Chickery's Travels

Chickery's Travels logo. A blue-green Earth globe with continents surrounded by dots with an arrow denoting movement or travel and "Chickery's Travels" as part of the dotted circle. Next to this is a photo of their blue and white Arctic Fox 5th Wheel with the awning out.
  • Home
  • Campground Reviews
    • Alternatives To National Park Campgrounds
    • Best Luxury RV Resorts For All RV Types
    • Best Waterfront Campgrounds For Every Budget
    • Alabama
      • Gunter Hill Campground (Montgomery, Alabama)
    • Arizona
      • Best Campgrounds in Arizona
      • Aspen Campground (Payson, Arizona)
      • LazyDays KOA (Tucson, Arizona)
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, AZ)
    • Arkansas
      • Catherine’s Landing (Hot Springs, Arkansas)
      • Downtown Riverside RV Park (Little Rock, Arkansas)
    • California
      • Best Campgrounds in California
      • Crescent City Redwoods KOA (Crescent City, California)
      • Sea Breeze RV Park (Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station)
    • Delaware
      • Cape Henlopen State Park (Lewes, Delaware)
    • Florida
      • Best Campgrounds in Florida
      • Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area (Pensacola, FL)
      • Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Southeast FL)
      • LazyDays RV Resort (Tampa, FL)
      • MacDill AFB FamCamp (Tampa, FL)
      • Military Camping in Key West
      • Patrick AFB FamCamp (Cocoa Beach, FL)
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, FL)
      • Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness (Orlando, FL)
        • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
        • Chickery’s Travels Podcast Episode 5: Fort Wilderness Campground Review
    • Maryland
      • Cherry Hill Park (College Park, Maryland)
    • Michigan
      • Port Huron KOA (Kimball, Michigan)
    • Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
      • Boondocking Near Las Vegas
    • New Hampshire
      • Lincoln / Woodstock KOA (New Hampshire)
    • New York
      • Round Pond Recreation Area (West Point, NY)
    • North Carolina
      • Outer Banks West / Currituck Sound KOA (Coinjock, North Carolina)
    • Oklahoma
      • Oklahoma City East KOA (Choctaw, Oklahoma)
    • Texas
      • Best Campgrounds in Texas
      • Alsatian RV Resort (Castroville, Texas)
      • Maverick Ranch (Lajitas, Texas)
      • Texas Wine Country Jellystone (Fredericksburg, Texas)
    • Tennessee
      • Camp Margaritaville (Pigeon Forge, TN)
      • Crossville I-40 KOA (Crossville, TN)
      • Midway RV Park (Memphis, TN)
    • Virginia
      • Fort Belvoir Travel Camp (Alexandria, VA)
      • Harrisonburg / Shenandoah Valley KOA (Broadway, Virginia)
      • Luray KOA (Luray, Virginia)
      • Lynchburg / Blue Ridge Parkway KOA (Monroe, Virginia)
      • Shenandoah River State Park (Bentonville, Virginia)
    • Washington
      • Crescent Bar RV Resort (Quincy, Washington)
    • West Virginia
      • Harper’s Ferry KOA (Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia)
  • USA
    • Arizona
      • Apache Trail: A Crazy, Scary, Beautiful Drive
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, Arizona)
      • Phoenix Faves
    • District of Columbia
      • Budget Friendly Fun in Washington D.C.
      • Favorite Hikes near Washington DC
      • Indoor Skydiving and TopGolf: Just Another Day of Family Fun!
    • Florida
      • Best Walt Disney World Festivals For Adults
      • Blowing Rocks Preserve – Jupiter Island, Florida
      • Bok Tower Gardens
      • Daytona Beach – The World’s Most Famous Beach
      • Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
      • Gasparilla – Tampa’s Pirate Invasion
      • 3 Days on the Nature Coast 
      • Florida Freshwater Springs on the Nature Coast
      • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
      • Kennedy Space Center – Cape Canaveral
      • Island Hopping at Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Parks
      • Must See Sights in St. Augustine, FL – America’s Oldest City
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, Florida)
      • Sunny Sarasota
      • Tampa
        • Get Back to Nature in Tampa Bay
        • Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Spring Training in Tampa, FL
        • The 5 Best Beaches in the Tampa Bay Area
        • Why We Love Tampa
      • Tarpon Springs – The Gulf Coast Town with Greek Flavor
      • Top 5 Things to Do on Florida’s Space Coast
      • What Not to Do When Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River
      • Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
    • Georgia
      • Visiting Atlanta? Don’t Miss These Civil Rights Museums
    • Illinois
      • One Day In The Windy City – Chicago Itinerary
    • Maine
      • Coastal Maine Vacation
      • Monhegan Island Maine
      • Two Days in Acadia National Park
    • Nevada
      • Planning an RV Trip to Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
    • Tennessee
      • Burgess Falls: 3 For 1 Waterfall Special
      • National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis, TN
      • Window Cliffs, TN – I’m Not Afraid of Heights, But I am Afraid of Falling!
