Planning a summer road trip this year? Do movies like RV and Family Vacation not scare you from the adventures that could await you on your cross country trek? Before you go, make sure you check off these top 23 travel tips.
Look at maps and plan your route. There are many great online maps that do a HYBRID map view showing real streets and routes with satalite images. Knowing the location, and how it looks, by viewing it from space is both cool and very helpful, so you won’t get lost.
Research the roads you’ll take. You’ll especially want to know if you’ll be traveling through areas of major road construction. The maps mentioned above are a little dated. Some new roads and maps will not have current, realtime data, bring physical maps, like ones you could buy from AAA along.
Make estimates of travel times along the route, so you’ll have an idea when you’ll be at certain points on your trip. This will help you to plan rest and meal stops. It will also help you plan to avoid traveling through a major city or area of road construction during rush hour.
Get the car checked, especially the filters, belts, fluid levels and have the oil changed. Don’t wait until the last minute, it may take time to get an appointment and parts may need to be ordered. You also want some time to drive around town and make sure that whatever they fixed stays fixed. If you vehicle is ‘mission critical’ and could die at any moment, DON’T take it with you, borrow a friends car instead.
Check the condition of your wiper blades, both front and back windows.
Check the operation of your turn signals, brake lights as well as the high and low beams. Bring some extra fuses along.
Examine the tread on your tires. Consider mountain driving in winter conditinos on snowy peaks. Make sure you have chains or 4×4 traction for icey roads, out of season. Or try a different route.
Make sure your car is prepared for the weather it will encounter on your trip. You might need more antifreeze or need to recharged air-conditioning when you go through the desert.
Today, many cars have fancy wheels instead of hubcaps. These wheels usually have a lock to prevent them from being stolen. If you have a car with wheel locks, make sure you know where the key is stored (often with the jack). Otherwise, a flat tire will become a major problem since you won’t be able to get the wheel off the car.
Get your car cleaned. You’ll feel better in a clean car.
Pack an emergency kit in your car. Include motion sickness medication if anyone in your group suffers from it. Remove any items from the car that you won’t need on your trip. Bring some blankets.
Prepare some on road entertainment for your trip. Include games and CDs of music and/or audio books. Portable DVD players are really inexpensive and help pass the time in dead spots where where is nothing new to see.
Check your plates, registration and insurance information to make sure they are all valid. Be sure to place your insurance company’s emergency contact number in your car.
Check with all the drivers in your party to make sure their driver’s licenses haven’t expired.
Check your insurance for expiration dates and coverage for your automobile.
Arrange for someone to start your other car, if you leave one home, during very cold or very hot weather.
Fill the car with gas before you pack the car so all the fumes won’t bother your passengers. Check the fluid levels and tire pressure, your tire pressure will affect the ride and gas mileage you get on your trip.
Pack the car inside the garage, with the door down, so people driving by won’t find out you’re leaving.
Overall, enjoy the road trip. It’s not going to be as crazy as Clark W Grizwold’s family vacation experiences, and if it is, make sure you video it and put it up on You Tube!

Too often, people plunge into the decision to buy a house without thinking about long-term changes it will make to their life. There’s a right time to buy a house, and this points not just to financial readiness but also to emotional readiness. Going through a simple home-buying readiness checklist can help you determine whether you’re ready for this or not.Item #1: Have you checked your finances recently?
Financial readiness is obviously at the top of the list because no matter how emotionally or mentally prepared you are to buy a home, being able to afford it is still going to be a major consideration. Are you financially ready to buy a house? Take a look at how much you owe versus how much you make. Take a look at your financial status at the end of the month. Do you always end up short on money no matter how much money you make? Try to really look at your spending habits and see if you have a problem in that area. If you’re not sure how to determine that, list down all the things you spend money on every day and see where the money trail leads you. People who have not confronted their money problems usually have a hard time making monthly mortgage payments.Item #2: Have you decided where to look for a house yet?
Let’s say for example that you are thinking of buying South Charlotte real estate. Looking for a house that fits your requirements starts with finding the right neighborhood. Checking out South Charlotte homes for sale in a neighborhood that has good schools, is close to police and fire stations, and has good, accessible roads is a great start.Item #3: Have you gotten preapproved for a loan yet?
Getting preapproval for a loan is important because you need to know whether you are financially qualified for a loan. It is not an ironclad agreement between you and the lender. Not just yet. But it would give you an edge in terms of negotiations, and you’d want that when you find a property you want to make an offer on.Item #4: Have you thought about ongoing costs?
There are a lot of ongoing costs for home owners. Have you factored that into your future budget? Some people who have rented a house prior to owning one have no idea what things they would probably need to prepare money for in terms of ongoing maintenance for the house. It would be useful if you talked to family and friends who own a house and ask them what their usual ongoing costs are aside from insurance.Item #5: Have you saved enough for all upfront costs?
The biggest of all upfront costs you probably have to deal with is the downpayment, but aside from that, there’s also a host of other closing costs that you need to factor in to your savings plan. Lenders will give you a good faith estimate of how much you can prepare for the closing costs but it’s always advisable to save more than that to give you breathing room in case some costs go up and you need to cough up some extra cash.
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