We have some awesome big lap savings in this post. Having been on the road full-time since June 2023, we’ve compiled a list of smart saving ideas and tips from our own experiences, plus, from Facebook Group members. The tips are designed to maximise your budget and help you travel further.
If you are doing the Big Lap of Oz for a set amount of time or are on the road with no end date in mind, these tips may keep you on the road longer.
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Cost-Saving Tips, Tricks And Hacks For The Big Lap
- Make your own meals from scratch rather than eating out.
- Cook more than you need so you have leftovers.
- On a travel day, reheat your leftovers.
- Have a decent-sized fridge so you can store your leftovers.
- When you cook or steam veggies, always use a lid; the food will cook quickly, and you’ll conserve energy.
- When you get to a new town, buy your fuel from servos in the side streets. Use a fuel app to find the cheapest fuel. I have Petrol Spy on my phone, and Kev has Fuel Map Australia on his phone.
- Don’t buy fuel from the first servo you see they are always dearer.
8. Use the Campedia, Camps Australia or Wikicamps app to find camps between towns; any track leading off the highway will take you to places suitable to sleep without road noise.
9. Get to know your solar set-up and your daily power needs. Also, have your vehicle set up with a good solar set-up. A DC-to-DC charger and a properly sized portable solar panel will solve most power consumption needs.
10. Portable panels are an excellent bit of kit because you can park out of the sun and keep your vehicle cool while charging if needed. You can also “track the sun” with the panel to get more “solar hours” in the day, especially in winter when the sun sits lower in the sky.
11. On extremely hot days, aim to travel early to take advantage of the cooler temperatures, which are gentler on your vehicle and can also improve fuel efficiency.
12. On days when the heat is intense and your destination isn’t very far, hold off on leaving until 10-11 am, using the air conditioning while driving in the peak heat, when you park the van to catch some shade and angle the door to welcome the morning breeze when possible.
13. You can find drinking water from Information Centres. We’ve also seen showers in Information Centres you can use.
14. If all else fails for water, every town has a cemetery, and every cemetery has a tap.
15. To ensure you have access to additional power when you need it, reserve a spot at a
16. Where possible, buy a National Park Pass; it is way cheaper than pay-as-you-go.
17. Discover how to incorporate lentils and chickpeas into your meals (if you haven’t already) to create extremely delicious and healthy dishes at a negligible cost of just under $1 per serving. Lentils enable you to condense significant nutrients into a small space.
18. Drive with your windows rolled up – it’s more fuel-efficient. If you find it a tad warm, consider using a mist spray filled with water and a few drops of essential oil to spritz yourself as needed. It’s an effective way to cool down; the essential oils will refresh you.
19. When you’re packing, get creative. Many Lappers carry loads of stuff they never touch or use. This only adds to fuel costs per kilometre. If an object doesn’t serve several purposes, it likely isn’t worth taking along. You can use the dot method to monitor what you use. Put a dot on every item before you leave, then remove it when you use it. If you still have dots on things after 6 months, you will likely never use them. Donate it, sell it or send it home.
20. Offering quality coffee and homemade food can be a great way to generate income at a parking bay or campsite in secluded areas.
21. Develop your existing skills or train and develop a few basic ones to use when travelling. Hair, massage and beauty skills are useful skills. If you’re near a major tourist spot or national park, pet sitting for the day can generate income.
22. Before you leave, ensure your vehicle receives a complete service. This should include changing the engine, transmission, and differential oil, opting for at least semi-synthetic oil. The primary reason for vehicle problems is the breakdown of lubricants due to the heat from the road during long drives.
23. Choose dried food rather than canned for your trip. With proper planning, you can begin pre-soaking your dinner in the morning, even using cold water. The food will soften throughout the day, making it quicker to cook later and saving you gas.
24. When it’s cold, take a mink blanket with you to sleep on, not underneath it. This ‘Mink’ fabric is a mix of acrylic and polyester. Polyester gives it a wrinkle-resistant quality, and acrylic makes it soft.
25. Travel slowly where possible, take your time and don’t rush more than necessary. The more you explore an area thoroughly, the more discoveries you can make with the least fuel consumption over a week.
26. Prepare your meals in advance by cooking them beforehand, then place them into vacuum-sealed bags to store them in your freezer. I definitely prepare at least a week of meals for your freezer before you head off. This saves time and ensures you have ready-to-eat meals available whenever needed. Just heat the meals when you’re ready to eat, and you’ll have delicious food without the daily hassle of cooking. It will save you money, so you won’t be tempted to buy takeaways.
27. Use a laundromat instead of staying at a
28. Visit the information centres in each town. They are mostly staffed by locals who will ask what interests you and then suggest places to see and activities to suit you.
29. Purchasing seasonal produce and inexpensive meat we’ve discovered in the outback of Queensland—significantly more affordable than in New South Wales—enables us to vacuum-seal and freeze for savings.