      • WWII History in Tennessee
    • Texas
      • Best Eats in Fredericksburg
      • Enjoy a Bird’s Eye View of Texas Hill Country
  • RV Resources
    • 3 Simple Steps to Find the Best RV Campgrounds
    • 5 Years Full-Time RV: Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret
    • Boondocking – What We Learned From Our First Dry Camping Experience
    • Tips for Boondocking Success
    • Essential RV Gear
      • Essential RV Gear Guide
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • RV Must Have: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
      • RV SnapPads Product Review
      • RVLOCK Keyless Entry Door Handle Installation and Review
      • Shop “RV Local” With TechnoRV
      • Top RV Gadgets & Accessories
      • WeBoost Cellular Booster Review
    • Living in an RV
      • 9 Lessons From 2 1/2 Years on the Road
      • Biggest Regret Full-Time RV Living
      • Dealing with my Biggest Full-Time Travel Struggle, Missing Family While Traveling
      • Downsizing: 3 Areas That Make The Biggest Impact
      • Full-Time RV: 2019 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV: 2018 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV Travel – 2017 Year In Review
      • How Full-Time RVers Celebrate the Holidays
      • How to Prepare for Full-Time RV Travel
      • Internet Solutions for RV Travelers
      • Learn How to RV Full-Time
      • Living in a Tiny, Traveling Home
      • Making Friends (and reconnecting with old friends) While Traveling Full-Time
      • Pros & Cons of Full-Time RV Travel
      • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
      • Short-Term RV Storage: Leaving The RV Behind
      • Top 3 Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret: 3 Years Full-Time RV Living
      • What We Wish We Knew Before Full-Time RVing
      • What You Need To Know Before Selling Everything And Moving To An RV
      • Why We Are Traveling Full-Time In Our RV
    • Maintenance Tips
      • DIY Power Upgrade – “Solar Ready” Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • Easy DIY Project to Protect Your RV Water System
      • An Easy Way to Protect Your RV Water Heater
      • How to Reduce the Likelihood of Tire Blowouts on your RV
      • Odor Free RV Black Tank Tips
      • RV Condensation: What It Is, What It Does, and How To Stop It
    • Must Read Books Before Becoming A Full-time RVer
    • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
    • RV Remodel
      • Planning an RV Remodel
      • RV Kitchen Cooking Videos
      • Painting Your RV Interior
      • Update the RV Kitchen – Backsplashes & More
      • Updating Your RV Window Treatments
      • RV Bedroom Makeover
      • RV Remodel Costs with Before & After Photos
      • Vintage Camper Renovation
    • RV Holiday Tour – Decorating Our Small Space
    • RV Hurricane Evacuation
    • RV Misery Can Be Overcome By The Generosity Of Others
    • RV Travelers: How to Read Books While Saving Space and Weight in Your RV
    • Slow Travel
    • Small Kitchen Cooking
      • Cooking Videos
      • Eating Healthy on Travel Days
    • Staying Healthy
      • Traveling with Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, and Other Chronic Pain Conditions
    • Trip Planning
    • Traveling with Pets
      • RVing with Your Cat
      • Traveling with Restricted Breed Dogs
    • Why I Prefer RV Travel Over Flying
    • Your Guide To Planning The Best Family Vacation This Summer
  • Travel Finance
    • 5 Tips to Save on RV Travel
    • 5 Ways to Fund Full-Time Travel
    • Full-Time RV Expenses
      • Annual Full-Time RV Expenses – The Big Three
    • Five Credit Card Strategies To Improve Travel
    • How Much Do Campgrounds Cost?
    • How Much Does it Cost to RV Full-Time?
    • How to Camp for Free
    • How to Start a Profitable Blog
    • How to Save Money on RV Fuel Costs
    • How to Save on Food While Camping
    • How We Earn A Living While Traveling Full-Time (And How You Can Too)
    • How We Paid $139,000 of Debt in 2 Years While Full-Time RVing
    • Learn How to Finance Your Dreams
    • The Top 7 Ways to Save Money While Traveling Full-Time
    • Roadmap to Financial Freedom
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report April 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report May 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report June 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report July 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report August 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report September/October 2018
    • RV Purchasing
      • RV Purchasing: Understanding RV Types
      • Benefits of Renting an RV
      • Should I Buy A New or Used RV?
      • The Costs of RV Ownership
      • The True Cost of Financing an RV
      • Why You Should Attend An RV Show
    • Save Money Using the Public Library (On More Than Just Books)
  • Military Travel
    • Guide To Using Military Campgrounds
    • Health Care for Retired Military Full-Time RVers
    • Why Military Retirees Should Fly Space-A
  • Videos
  • About Us
    • RV Shows We’re Attending
    • Contact Us
    • Follow Us
    • Why We Are Full-Time RVers

