Finding it a little difficult to stretch the finances for next year’s camping holiday? Before visiting the bank to increase that overdraft or apply for another loan, consider these few ideas on how you can reduce the holiday cost yourself.
Turn it into a working holiday:
Give yourself a break, and consider spending a week or a month working in the fresh air of the countryside – on your holiday. Hop farms and market gardens take on large numbers of seasonal workers in the UK and other European countries. Many provide accommodation or sites where you can pitch your tent or park your van. Who knows, you might even arrive back home with a nice tan and showing a profit.
Rent out your Home:
Renting out your house while you go on holiday is becoming increasingly popular these days. Most of the glitches and uncertainty of the early days have been ironed out. Companies endeavour to vet all applicants and give you what feedback they can on whether your guests regularly book private accommodation. Most charge a fixed fee or percentage of the rent asked.
Become a travel blogger:
If you’re one of that growing band of people who prefer shorter breaks, but more of them, consider travel blogging. As a knowledgeable dedicated camping enthusiast, you could contact a few of the online camping companies and enquire whether they are interested in paying for camping reviews. That could be reviewing tents, campervans, equipment, or the campsites you visit.
Failing that, start your own camping blog now. Memories and photos of previous camping trips can be uploaded to help build your following. Become an affiliate, and advertise and provide reviews of the equipment you use. You’ll receive a percentage every time someone purchases a product advertised on your blog.
Sell your photographs:
If your penchant is photography rather than writing, you can earn by uploading your photographs to sell. Sign up with the site, upload your photograph with asking price and sit back. If you’re good you can earn reasonable money. If you’re very good, and your shot ends up in a national publication, you can earn big bucks. Most companies charge a percentage of the asking price. One thing to remember unless stated otherwise in the terms and conditions, when you accept the sale of your photograph, the copyright passes to the buyer.
Working online:
With the need to juggle making a living with raising a young family, more people than ever before are choosing to work from home on the internet, millions of them in fact. Even more are holding down full-time jobs, while spending a few hours in the evening working for internet companies to bring in a little extra.
Whether you prefer adding up figures, checking receipts, writing product descriptions or reviewing anything from kitchen accessories to the latest films, there are companies out there who will pay you to do it. If you start now, the extra income will come in handy for next year’s camping holiday. When you pack up the van, don’t forget to pack your laptop or tablet. There’s nothing stopping you earning while you lay on the beach soaking up the rays.
Online trading:
Another increasingly popular way to try to increase the coffers is online trading. Gone are the days when the stock market was the domain of the large investment banks and insurance companies. Now anyone can play the markets. Companies like CMC Markets have been set up to help ordinary people who want to develop their own trading portfolio using a mix of Commodities, Forex, indices and shares.
Cashback Sites:
There are any number of ways you can discount the cost of your next holiday. Sign up with different cashback sites. Can you book your camping holiday through them? Use cashback to buy holiday clothing and any extras you may want to take with you. Provided you pay your credit card off monthly, consider applying for a cashback credit card for use on your holiday.
Finally, if you tend to frequent the same camping sites on a regular basis, you’re no doubt aware of what shortages most fellow campers complain of. Do a bit of shopping before you leave and cram a few extras into those unfilled spaces. Unless you’ve got a three ton truck, distributing them to fellow campers isn’t going to make you any fortunes. But it might just get you a few free beers in the clubhouse.
