Big Summer Fun on a Small Budget

Switching gears just a bit from my regular posts on couponing I wanted to talk about summer vacations. We are often asked about traveling. The questions range from finances to the logistics of getting everyone from point A to point B. I am going to attempt to give you some idea of how we have summer fun without breaking the bank. The first thing you should know is that we DO NOT use credit cards. We pay as we go or we don't go. Please also remember we are not wealthy people but we do try to create a budget and stick to it. We actually have a savings account! What!?! Yes, it's true we are old fashioned and actually save money to accomplish what we want instead of charging what we want, believe me you can save a lot if you are not giving all of your  money to credit card companies in the form of interest. Enough about that and on to the topic at hand.

We started the summer off by going with friends to camp on land that is owned by family. We stayed in our travel trailer. While we were there we rode horses, played in the creek, shot guns, fished, canoed, rode four wheelers, took long walks, cooked out and visited with friends and family. The budget $50.

Keep in mind that we have 8 children ranging in ages 15 years to 15months. So one thing we do is send everyone (8 and older) to church camp. We were very fortunate that 3 of our children earned scholarships to camp based on their accomplishments. That helped the budget immensely! That left us paying only 2 camp tuitions plus Tshirts. I go to each camp and work as a matron and in the cafeteria. The benefits of camp are numerous but one thing I want to mention is that each of our kids gets to go to the camp that corresponds with their age group and I get to be there too so it gives them time with peers and with mom on a more individualized level. (The kids that are not old enough for camp stay home with dad and one of the grandmothers stays during the day and does special activities each day; special crafts, trips to the park, etc. They look forward to Granny Camp each year!) Each of our kids saves money from birthdays or money they have earned to spend on concessions or souvenirs. Because I am there I can bring extra snacks from home at a significant savings over the concession stand. The budget for camp $400!

Next, we attend a family reunion every summer. We are able to stay with relatives or stay in our travel trailer. We have tons of fun, bring food and snacks from home to share with everyone  and we purchase everyone a Tshirt. The budget for this trip $200!

Additionally, this summer we are going to stay for a week on a lake near family. Fortunately for us the lake is not a vacation hot spot, the rental for the RV spot is only $22 dollars a night! We bring food from home and spend lots of time with family. All the while swimming and using my brothers boat. I have budgeted $300 for an 8 day stay on the lake!

There is a possibility of another short trip. If that takes place I will let you know the details! So you see we are very busy and so far we have spent less than $1000 for summer activities.

I have mentioned our travel trailer several times. This was the best thing we ever purchased. It allows us to logistically, comfortably and easily  go many places. Most places would require us to get 2 hotel rooms. The expense of that can be overwhelming never mind the trouble of hauling luggage in and out for 10 people!  A stay at an RV park can be as cheap as $12 a night! Depending on what you are looking for and the popularity of the area you are staying the price can be up to about $50 per night. An added benefit of RVing is the park where you stay is often tons of fun for the kids in and of itself and they are not cooped up in a room. We bring along scooters, jump ropes, roller blades, swim suits, etc. We save tons of money because we also prepare our own food the majority of the time. Throughout the year we travel at least one weekend a month, often much more. We do not have an automobile note which has allowed us to make this purchase. If you have a large family or even a smaller family but enjoy lots of traveling I would consider an RV/travel trailer. Ours stays packed with food, toiletries, bedding, etc. We can be ready to go very quickly. You can purchase one very reasonably priced.