For the bulk of August, we stayed at two sites: San Angelo State Park in San Angelo, TX and Red Barn RV Park in Roswell, NM. Here's a breakdown of our August campground expenses:
August 1-14: San Angelo State Park. During the hot, steamy days of early August, the park was practically empty. We landed one of our best campsites so far: flat pad, covered picnic area, gorgeous view of the lake, huge shade tree, and electrical and water hookups. The dump station was located less than a mile from our site - not much of an inconvenience. If I recall correctly, we earned one free night because we'd purchased a Texas state parks pass the month before ($70), and the officer at the ranger station gave us an additional, unofficial discount related to our length of stay.
Total cost: $200
August 14-26: Red Barn RV Park. As Trent described in a previous post, this diminutive campground, tucked between a busy road and an alfalfa field, is a gem. It offers a flat pad, full hookups, access to coin laundry, and an exceptional staff. We'd originally planned on staying less than a week but extended our stay once we realized how outstanding the amenities were. The proprietor offered us a 10% Good Sam discount on the second half of our stay.
Total cost: $302.61
August 26-30: WWOOFing at an Albuquerque farm. In an effort to immerse ourselves in the local community and save some money, we tried our hand at WWOOFing (WWOOF = World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) when we arrived in Albuquerque. In exchange for manual labor on the farm, we received free electrical hookups, access to a community house with full facilities, education regarding organic farming, and some good company. We cut our stay short, but it still helped us conserve some of our cash in the last days of the month.
Total cost: $0
Campground totals for August: $502.61
What we learned in August about saving money on campground expenses:
(1) Generally speaking, the less you move around, the less you'll spend. We found places that had decent rates and amenities, and then we hunkered down. By not moving, we saved on gas for both the RV and the car (or as RVers call their cars, "toads").
(2) The advertised price isn't always set in stone. Our experience at San Angelo State Park was a good example of this: we received an additional, unadvertised discount once we arrived and connected with the park staff. Perhaps part of this had to do with the scarcity of campers at the campground; maybe they wanted to encourage us to stick around. Or maybe the ranger just wanted to give us a bit of a break.
(3) You can save money by not following the crowd. Texas sizzles in the summertime, and we can see why RVers prefer to reserve their visits to the Lone Star State for the winter months. We're shocked that our air conditioner handled the high temperatures with such aplomb. On the other hand, we were able find campsites that were extremely inexpensive, and that made it worthwhile.
We'll post our September breakdown in a few weeks. We're moving around more this month, and as you'll see, our camping expenses will be higher as a result.
Total cost: $200
August 14-26: Red Barn RV Park. As Trent described in a previous post, this diminutive campground, tucked between a busy road and an alfalfa field, is a gem. It offers a flat pad, full hookups, access to coin laundry, and an exceptional staff. We'd originally planned on staying less than a week but extended our stay once we realized how outstanding the amenities were. The proprietor offered us a 10% Good Sam discount on the second half of our stay.
Total cost: $302.61
August 26-30: WWOOFing at an Albuquerque farm. In an effort to immerse ourselves in the local community and save some money, we tried our hand at WWOOFing (WWOOF = World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) when we arrived in Albuquerque. In exchange for manual labor on the farm, we received free electrical hookups, access to a community house with full facilities, education regarding organic farming, and some good company. We cut our stay short, but it still helped us conserve some of our cash in the last days of the month.
Total cost: $0
Campground totals for August: $502.61
What we learned in August about saving money on campground expenses:
(1) Generally speaking, the less you move around, the less you'll spend. We found places that had decent rates and amenities, and then we hunkered down. By not moving, we saved on gas for both the RV and the car (or as RVers call their cars, "toads").
(2) The advertised price isn't always set in stone. Our experience at San Angelo State Park was a good example of this: we received an additional, unadvertised discount once we arrived and connected with the park staff. Perhaps part of this had to do with the scarcity of campers at the campground; maybe they wanted to encourage us to stick around. Or maybe the ranger just wanted to give us a bit of a break.
(3) You can save money by not following the crowd. Texas sizzles in the summertime, and we can see why RVers prefer to reserve their visits to the Lone Star State for the winter months. We're shocked that our air conditioner handled the high temperatures with such aplomb. On the other hand, we were able find campsites that were extremely inexpensive, and that made it worthwhile.
We'll post our September breakdown in a few weeks. We're moving around more this month, and as you'll see, our camping expenses will be higher as a result.