July 31, 2017 by Julie 10 Comments

The Top 7 Ways to Save Money While Traveling Full-Time

Traveling full-time sounds like a lot of fun, but if you’re not careful it can become expensive very quickly. In this article, I’ll share the top 7 ways to save money while traveling full-time.

Learn how to pay off debt, earn an income, and save money all while traveling full-time.

Campgrounds

The largest full-time travel expense for many, including us, is lodging. Watch the video below to find ways to save on campgrounds or read on for more tips. 

There are many variables in where you choose to park your RV, and all impact the bottom line.

    • Hook ups or Not? We often enjoy full hook up campgrounds which means water, electricity, and sewer. I especially like amenities like swimming pools or shuttles to nearby cities. However, this doesn’t have to mean staying at an RV Resort, many national, state, and even municipal park campgrounds have full hook ups and are less expensive than RV resorts.
    • Length of Stay. Many commercial RV resorts and campgrounds offer discounts for weekly and monthly stays, and we like to take advantage of these not only to cut back on expenses, but to reduce travel fatigue as well. These can be significant. For example, we booked a one-month stay this winter in South Florida. The daily rate is $49, but the monthly rate was $746, which comes out to $25 per night, saving 50%. Please be aware that some places charge for metered electricity when offering a monthly rate.
    • There are many membership type discounts and you have to decide if the cost of the membership will be worth it to you. We use Passport America for our shorter stays in particular. It only $44 a year, and a 50% discount on a single 2-night stay in a place like Florida pays for it right away!

Others discount clubs include Escapees and Good Sam. In addition, some fraternal organizations like the Elks offer sites at their lodges around the country for nominal fees. Finally, if you are a veteran, always ask if there is a military discount.

  • Campground Memberships. There are also campground memberships like Thousand Trails. They have 86 campgrounds divided among 5 camping zones: Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast and Southeast. You can choose to join one or all of them. We’re not members so I can’t give you a review. I’ve heard both good and bad and there is even a Facebook group called Thousand Trails Likes/Dislikes.

