way when we stop for gas we have all the trash collected and can just dump it there which helps keep the car cleaned out along the way and we don’t have a huge mess when we arrive at our destination.

Take Extra Car Keys

If you’ve ever been locked out of your car, you’ll appreciate having an extra key along. My husband and I both have a set of car keys, so we both take our sets along just in case we lock one set in the car.

Get Cash and Coins

I have forgotten several times when we’ve gone on road trips to get cash and coins for the trip. If you’re traveling on any toll roads this will save you time by having the correct change so that you don’t have to wait in lines to pay by card.

If you are like me and don’t like to keep up with tons of receipts from your trip for gas, eating out, and any purchases you make, you may like using cash for some of your smaller purchases to cut down on the total number of receipts. I like to use cash for things under $20 on trips and this really helps with the receipt clutter.

Purchase Snacks Before you Leave

I used to try and think we didn’t need to take snacks along in the car (meaning candy, chocolate and soda). I would want to eat healthy and have little or no snacking. Needless to say there is something about a road trip for us that is fun for having a few treats we don’t normally keep in the house. I would end up buying snacks at gas stations and spending way more money than if I’d just gotten a few things at the grocery store before we left. I’ve now learned I save a lot of money by getting a few of our favorite treats prior to leaving and this eliminates gas station food and drink purchases.

Take your Insurance Card and Auto Registration

I’ve gotten a ticket before for accidentally not putting those items in my glove box and leaving them at home. Another way to waste money! The worst is when you have it, just not in the right place!

Take Power Cords

If you are using a cell phone on your trip, make sure you have all your charging cords. I found this dual USB car charger at AutoZone so we can charge both of our phones at the same time.

We also bought a power inverter about a year ago and has been one of the best purchases we’ve made. There are times when either my husband or myself needs to work in the car and we both work on computers so the passenger can hook their laptop up to the inverter and use power that way instead of running the battery out.

GIVEAWAY: Now that you’ve given some thought into your next Road Trip, you can enter to win a $100 AutoZone Gift Card! Here’s how you can enter to win:

Comment – Leave a comment and share why you shop at AutoZone for a chance to win! Also, you can get a bonus entry by liking AutoZone’s Facebook Page. Just add a second comment letting me know you liked their page.

All Giveaways will end at 3:00 pm EST on 8/2/16. Winners will be selected at Random and notified by email. You will have 48 hours to respond to the email to claim your prize. I received compensation for hosting this giveaway from AutoZone, however all reviews and opinions are mine and are not influenced by receipt of product. Others may have a different experience. Open Only to US Residents age 18 or Older. Alternative Entry Method: Mail a 3×5 Card with your Name, Address and Phone Number to P.O. Box 8622, Springdale, AR 72762. Entry must be received by 8/1/16. Void where prohibited & Not Valid in All States.

This post is brought to you by AutoZone; the opinions are all mine.