Vacations on a budget
I love vacations.
We’ve rarely been on a vacation since we got married because each time my husband has vacation days we have used them to go visit family.
Last summer we actually got to vacation, and this summer we will do the same. The great part is we get to see family at the same time.
We’ve started yearly camping trips with my sister and her husband. This year we are hoping other siblings will join us.
Other than just camping, here are some ways we save money with our vacation.
- share a campsite
- camp at a state park- they are not only prettier than campgrounds, they are cheaper and often have nicer campsites.
- bring your food with you, if you’re camping with someone else, plan your meals together.
- Spend time at the campground. It’s very easy to get caught up on things to do outside of the campground, but don’t forget about the swimming, hiking and playground provided for free at the campground! You can even bring bikes and sporting equipment and take advantage of the campground facilities.
This summer we will be going to Huntington beach, SC- right next to Myrtle beach. I’m so excited, I can’t wait!!!
Do you vacation? What do you do to save money? Do you have good ideas?
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Check out Biblical Womanhood for more ways to save money.
Posted: January 17th, 2008 under unlabled.
Comments
Comment from joanna
Time January 18, 2008 at 9:10 am
To save money when we vacation, we drive. My husband has never been on a plane, so someday we’ll fly somewhere for a “big vacation”, but we’ve driven to Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri and places in-between. And, last year, we found a way to vacation EVEN CHEAPER than driving: taking a bus!
As Ashley said, having local travel books is also another strategy of ours. We take “day trips” to small towns, and refer to our travel books for scenic routes and interesting sites in the little towns. We’ve happened upon some awesome historical & cultural sites & events this way- and for free!
Comment from Jes
Time January 18, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Ashley- we always camp in tent only sites too! There’s really no need for us to have water or electric at our site, there is normally a place to get water not too far from the sites, so you can still fill up the pots and stuff!
Yah, I thought I had said something about keeping the gear simple, but I must have taken that out 
Joanna- how exactly does taking a bus work with camping stuff? or do you stay in a hotel or something? We always drive too, except when we go to Texas to visit my mom, that’s too long of a drive now since we have a baby.
Comment from joanna
Time January 18, 2008 at 4:14 pm
You didn’t ask about camping specifically, you asked about how we save money on vacation… no, you’re right, to get to a campground, we couldn’t take a bus. Most of our excursions aren’t overnight. We did stay in a hotel overnight as a first-anniversary celebration, when we took the bus to Chicago. That was a splurge.
We do love camping, though, and did a lot of it last weekend. It wasn’t something I did at all growing up, and I love it.
Comment from Jennifer
Time January 18, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Sounds fun! I am hoping that we can camp more this summer too. Before the kids outgrow the tent we have. It is a family size, but with 6 people there still isn’t much space. I am in the thinking stages of figuring out where we should go camping at this year. We are in Ohio, and would prefer it to be within a days drive of us. Too bad SC doesn’t meet that requirement. I grew up there and love it.
Jennifer
Comment from ashley @ twentysixcats
Time January 18, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Joanna: You went camping last weekend? Wow it must have been cold!!
Comment from joanna
Time January 22, 2008 at 9:18 am
Ha. I said last weekend. I meant last summer. Wow. Oops.
Comment from ashley @ twentysixcats
Time January 18, 2008 at 2:49 am
I love camping!! I am itching for it to get warm again so Paul and I can go camping.
We have found it to be a very frugal way to get away for the weekend. There is a campsite in the north Georgia mountains that costs only $6/night! A tip to save costs: usually tent-only campsites are much cheaper, and they are generally quieter and more pleasant (if you have a tent, of course). Camping can be a great way to meet up with far away family and friends. You can meet “halfway” – which often makes it a lot more doable. It’s also a very healthy vacation. You can usually find trails to explore, which is a lot of good exercise and fresh air.
When purchasing camping equipment: remember that less is better. It’s easy to get caught up with all the little doo-dads that are out there, but remember that you have to carry everything! Every time I go camping, I always find something else to leave off my camping checklist for next time.
A great resource for tent campers is a series of books by Johnny Malloy called “The Best in Tent Camping”. We have the Georgia book and the Carolinas book, but there are a lot of states in the series.