Camping On A Budget: Money-Saving Tips For Families
Camping is a fantastic way for families to spend quality time together away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It’s also a cost-effective vacation idea that you can completely tailor to your needs.
However, some families find it challenging to go camping without spending lots of money. This blog post gives examples of inspirational ideas for keeping costs down without sacrificing fun and the general camping experience.
Take a look at the following tips for planning a family camping adventure that will keep costs down but create a memorable experience for all:
1. Stay Nearby
Many people enjoy traveling for hours to a new camping location. However, having fun while camping closer to home and discovering new nature spots and hidden gems is still possible.
When you camp near your home, you can use shower and toilet facilities in a safe and familiar environment. You can also bring back anything you forgot on your travels, such as snacks or entertainment gadgets like tablets.
It might surprise you to learn how many fantastic campgrounds are near your home. For example, New Yorkers can go camping in the Adirondacks instead of traveling further afield into the backcountry hundreds of miles from home.
2. Bring Cooking And Water Filtering Equipment
Families often spend much of their vacation budget on food, so cutting those costs for your family’s camping adventures makes sense. The best way to achieve that goal is by bringing some cooking and water filtering equipment with you.
Doing so ensures you can prepare meals, snacks, and refreshments without investing in expensive pre-packaged alternatives from grocery stores or gas stations.
Most families only need a few essential items, such as a camping stove, water filtering tablets, pans, and cooking utensils.
3. Cook All Your Meals From Scratch
You might think that cooking some of your meals from scratch and going to local restaurants or take-away establishments at other times is the way forward.
However, cooking all your meals is the ultimate way to keep your food budget low when you’re on a family camping trip.
If you want to spend less time cooking each day, consider partially cooking some meals at home before you leave and storing them in food containers to reheat at your campsite.
4. Don’t Use Disposable Cutlery And Dishware
The trouble with using disposable cutlery, plates, and other mealtime essentials is that they aren’t environmentally friendly. They can take around 1,000 years to decompose if they get disposed of with other household trash and sent to a landfill site.
Instead, take reusable items made from stainless steel or other dishwasher-friendly materials. You’ll have a greener camping adventure, and there will be fewer things you need to throw away before you head home.
5. Go Camping During Off-Seasons
If you prefer staying at campgrounds with amenities rather than “wild” camping in the backcountry, you’ll probably notice how fees vary according to the time of year you visit.
Camping during high seasons, when children are out of school, is much costlier than during low seasons, when fewer people go camping due to colder weather. If possible, consider camping with your family during low seasons to save more money.
6. Join A Camping Club For Discounted Stays
Did you know that joining a camping club is another way to keep costs down at campgrounds?
For example, Passport America boasts member savings of up to 50% at selected campgrounds nationwide, making it cheaper for RV owners and tent dwellers to enjoy camping across the country.
Many such camping clubs exist, so it’s worth doing a Google search and comparing which ones offer the best benefits for your needs.
7. Use Solar-Powered Lighting
One issue with battery-powered flashlights and tent lighting is that you’re out of luck once the batteries go flat. Solar-powered lighting uses the sun to keep batteries charged, ensuring you’ve always got illumination whenever you need it.
8. Take Advantage Of Free Activities
When you stay at a campground, you must pay extra for some of the site’s amenities. If you travel with a family in tow, those additional costs can soon mount up.
That’s why it pays to participate in free activities. For example, you can go hiking or swimming for free in the great outdoors and download apps that give you details of the best places to do that.
9. Buy Pre-Loved Tents And Equipment
One final tip to help you drive those camping costs down even further is to purchase preloved tents and camping equipment instead of buying brand-new examples.
You’ll sometimes find online ads for such items that were only used on a single camping trip, for instance, and are in “as-new” condition!