30. Often, a restaurant feed of fish and chips is enough to feed 2 for a light meal.
31. Buy your alcohol in major towns before you get to remote areas, as they will be more expensive.
32. Boil extra water in the morning for our daily coffee and tea, keeping it hot in a thermos. This helps save both time and money instead of purchasing takeaways.
33. When reheating vacuum-packed leftovers, fill a frying pan with water and use it to heat the food. This method reduces cleanup. After finishing the meal, use boiling water to wash the plates.
34. Plan your days’ travel, choosing all your stops to identify where you can find the most affordable fuel.
35. Wash small loads of laundry with the bucket-and-lid method. It works by agitation while you’re driving. Once you’ve reached your destination, give them a rinse. This method can save you trips to the laundromat. Just use a bit of Softly liquid wool wash — it doesn’t require rinsing.
36. Whenever you have the chance, slow down. Take a little more time and enjoy some free camping. Opt for low-cost or complimentary activities and sights. Aim for as much free camping as you can.
37. Enjoy dining out occasionally as a special treat. Initially, we fell into not eating breakfast, and then when we were out exploring, we’d be hungry and stop for something to eat.
38. Prepare your lunch in the morning before travelling, whether travelling to another destination or spending the day out. This will save you a significant amount of money and time.
38. When planning your travel, it’s advisable to avoid headwinds if possible. If you can delay your trip until the weather is suitable, it will save you money on fuel.
39. Search for ‘Free things to do’ in each town and start with those. If time allows, consider moving on to activities with a cost. Alternatively, decide on just one paid activity in each location.
40. In an insulated lunch bag, pack coffee sachets, tea bags, and hot chocolate packets alongside your large thermos and keep cups. At $6 a coffee, the cost sure adds up fast!
41. Set a weekly budget for yourself. If you have a fixed income, it prevents you from overspending. Utilise the “Travel Spend” app, a budgeting tool, to track your expenditures. Logging each transaction and monitoring your weekly financial status with this app is incredibly useful.
42. Join the various
43. Stay at showgrounds can be more affordable than
44. If you are a senior – ask for a senior’s price everywhere! You will be pleasantly surprised by how much you can save.
45. Roadside stalls in every state of Australia have some good cheap fruit and veggies. They are in season and homegrown. You can’t get much fresher than buying directly from the farmer.
46. Two meals per day – we only eat lunch and dinner twice a day. We do this for health reasons. Fasting is great for you, plus you are saving money!
47. Campedia, Camps Australia, and Wiki Camps are your best friends; they show you free camps, water points, dump points and great attractions and points of interest.
48. Are you tired of finding spider webs on your vehicle? Try this: take a 250ml spray bottle, fill it with 220ml of water, and 30ml of metholated spirits, and add about twelve drops of peppermint essential oil. Make sure to shake the bottle to mix well. Spray the mixture on your vehicle; you should be spider-web-free for months.
49. This works for some people – Taking B Complex vitamins consistently can deter mosquitoes and midgies from making you their primary target and meal for the day.
50. Bring an LED light with you. As sunset approaches, place it on the ground, pointing up towards the sky, a few meters away from your van with the door ajar. After 10 minutes, shut the doors and switch off the light, and you’ll enjoy a bug-free night’s sleep.
51. One Pot Wonders (OPW’s) provide an affordable way of cooking. With some creativity, you can whip up some truly amazing dishes using just one pot.
52. The best value for money comes from purchasing “base staples” like dried foods. Lentils, chickpeas, rice and pasta are the top items for saving space.
52. Do you love toast but don’t have a toaster on hand? Butter lightly and toast each side of your bread in a frying pan. You can even whip up toasted sandwiches: butter one side of each slice, use them as the ‘inside’ pieces, fill with your toppings, then butter the outer sides and toast everything like a sandwich.
54. Depending on the size of your stove, if you use two pots, you can frequently place a small pot between them to warm up water using the heat that would usually go to waste.
55. If you don’t have a cooler but need to chill something temporarily, wrap it in a towel and place it in your bed. The insulation will keep it cool, perfect for when you’ve purchased meat in the morning that you plan to cook for dinner.
56. Some vegetables are more road trip friendly than others. Cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers don’t require special storage and will keep well for several days. If the cut cabbage looks a little grey on the cut area, trim the affected area, and it’s still fine to eat.
57. Finely shredded cabbage creates a tastier salad sandwich than lettuce and stays fresh much longer.
58. Cooking rice on the go is easy and doesn’t require a rice cooker. Place your dry rice into a pot and rinse with extra water if available. Cover it with 25mm of cold water regardless of the amount of rice. Heat over the highest temperature until steam pockets form. When holes outnumber bubbles, switch to medium heat until scarcely any bubbles remain. Then, promptly secure the lid and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. In 5 minutes, you’ll enjoy perfectly steamed rice.
59. Mix in some stock powder and assorted vegetables right at the start when preparing rice. This simple addition transforms the dish into a flavorful one-pot wonder, all in under 12 minutes.
