Don't forget the tolls when budgeting road trips

Recent media reports out of Pennsylvania should serve as a reminder to motorists that when planning a long summer road trip, it's important to budget for road trips – including tolls.

A report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette describes how the Pennsylvania Turnpike is planning a 10 percent increase for cash-paying customers that will also apparently make it the most expensive long toll road in the country.

The newspaper added that people using the E-ZPass system will only see a 3 percent price increase, and that the average price per mile on that road will now be 8.5 cents per mile, which compares to 7.7 cents per mile in neighboring New Jersey.

People who are leaving from points in the Northeast to national parks and western states may especially want to do some research on how much it costs to drive on toll roads in states like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Budget-conscious motorists may find that alternate routes could make for interesting and unexpected road trip destinations.

Another option may be to consider purchasing an E-ZPass system to help save time and money when on the highway.