Taking the family on a camping trip is a great way to enjoy a nice vacation without having to find the money for hotels and restaurants. Not only are your children getting to see some amazing wildlife and scenery, but they’re also learning about nature.
Organizing and buying what you need for the trip doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. With careful planning, you can do your camping vacation on a budget.
- Buy Discounted or Used Camping Equipment – If this is going to be your first camping trip, then you’ll be mindful of the cost of the equipment. However, you can get some good bargains if you know where to look. If you shop at the camping stores out of season, they may have some good deals on last year’s stock.
- Stay Close to Home- The magic of camping can be found in any location. You don’t need to travel in the car for miles to get a good spot. There may be some nice areas near to where you live that will be a perfect place to pitch the tent.
- Buy Things You Can Use for Multiple Purposes – A great way to stretch your budget is to buy things that have multiple uses. This can include food, such as beef that can be used for many meals, or small balls that you can use for different games such as tennis or baseball. You can also use cooking pots and pans that can be used to cook many different meals. Things such as a Dutch oven can be used for many of the best cast iron Dutch oven recipes like those on Easy Campfire Recipes.
- Buy Your Camping Things Ahead of Time – Often, you’ll be rushing to buy matches or rope at the last minute. However, if you plan, you can save a lot of cash. When you’re out shopping, look for the sales and bargains to see if there’s anything you can use for camping.
- Use Things from Home – There’s no need to buy separate cutlery or new sleeping mats just for camping. If you have old inflatable beds for sleepovers, use those as sleeping mats. Also, take your cutlery and folding garden chairs with you as well. Anything you can take with you that you don’t need to buy separately will save you money and storage.