The idea of taking my family on an out of state camping trip and seeing the country had to beput on hold this year, with the currentprices we simply couldn'tbudget in for anyextras.
The price of fuel alone is a killer for most people and only now we are even starting to see a slight drop in the price.
This year we stayed at a local state park, less than an hour from our home.
Last year we were able to drive four hours north into the White Mountains of New Hampshire and take several day trips.
I am sure your family also has had to tighten its budget lately, so I would recommend trying a local campground or state park.
When you stay local it allows you to take a closer look at areas of your home state you usually do not get to see.
Camping Local opens up another money saving option, group camping with friends or family.
My wife and I tried this once with her sister and husband and it worked out quite well.
People usually can save at least half the price of the campsite and probably some food as well.
You can also pack some meals and vacuum seal those to lower the amount you have to spend on food; reducing spoilage and allowing you to do you're shopping in one trip.
I recommend shopping at a warehouse store like Sam's Club, Costco or Bjs, buying in bulk can save you money.
Remember you do not have to take all the food you buy with you.
When it comes time for entertainment there are several low cost or even free ways to keep the family busy, most libraries offers free passes to local zoos.
Hiking or exploring your campground can provide hours of fun for little or no money , water balloon fights, tag, bike rides it doesn't take toomuch imagination to find ways to have fun without spending money .
My family enjoyed plenty of time playing portable Sorry and Battleship, which together costs less than twenty dollars and fold flat enough to fit pretty much anywhere.
The average family needs to save money however they can; by staying closer to home you save money on fuel, meals on the road and of course travel time.
I recommend you do a little research and find some local points of interest and take a day trip, most of us overlook really neat historical places just because they are so close to home.