Thank you Walmart+ for sponsoring this post. 

Being a family of 5 means plane rides aren't exactly frequent. Plus we're lucky enough to live within driving distance of several beaches. Basically, we road trip all year long and especially in the summer. Over the years, we've come to realize preparation can make or break a road trip. With gas prices sky high, it makes our trips even more precious (!) so I'm sharing some road trip must-haves that make the trip run smoothly plus one way to save on gas this summer.

I've said before that Walmart+ makes life easier with its free grocery delivery and free shipping with no order minimum (excludes most Marketplace items, location and freight surcharges), but one thing I didn't mention was the fuel savings. W+ members now have access to fuel discounts at over 14,000 fuel stations nationwide! And W+ members can save up to 10 cents per gallon at Exxon, Mobil, and select Murphy gas stations.* When gas is upwards of $5/gallon, every little bit helps! I hadn't used this benefit yet but once our gas spending nearly doubled, I was happy to try it out- it was very simple! Just head to any Walmart, Murphy, or ExxonMobil station, sign into your W+ account in the Walmart app, follow the instructions, and begin fueling. Done! You can sign up for a Walmart+ membership here!

*Fuel discount varies by location and statin, subject to change."

Road Trip Must-Haves

After saving on gas, the rest is easy! Here are some road trip must-haves that keep our road trips fun and drama free. Fine, mostly drama-free.

1. Soft Cooler Bag- We realized pretty quickly that stopping for food is expensive, takes a lot of time, and often leaves us all feeling greasy and gross. Now we pack a bunch of fruit, sandwiches, luncheables, and some light snack foods.

2. Car DVD player with dual screens- We don't have a TV/DVD player in our car on purpose, but a screen comes in handy on road trips. The kids use their iPads too but looking straight ahead helps with car sickness and I like that it's more of a shared experience than iPads. I can probably recite Trolls in its entirety thanks to our road trip movie sessions. 

3. Rubber Beach/Pool Storage Basket- we use a basket for our dry snacks. I always pack paper cups for easy divvying. 

4. Beach Bag with Zipper- I always have a tote up front with me for my regular purse items plus a few extra things. Plus the snacks I don't want to share with the kids. This tote doubles as a beach bag too! This one is pretty cute too!

5. First Aid kit. We have yet to make it to the beach without a child needing a bandage. I'm obsessed with these cute Welly Bandages lately (you might have first spotted them in my Easter basket ideas round up). I just grabbed this fun pattern for Genevieve to take to camp. 

6. Cordless Lithium Handheld Vacuum. I love this vacuum! It works so well for the car. While you might not clean en route, I love to vacuum out the car before and after a trip (and sometimes during or vacay if it got real nasty on the way there).

7. Car Backseat Organizer. If I'm being honest, I bought this one because it has more pockets but I love the color and clean lines of the one pictured. Having things like wipes, sanitizer, kleenex, etc accessible makes things less stressful for the co-pilot. 

8. Sea Bands. All of us get carsick and these are a great non medicine option. 

9. A big insulated tumbler is a must-have and this one is so cute! Comes in a handful of colors too! Genevieve wants mine so I might be ordering another.

10. Would You Rather. We love to play this as a family in the car. It kills time and gets us all chatting and off of our devices (especially helpful if we're trying to avoid motion sickness). We also love to put one person on the spot and guess which option we think they'd choose.

11. Road Trip Mad Libs. My kids can't get enough. Dax loves to do these and sometimes it happens while we play other games. Chaos ensues. 

12. 50 Cool Things to Do in the Car. I got this for our Florida trip. There are some pretty cute ideas in here and honestly ideas for fun things to do in general. The tin is tiny (if that matters) but it was well worth the $7. We also bought this game and this book. I'll report back after we've tested them!

13. Carry-On Spinner Luggage in Blue. This cute suitcase comes in lots of colors and the price is right (especially for kids). 

If you're not a member of Walmart+ yet, now's the time! I use it mostly for free grocery delivery on fresh, high quality groceries at the same low prices as in store ($35 order minimum. Restrictions apply) and fast and free shipping, no minimum- excludes most Marketplace items, location & freight surcharges. It's a game changer! Sign up here.

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