While I’m sure we would all love to be able to vacation in Europe, the Caribbean, or other luxurious destinations on a regular basis, the reality is that most us – my family included – cannot afford to. Trips like those we save for, and take once every few years.
But without jobs, obligations, and even extended family, quite frankly, we need vacations more often than once every few years.
So in our family we’ve turned to camping as an affordable, fun way to get away for anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks at a time. Camping gets our kids plenty of outside time, plenty of time swimming, and gives them a chance to run off their never-ending energy.
The adults even enjoy camping, because between the booze and the fire after the kids go to bed, even this girl who prefers “glamping” to the more rugged types of camping has learned to relax and enjoy camping!
We’re lucky enough to have an amazing group of friends that we frequently camp with. Our kids play together, we pitch in and help each other out with not only the costs of camping, but supplies when we forget them, meals and much more!
Our average camping trip costs us just $60 for an entire week. Because 4-5 families camp on 2 campsites, we all split the costs, and because we’re cooking from scratch {somewhat} our groceries don’t deviate that much from our regular meal plan. Crockpot meals, grilled meals, and even simple things like sandwiches are all on the menu while we’re camping. The only extras we need to buy would be s’more supplies, bottled water, and ice. Easy peasy!
Of course, there were some startup costs associated with getting set up to go camping, but since we bought everything we needed more than 2 years ago, I don’t think that much about them.
Here’s the exciting news:
We Bought A Camper!
For nearly 2 years, we’ve been tent camping.
After our daughter was born, the first time we tent camped was when she was 6 months old, just crawling.
I didn’t have any fun that weekend, but figured that if I could get through camping with a 6-month old, I could survive anything. Since then, our camping trips have gotten much more enjoyable. Now when we tell our 2-year old she’s going camping, she jumps up and down, claps her hands, and squeals with excitement.
But while tent camping is great, and we were all set up for it, we’ve been wanting to take some more extended trips, camp with a little more comfort, and get a camping setup going that would allow me some space of my own for when I need to work at the campsite.
This is why, as one of our goals for 2016, we decided to save up for a pop up camper, so that if a good deal were to come along, we would jump at the chance to pick on up.
Well, that opportunity came mid-January, right before the RV show came to St. Louis.
About a week before the RV show came, Craigslist started exploding with RV dealers trying to offload their less-than quality campers to make room for new inventory for the show.
Tweet ThisWe were fully aware that with the budget we were working with, we were looking at would get us a pop up that needed some work, but we were ok with that. I stumbled across The Pop Up Princess, I was completely hooked on the idea of buying and remodeling a camper!
Our particular camper is a 2001 Coleman Bayside. It was listed at $3,999, but I thought that was a bit much, considering how old it was. That being said, the inside was pretty nice. Still ugly, because for some reason they think its ok to put hideously ugly flooring, drapes, and even cabinets in campers, but what was there was in good shape.
Well, we negotiated, knowing full well that they were wanting to get rid of some of their used, less popular inventory and saved $1,600 of the price, paying $1,400 (taxes and all!) for the popup.
And boy, is it a monster! Folded up, its more than 19 feet long. Unfolded, its 24 feet, which is crazy long! But, it’s light enough to be towed by our Traverse, so needless to say, we’re already planning tons of camping trips starting in March!
What About Campsite Cost?
We’re very lucky in that we camp with a bunch of other families and we all share the cost of the campsites, but what about if your don’t have a camping crew like we do?
Campsites, just for tent camping will generally run you about $20 a night. If you have a camper, and need an electrical and water hookup you’re looking at $30+. Still way cheaper than a hotel, but the cost for a week of camping could run you $150…not exactly super cheap.
If you’re looking for an ultra-frugal way to see as much of the United States as you can, then my recommendation would be to get an Annual National Parks Pass. It will run you about $80, but gives you free access to all National Parks for a year, plus incredibly discounted or free rates on campsites – including those with water and power hookups!
{Connected To The Military? Here’s How To Score A Free Annual National Parks Pass}
$80 for a year of vacations doesn’t sound too bad, now does it?
Our Camper Remodel
One of the big draws to the camper we bought was (besides the afforability) the fact that we could go camping tomorrow with it, and everything would work be perfect, and even be clean. However, I knew that whatever camper we bought I would want to renovated to make it our own, make it more comfortable, and bring it into the 21st century with small things like USB outlets and a bigger fridge.
I’ve got a post all queued up for you later in the week about our camper remodel budget, complete with pictures, but if you want to follow along with our camper remodel, check out one of the other blogs I started, Saving Money Camping.
This renovation will actually start next week – yikes! – and we’re so unbelievably excited to take our camper from drab to fab on a budget. Of course, just like with everything, I’m excited to document everything about the process along with way!
Do you camp with your family? Tent or camper camping? Share your preference below in the comments!
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So exciting! We have an RV and LOVE it.