We’re going on a nearly two-week long camping road trip, and there is simply no way that I could stay organized without having a planning folder. In a day of digital technology, I could just keep track of everything with a great app like TripIt on my smartphone, but I’d rather be prepared for the worst that could happen: my phone could die, fall in the lake, there could be no signal or no internet available to me.

So here’s our Road Trip/Camping Planning Folder.

Key Things in My Folder:

1. Restaurant vouchers and gift certificates (ie. Groupon, Living Social, Restaurant.com vouchers, and Valpak Coupons).
2. Directions to each place we are visiting (just in case the GPS fails).
3. Lodging confirmations and receipts.
4. Crafts, creative ideas and coloring pages for the kids to do while we are in the car.
5. Our meal plan for the entire trip. In order to save money, I’m trying to plan out our stops, and the meals we will make while at the campgrounds.

Keeping this planning folder is just a way to take out  a little of the stress. While I am one to enjoy taking a side road, and enjoying a spur of the moment stop to see something neat along the way, I do know that things will go easier (and cheaper!) with a plan.

What are some of your tips for preparing for a road trip? Do you keep a planning folder, or are you just a “wing-it” kind of person? 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.