60. Once you’ve finished cooking, place a large pot of water on the unlit stove; the residual heat will help warm the water for dishwashing. Wash the dishes in the biggest pot you have cooked with. The great advantage is that if the water cools down, you can easily heat it again by lighting the stove underneath.
61. Ensure your knives are sharp; a well-honed blade will do most of the work, significantly lowering the risk of cutting yourself.
62. Ziploc bags are ideal for storing leftovers because they can fit into spots in your fridge where containers can’t.
Tips For Your Rig
63. Always carry a compressor and a tire repair kit, and make sure you know how to use them.
64. Have you bought a new or new car to you before your trip? Make sure you know where the jack and spare tyre are located. Do a dummy run to change a tyre. Some tyres are underneath the car and are tricky to access. The last thing you need is to get a flat on a sandy 4WD track and have to use everything for the first time. Ask me how I know this! 🙂
65. Always have a basic tool kit and specific spare parts for your vehicle on hand. Even if you’re unsure how to use them, having these tools increases the likelihood that someone else can assist you if necessary. Consider including spark plugs, a distributor cap, a rotor for petrol engines, spare fuel filters for diesel, various hose clamps, extra bulbs, as well as backup engine oil and coolant concentrate among your essentials.
66. Let the tyres down if you’re heading off the blacktop. It will ease the strain on your suspension and make the ride smoother for you. For “light truck” tyres, a pressure of around 250 kPa works well on dirt roads, and 140 kPa is suitable for sandy terrain. However, for highway driving, it inflates to approximately 385 kPa. But remember, it’s crucial to check the sidewall of your particular tyres to determine the “maximum” recommended pressure.
67. Never let your engine idle in the morning to warm it up; it harms the engine due to insufficient lubrication. Start the car and drive off immediately, but go easy for the first 2 or 3 kilometres.
68. Insulation material known as Air Cell works wonders as window panels to block out heat when parked. Often, if you approach builders politely, they’ll give you free offcuts as a bonus.
69. Heat is the number one enemy of vehicles. Keep an eye on the day’s temperature, roll down the windows often, and give your car a chance to cool down if you start to feel warm.
70. It might seem odd, but carrying a small can of tomato paste concentrate with you is a good idea. If your radiator hose gives out in a pinch, the can is just the right size to fashion a makeshift repair and allow you to reach the nearest town or service station.
71. If your journey stops and the engine won’t start, don’t panic. Consider it a minor interruption rather than the conclusion of your trip. Maintaining composure is crucial for survival in our demanding surroundings. Rest assured, assistance will eventually come your way.
Creature Comforts
72. Should you find yourself in extremely cold weather, seek shelter under a bridge, as doing so can significantly enhance your comfort.
73. In chilly weather, wear a fresh pair of clean socks before bed to keep your feet warm.
74. If you own a fridge featuring a compact freezer compartment and are fond of cold drinks, consider freezing roughly 150ml of water in a 500ml bottle positioned on its side. Whenever you’re in the mood for a refreshing drink, top it off, give it a quick shake for about a minute, and savour the coolness. A single bottle can typically provide 2-3 litres of pleasantly cold water throughout the day without consuming much valuable space in your freezer or fridge.
75. Don’t be a slave to anyone else’s values, likes and dislikes; if they don’t like how you live, they can move camping spots, or you can!
76. Aim to be off the road by 3 PM on hot days and find a shaded spot to park. This allows your rig and van to cool down by nightfall, ensuring you can sleep comfortably.
Staying Sane Long Term On The Road
77. Learn to observe, not merely glance; learn to understand, not just hear. Immerse yourself in your environment. The deeper your connection with nature, the more remarkable it becomes and the less boredom and loneliness you’ll experience when traveling alone.
78. Exercise daily and take walks. It benefits both your physical and mental health.
79. Let your instincts guide you – if it feels right, do it; if not, try something different. Remember, life is an adventure, so embrace it fully!
80. If you’re a social butterfly, feel free to socialise when invited or host your own happy hour. However, if you prefer the tranquillity of solitude and find others overbearing, don’t be swayed into thinking you’re in the wrong simply for being true to your nature.
81. Trust your instincts; they won’t deceive you. If you feel safe in your gut but doubt it in your head or heart, quiet those thoughts and relish your camping experience. Should your instincts suggest you move elsewhere, listen to that intuition.
82. Live life on your own terms, always.
Final Thoughts
We hope you find the hints and tips helpful for your trip around Australia. What other tips do you have for other caravanners and campers travelling around Australia?
Planning A Lap of Australia?
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With years of experience travelling Australia in a caravan, I’m passionate about helping others embark on their own unforgettable adventures. From off-grid camping tips to expert advice on planning the ultimate big lap of Australia, I share stories, practical hacks, and inspiration to make your journey stress-free and exciting. Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or just starting out, join me as I explore the beauty of Australia, one road at a time!
