Planning a Summer Vacation on Budget
You know these days not everyone can afford a week at the beach that includes $200 a night hotel rooms and $150 a night dinners. When you throw in some shopping and some other activities that can make that type of summer vacation very cost prohibitive for some. Does that mean you should just stay home this year? Absolutely not; a trip to the mountains to go camping is within less than a day’s drive for most people anywhere in the USA and it can be done on a very reasonable budget. Here is how to go about it.
Outfitting for the Trip
Of course if you are going on a camping trip you will need to get some supplies if you don’t already have them. To do this on a budget you will want to avoid the higher priced name brand sporting goods stores. A trip to your local Target store should do the trick nicely. There you will find a large selection of tents, compact cooking grills, sleeping bags and whatever else you may need to get a good night’s sleep and keep the mosquitoes away.
Another thing that is an absolute must on a camping trip is good lightweight hiking boots. You can find a large selection of these at a reasonable price at your local Footwear Etc. Sneakers just don’t have the essential grip you need on slippery surfaces and open toed shoes or sandals can be dangerous and leave you open to injuries on the trail.
One more important thing to consider before hitting the open road is travel insurance. It is extremely cheap for you and your family for a week and will cover a lot of things in the event of an unexpected accident. Allianz Travel Insurance is one of the best ones to consider here.
The Vehicle
Camping is not like it used to be and you most likely won’t need to hire a team of pack mules to get to your camp site, so don’t bring the gas guzzling SUV, bring the car that gives you the best gas mileage to save money. Even the most secluded campsites you can drive right up to these days on paved roads. You won’t be in your vehicle most of the time while you are there anyway.
On The Drive There
While you are on the drive to the mountain of your choice, don’t stop and do expensive activities like going to an amusement park. Stop and walk around such places as scenic overlooks and state parks. Not only are these things worth seeing, they are usually free or very inexpensive for the whole family.
When you get to the last big town before you go up into the mountains you want to stop and get your groceries. You’re not going to have a fridge so remember to buy things that are not perishable like canned foods, dried foods, fruits and vegetables; the best thing about canned and dried foods is not the taste, but they can be really friendly to your vacation budget. You will also need lots of fresh water to drink and by all means do not forget the all-important toilet paper.
You may also want to stop at the local Ace Hardware to make sure you have enough flashlights and plenty of batteries to go along with them. You don’t want your kids to go to the bathroom in your tent and that is exactly what will happen if they do not have a flashlight for going out to go to the bathroom at night.
Activities
Once you are at the campsite, you usually will not have a lot of things around you to spend money on anyway. Resist the temptation to buy some expensive souvenirs that you really don’t need. Take a free walk along a trail that leads to a waterfall instead of spending $200 on a white water rafting adventure. There is nothing in the rules of having fun that says you need to spend a lot of money to do it. Try exploring all the mountain landscaping has to offer, you will most likely see breathtaking sites that you may never get the chance to see again.
Enjoy It
What is the most important thing to remember to do on your vacation? That is right; you need to enjoy it. That should not be hard to do when you are not only having fun, but you are doing it at a price that is easy on your family budget.