5 ways to save money on your next camping trip

Camping is seen by most as a cheap getaway, and this certainly can be the case. However if you're not careful, the costs soon add up - equipment, specialist clothing, site fees and petrol......they all need to be factored into the cost of your trip and during our most recent trip to Loch Ness Shores, I noted that a night in a budget hotel would have been cheaper. Despite the cost though, I do love camping and have put together a few ideas on how you can save money during your next trip.

5 ways to save money on your next camping trip


1 - Join the Camping and Caravanning Club


We paid £50 per night for our pitch during our last camping trip and if we had joined the Camping and Caravanning Club, we would have saved 30% on our pitch fees. It costs just £37 per year to join and if you plan a couple of trips over the year you will easily make your money back. 


2 - Share Equipment with friends


We have a few friends and family who love camping just as much as we do and we tend to share some of our more expensive equipment between us. This weekend for example, my sister in law is borrowing our electric hook-up cable and a few extra sleeping bags and during our last trip we made use of my mum's cool box. Don't rush into buying everything straight away, check out what your friends and family have on offer first. 


3 - Stock up on essentials when you see them in the sale


With three kids to consider, it can be expensive kitting them out in fleeces, wellies and cosy socks (which are all essentials for camping). Personally, I don't like to compromise on quality and I like to buy their fleeces and wellies in the Joules sale. For Steve and I,  we buy our essentials from Dalton Park near Sunderland and the January sales are a fab time to keep your eye out for a bargain. 



4 - Invest in a good quality tent that will last years


I've went through my fair share of tents in the last 10 years. Ranging from cheap pop-up tents that cost less than £20 to tents that cost over £500. I can honestly say, if you are going to be regular campers, you must invest in a tent that offers very good protection from the elements and is of good quality. I'd rather buy a decent tent that lasts 5-6 years and serves me well than multiple cheap tents that end up being binned after a few uses (which also isn't good for the environment). My top recommendation is the Skandika Kairo tent which is the tent we have used this summer. 

5 ways to save money on your next camping trip


5 - Cook your own food


During our last trip we made the mistake of eating out quite a bit which works out to be quite expensive. My top tip would be to book sites which allow BBQs or take a camping stove. I wouldn't recommend taking much food with you (who has the space to do this!) but instead use sites such as Supermarket.co.uk (or good old Siri) to locate the nearest store to your campsite. Some will even deliver! Nothing beats a good burger cooked on the BBQ for supper. 

5 ways to save money on your next camping trip

So there are my top money saving tips for your next camping trip - I'd love to hear if you have any of your own. 
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17 comments

  1. Totally agree with making your own food it also adds to the fun of camping! :D x

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    1. Yeah definitely - not so much if it rains though but all good fun xx

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  2. I always take at least some food when I travel as you never know whether you re going to be delayed, or you can't get your hands on something vaguely healthy.

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  3. Great tips I've never really been into camping but plan to go with our child/ren in the future.

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  4. Great list of tips! I love to camp so it is good to be prepped!

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  5. Great tips I take food everywhere I go, can't help myself but then when you have kids you have to as they are always hungry ;-)

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  6. Our tip from the last trip was to freeze some batch cooking and store in a cook box. The frozen food helps keep the cider chilled :)
    We batched chilli which topped off the hotdogs and nachos lovely.

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    1. I love this tip - thanks for sharing! Definitely going to try on our next trip x

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  7. Pitch fees is always the thing that gets me, 10 years ago it was 250 to pitch. The same campsitr is now 375 for the same sized tent. *sigh* that 30% off could go far on our costs! X

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  8. I love camping so definitely going to take on your tips! X

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  9. Great money saving tips! We always take our stove and cook our own food too :) much more satisfying xx We love camping!

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  10. Nothing better than eating burgers when camping, they taste so much better!
    Rachael xox
    http://gatsbyandglamour.blogspot.com

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