SweetPea Finance

1. Make an Adventure Fund

It's no secret that any trip takes saving some money.

If you're an outdoorsy person, make sure you invest in a high yield savings account or a CD to ensure that you are putting money aside but also aggregating interest for your saved money. The beauty of high yield savings accounts is that you can take the money out whenever you want and you make a smart investing move by depositing your money where it won't sit and decrease in value over the months/years you save.

A CD (certificate of deposit )will also give you great returns--but you can't take your money out whenever you want. This is a great option if you aren't traveling in the short term. When the CD matures, you can take your money out and enjoy the interest earned over time

2. Gear Hacking

Outdoorsy trips also mean buying outdoor gear. My advice is this: keep it simple, and don't buy things you *might* need but rather just purchase the things you absolutely need. If you have the privilege of having a more disposable income, invest in high quality gear that will last you a long time (I still use my backpacking backpack and truck tent from 5 years ago).

If you're on a tight budget, don't buy, try renting instead! Alot of outdoor stores will allow you to rent their gear at the fraction of the price (and you won't have to worry about storing and maintaining gear over long periods of time)!

You can also purchase alot of high quality gear that is second hand/refurbished for a fraction of the price. It's better for the environment too!

3. Adventure Planning and Budgeting

Always plan the trip in advance. Have a solid itinerary that is flexible but well thought out. Look at weather conditions before you get to your destination, understand the cost of renting/buying gear, transportation costs, trail permit costs, camping site/hotel costs, and map out your routes for any hiking/mountain biking/running on a platform like AllTrails so you know where you're going, how much time it will take, and how tiring the activity will be! Save some of the routes you absolutely have to do at your destination so you won't miss an opportunity to cross something off your itinerary!

 4. Cook your own meals

A lot of hidden vacation costs are in eating restaurant food. Eating and exploring outside can be super fun but don't go overboard on your food budget! Try to cook your own meals, or buy dehydrated food beforehand so you will not go hungry on your trip! In my experience, the cost of eating out versus cooking your own meals tends to be 2.5x the amount I would've spent just eating a bit more frugally and paying attention to the food budget.

5. Off-season Travel

Yes, I know your friends want to go to Colorado to hit the slopes in January. Can you postpone it? A lot of peak travel costs can increase the spend on your adventures. Keep in mind that going to a destination slightly off season or completely off season can be the answer to spending a lot less money on an outdoor getaway!