One of the best things about camping is that it doesn’t have to be expensive. As long as you can find a campsite that is near by then you can find extremely affordable camper accessories if you don’t already have them as well as inexpensive parts at used RV stores and other second hand shops. Once you are at the campsite, there are various things that you can do that would be within a budget but still affordable. Here are a few ideas of how to have fun without spending a lot of money while out camping.
Affordable Pontoon Boats
If your chosen campsite is near a lake or river, there will often be affordable pontoon boats or canoes available for rent. They are great for enjoying the fresh air in a relaxing atmosphere. You can often use the affordable pontoon boats for either reading or fishing or other pleasure activities. However, they aren’t all that cheap so do your research before you climb aboard. New pontoon boats can actually be very expensive, so in comparison, renting or teaming up with someone else in order to use their pleasure boats is a better way to go about it.
Inexpensive Bicycles
Riding a bike is a great way to explore nature. You can usually rent bikes for the whole family nearby the camp site and then spend the day partaking in scavenger hunts, biking the trails or otherwise looking around the area that you have chosen to camp in. Get to know the nature in a different way than you ever have before. The trails themselves might be a little difficult so make sure that you pick a trail that will be doable for everyone in your family, especially if you have little ones. Bikes can typically be rented by the hour or by the day. If you plan on being out from dawn to dusk, then it might be a good idea to rent by the day, it could work out cheaper that way. If you make lunch and bring it with you, that could save you some money as well.
Cheapy Eating
The whole point of camping is to get away from civilization and enjoy time together as a family. That includes not eating out. This means that you need to be able to bring food. Figure out how much food you will need for the amount of days that you are going for and then bring it with you. You don’t even have to add food into your budget if you figure out your food like this. It could just be apart of your regular grocery budget because you won’t be eating any differently than you do usually. If you don’t do this you’ll end up spending a lot of money eating out and not only is that a waste of money but it defeats the purpose of getting away from the city and everything about normal life.
Bargain Sleeping Arrangements
The absolute cheapest way to sleep when you are camping is out under the stars. Stars are free and you’ll only pay for your blankets or sleeping bags, which you may very well already have. If you have a little money to spend, you could get a used travel camper if you plan on making camping a regular thing. It may be a little costly initially but it will end up paying for itself in the long run if you camp a lot with the family. Another option is to stay in a cabin. This isn’t free but doesn’t have to be expensive if you get a smaller cabin with only the necessities as far as amenities go.
Hopefully these ideas have shown you that whether you are going to find affordable pontoon boats or sit around the camp fire, there are ways to spend a lot of money, a little money or even no money if you really don’t want to. Basically, it all comes down to what kind of experience you want your camping trip to entail. Remember that the point of any family vacation is being together and finding time to bond again. Spending money just continues to stress you out and doesn’t allow you to connect and really be present.