One of the things that really has helped us save money on our camping road trip, was that I planned meals ahead of time and made many of them the week before we left. Here’s what went into our cooler:

• 6 cups frozen rice
• 3 bags frozen homemade sloppy joe mix
• 3 bags of frozen browned ground venison
• 4 pounds of cut/sliced cheddar cheese
• 3 gallons of watermelon (this we ate on the first stretch of our trip)
• 5 lbs of frozen organic vegetables
• 1 bag of fresh green beans from the farmers market
• 6 eggs
• 1 gallon of milk
• Strawberry preserves
• Homemade pancake mix
• Frozen hot dogs
• Frozen chicken sausages
• Fresh cut up squash and zucchini
• Chicken salad.
• Real Lemon juice (I froze it to keep things cooler longer)

And of course I also planned ahead for some stops to use daily deal vouchers, and Valpak coupons. Actually our Valpak phone app has been a lifesaver. I’ve been able to find quick coupons to use at local restaurants to save us money for spur of the moment, “we need food now” stops.

This salad was wonderful, and we used a buy one entree get one half off Valpak coupon at the Holy Cow Pub & Grill. The waitress was so nice, and even let us use the coupon twice so that we got two half-priced entrees!

You can see more of what went into planning, and some of the dry foods we packed on the Camping Checklist.

What are some of your tips for meal planning for a road trip and/or camping trip? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Valpak is my awesome partner for our family road trip. They have great coupons that you can find by location online, and even with a smart phone app. Be sure to visit their website here. All my opinions regarding my partner Valpak are my own.