CAMPING ON THE CHEAP

Holidays end, but the financial impacts of overindulgence last forever. If you apply more self-control on the road, post-camping life becomes a whole lot easier, as does camping itself — suddenly there’s no guilt and no premonitions of the sacrifices you’ll have to make to scrape through afterwards. Not only that but the less money spent each day, the longer the trip can last before your budget is up.

We’ve been travelling around the country since July, setting out with the aim of limiting our expenses to extend our holiday and safeguard our financial future. We’ve managed to limit our regular spending to less than $800 a week, without compromising our experience on the road — here’s how.

LIMITING FUEL COSTS

For many active travellers, the largest expense is fuel. Towing or loading up a car inevitably increases fuel economy into the range of 12–18 litres per 100km, and this pairs with the increased cost of remote area fuel (sometimes more than $2 per litre) to eat away at your account. At those prices, driving 100km may cost you more than $25 — and it also brings you that much closer to your