Food

Our next greatest expense and opportunity for saving money while traveling is food. This includes two separate line items on our budget:

  • Eating Out: First off, we save money by not eating out very often. It also helps save a few pounds as well. To see how I use my small kitchen for our meals click here. We save our eating out allowance for the places that are unique to an area, and we try to stay away from overly touristy places. In my experience, the best local places to eat are the mom and pop hole-in-the-wall places. The food is usually better and more authentic, and costs far less. When we’re going to be spending a day out, we will usually eat a hearty breakfast before heading out, take a picnic lunch and snacks with us, and try to get back to the RV for dinner.
  • Groceries: One of the easiest ways to save money on groceries is by using coupons. You can go old school and pick up a Sunday paper in virtually any city to get coupons, or you can use websites like coupons.com that let you select and print coupons. Also, most chain groceries stores like Safeway or Publix have online coupons you can link to your shopper card and save at the register without ever having to cut any coupons. Another great way to save money, and eat healthier is to shop at Farmer’s Markets. The produce is generally fresher and less expensive than at the grocery stores.

Fuel

Another big expense and opportunity for saving money while traveling is fuel. The best way we’ve found to cut down on this expense is to slow down. Shorter distances between moves, and longer stays at each location reduce the amount of fuel we use. Also since we have a fifth wheel with a large dually as our local transportation, we use our bikes, public transportation, and RV park shuttles whenever we can.

Click here to read even more tips for saving on fuel. 

Reduce/Reuse

We also save money while traveling by living a simpler life and trying to be kinder to the environment. For example, we use our dishes instead of paper plates. Also, we have a rule on clothing that if we buy something new, something old has to go. In other words, replacement items only. This saves space and money.

Perform Your Own Preventative Maintenance

One way we’ve recently started saving money while traveling is by performing some of our own preventative maintenance on our RV. We were looking at a copy of an RV service center’s pricing list, and Sean thought he could do much of the items on his own. For example, they recommended annual Water Heater Service for $67.50. Sean read our owner’s manual, did a little research, then felt confident enough to complete the maintenance tasks on his own. He posted a video about it here. Another preventative maintenance task he recently completed that was also listed for $67.50 was annual Battery Service. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to follow Sean as he learns about more simple maintenance tasks you can do to save money.

Entertainment

Finally, we save money while traveling by enjoying as much free fun as we can. This includes hiking, biking, visiting beaches, and other nature spots. Many cities have a free days, or often evenings, to visit museums. When we have to pay an entry fee, we’ll look for discounts on Groupon when we’re visiting a new area. We also always ask about any military discount. There are also museum discount programs that are reciprocal. For example, I purchased a membership with the Southeastern Reciprocal Membership Program. The family membership is $72.75. The admission for the Ringling Museum in Sarasota for a family of four is $60 (2 adults, 2 children). If you go to just one other museum on the list, you’ve saved money! There’s also the  North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association® which has 924 member institutions. At every stop in our travels, I write about how I save money. Recently we visited Washington DC and I shared some ideas for Budget Friendly Fun in our Nation’s Capital.

Stick to a Budget

This really should have been the first tip because it is the most important. Really, the only way to be sure you’re saving money is to have a budget and stick to it! It is way to easy for all the small things you buy to add up. I use a free budget app to create a budget and track my spending right from my phone. By tracking my expenses and spending, I know exactly where my money is going, and then I can apply the other techniques I talked about earlier to try to reduce a specific item. I use a method called zero-based budgeting and you can learn more about it here.

Click here to get our free Full-Time RV budget worksheets.

Find more tips on saving money, budgeting and earning an income on the road in our program: Full-Time RV Finance. 

Follow these tips to save money on RV travel. Ideas and tricks for saving money on campgrounds, fuel, food, and more on your family road trip. Using these techniques to save money will make everyone a happy camper on your next RV vacation!

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Filed Under: 7 Ways to Save Money While Traveling, Full-Time Finance, RV Resources Tagged With: budget for traveling, budget travel, camping discounts, camping membership, camping on a budget, full time rv living cost, full-time travel, fulltime cost, how much does rving cost, how to save money camping, living in a travel trailer full time, making a living while traveling, making money rv'ing, passport america, rv camping, rv discounts, rv living full time, save money rving, save money while traveling RV full-time, saving money, saving money on camping, saving on rv campgrounds, thousand trails, thrifty travel, travel on a budget, travel savings, travel tips and tricks, traveling and making money

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